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CITY OF ~ MIRAG~
~ ~
STAFF REPORT
TO: Mayor and City Council DATE: February 17, 2022
FROM: Gabe Codding, Director of Marketing
SUBJECT: Consideration of a Matching Grant for Children's Discovery Museum
SPECIFIC REQUEST OR RECOMMENDATION
That the City Council approve a request by the Children's Discovery Museum of the Desert for a matching grant of $150,000.
JUSTIFICATION OR INFORMATION
The Children's Discovery Museum of the Desert (CDMOD) has served the Palm Springs Valley for over 30 years. The Cove Communities cities of Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert and Indian Wells collaborated and used redevelopment funds to assist efforts in constructing CDMOD's current Rancho Mirage location.
In March of 2020, the museum closed it's doors because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The museum had been serving over 85,000 visitors per year. 85% of the museum's operating revenue is from visitor fees, memberships and programs. Although the museum has applied for numerous grants, to date they have received approximately 8-10 grants totally $500,000.
However, $400,000 of that amount is from the Shuttered Venue Grant which requires various allocation restrictions.
The museum's CEO and Board of Directors recently launched a "relMAGINATION and Reopen" campaign which features 40 newly constructed exhibits and a targeted reopening date of December of 2022. Phase one of the "relMAGINATION and Reopen" campaign has a fundraising goal of $3 million. The museum has raised roughly half of that goal to date.
The proposed matching grant of $150,000 would commence upon council approval and would run through June 12, 2022 which is National Children's Day. The museum would market this campaign to their constituency as well as valley residents and businesses. This matching grant can be a significant contribution towards the remaining fundraising of the "rel MAGI NATION and Reopen" campaign.
A TT ACHMENT(S)
1. Grant Request Letter Dated 01/21/2022
AGENDA ITEM#
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ATTACHMENT 1
GRANT REQUEST LETTER
(SEE ATTACHED)
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2022 Board of Directors
Katie Stice
Co -Chair
Rancho Mirage
Chamber of Commerce
Davis Meyer
Co-Chair
Visit Greater Palm Springs
Amir Afsar
Immed iate Past Chair
Afsar Legal Group
Wes Oliphant
Treasurer
Affiliated Construction
Laura Hunt Little
Secretary
Visit Greater Palm Spring s
Jamie Steinberg
Director
mint Modern Marketing
Heidi McArthur
Director
Jadabugs Boutique
Catherine Robinson
Director
First American Title
Ann Ke rian Fish
Director
Ann Kerian: Consulting
& Coaching, LLC
Bobby Mignogna
Director
Handyman From Heaven
Linda Heinz
Director
Private Music Instructor-
Desert Autism Foundation
Erika Unruh
Director
Roadrunner Realty Group
Cindy Burreson
CEO
71-701 Gerald Ford Drive
Rancho Mirage CA 92270
760.321.0602
www.cdmod .org
CD"'1>
o«OUN ~ C>1COV[t1 MUS(UM.O f THf DUl.ll
Isaiah Hagerman January 21, 2022
City Manager, City of Rancho Mirage
Dear Isaiah,
Thank you so much for your consideration of supporting the Museum and our rel MAGI NATION project .
We are extremely grateful for the partnership we have had with The City of Rancho Mirage over the years and hope you share in our excitement for the reopening . Our fundraising efforts thus far have been successful due to the multi -generational memories that have been made at CDMoD and the love of the Museum by our community. We have secured funding through grant writing, individual donors and corporate donors as well as fundraising events and have nearly reached half of our $3 million goal for this phase. We still have a long journey ahead and hope the City of Rancho Mirage will be a part of this reimagination project with financial support.
Please find a preliminary draft intended for your sub -committee meeting for a potential matching campaign below :
Who : Reimagine and Reopen Our Children's Dis covery Museum of the Desert -A City of Rancho Mirage Matching Funds Campaign to benefit Children's Discovery Museum of the Desert What: The City of Rancho Mirage Matches Funds up to $150,000.00 by National Children's Day: June 12, 2022
When: Launch date : February 17, 2022 -June 12, 2022 (end date TBD) Whe re: Throughout the Coachella Valley to include Rancho Mirage residents and businesses Why: After over a year of our museum being closed, we are on the journey towards a reimagined and renewed gallery space for children and families as we plan for reopening in 2022 . The museum has been serving valley families for over 30 years, with approximately 85,000 visitors annually. That is over 2 million visitor s! That is a LOT of hands -on fun, creation of family memories and learning through play. In a world where children are growing up too fast, the Children's Discovery Museum of the Desert allows a safe and exciting space for kids to be kids and interact with their families in imaginative ways. It encourages creativity, discovery, and experiences which inspire and promote intellectual curiosity and self-expression. We will be reopening with over 40 new exhibits and an increased focus on children of all ages and abilities through our programming and other avenues.
How: By the community, for the community. Museum friends are all around : Businesses, Residents, Foundations, Visitors can donate to the Matching Funds Campaign by visiting our website :
www.CDMoD .org or texting CDMOD to 44321.
Marketing & Promotions: CDMoD email database of over 5200, our monthly newsletter, donor list, website, social media, community presentations and possibly television and billboard as well as City of Rancho Mirage email distribution, website, and RM TV. Additional support will come from the Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce email, membership list and social media. Other marketing efforts to include press releases, flyers/posters and ou r Board of Directors' and Discovery Partners' promotions.
Thank you for your consideration of this request and please don't hes itate to reach out with any questions and/or thoughts .
With sincere gratitude,
Cindy Burreson
Chief Executive Officer
Katie Stice
Board Co -Chair
Davis Meyer
Board Co -Chair