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We Need Your Support
From: Kevin Thompson, Executive Director, Pink Palace Museum of Science & History (MoSH)
Date: March 1, 2021
A year ago, if you’d told me the Museum of Science & History would soon be closing its doors in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, I would have laughed and waited for the punchline.
Now we all know that this is no joke. Across Memphis, across Tennessee and the U.S., everyone has adjusted to the reality of daily uncertainty and new ways of doing just about everything.
Here’s one certainty I know: MoSH supporters are some of the most loyal people in the Mid-South. When we endured a three-month shutdown beginning in mid-March, you stepped up with encouraging messages on social media, enthusiastic support of Museum to Go, and importantly, with your financial support.
I strive to be transparent with our supporters, from corporations to foundations, local leaders to individual donors. So here’s a quick recap of our situation:
· Through a combination of funding, drawing on reserves, and strategic operating reductions, we were able to delay staff layoffs and program cuts until July 2020. A PPP forgivable loan was instrumental in those early days, giving us time to reach out to local funders and begin applying for state and federal support.
· We were successful in securing some CARES Act funding. This allowed us to expand our virtual education programs, our major method of staying connected with visitors and students this year.
· In late 2020 we had a slight boost in revenue from the pop-up Crafts Fair and online Fair, along with the Enchanted Forest which piloted our new timed-entry ticketing system, ensuring that we maintained capacity limits in the museum.
In 2021, we’ll continue to rely on second-round PPP funding, grants and individual donations to offset the decrease in revenue across all MoSH properties. Even with staff reductions our monthly expenses continue to be less than our revenues, and we continue to draw on our strategic reserves. While I would love to see school buses returning and hear kids in the exhibit galleries again, I don’t see a return to field trips and big crowds until later in the year, maybe not until the fall/winter.
MoSH has made it this far with your support – thank you. We still need your help in 2021 – even with reduced staffing and reduced attendance, we are still your museum. We have two new exhibits this year, new 3D movies, and the great outdoors to explore at Lichterman. While our online donation function is under construction, please contact us by phone or email to continue giving generously. And when you’re ready to explore Memphis again, we’ll be here for you.
Kevin Thompson
Executive Director
kevin.thompson [at] memphistn [dot] gov
901.636.2371
Make a Donation Today
While our website is under construction, our online giving function is offline. Please mail your donation, or call to process a gift by credit card:
Kelly Blount, Development/Grant Writer
kelly.blount [at] memphistn [dot] gov
901.636.2424
Museum of Science & History
3050 Central Avenue
Memphis, TN 38111