Playing by the numbers...
We welcomed 138,551 friends to play at the museum
from 1,316+ different zip codes
38,321 visits from GRCM members
125,958 friends visited us online
We engaged with 50,036 friends across our social platforms
We hosted190 special programs with 33,821 participants
125 individual volunteers served 1,256 hours
9,040 friends went on a field trip to the museum from 157 schools
We brought play to 78 educational outreach events with 13,607 guests
We collaborated with 57+ community partners
distributed 1,389 Play@Home kits
133 enrolled in Purposefully Playing Towards Kindergarten summer program, a playful learning partnership with Grand Rapids Public Schools
102,773 guests utilized Museums for All since 2017
Museums
for All
Museums for All is a national initiative to encourage museum attendance
among low-income and underserved families. EBT/WIC cardholders qualify
for a reduced GRCM admission rate of $1.75 per person for up to twelve people.
We welcomed 32,773 guests through Museums for All
representing 32.48% of total reported overall visitors
2,884 members joined or renewed their membership
Pay What
You Can+
Pay What You Can+ is a GRCM-initiated program that offers discounted memberships to families that qualify for EBT or WIC. Families give what they are able, starting at $20 per family membership.
535 Pay What You Can+ active member households
981 Pay What You Can+ member households since 2021
"Scientists have discovered it takes approximately 400 repetitions to create a new synapse in the brain, unless it is done in play, in which case it only takes 10 to 20 repetitions."
-Dr. Karyn Purvis
a note from our CEO of Play:
Whenever I speak to groups, I always like to start by asking those sitting close to each other to share a memory they have of playing as a child. There are sure to be words used like:
neighbors
board
games
friends
unsupervised time
outdoors
double dutch
sand
water
cousins
legos
bubbles
trains
pretend
play
I love hearing each story and even more fulfilling is hearing memories of them in our museum playing. They often overlap.
Research from every level of medicine (Psychiatry to Pediatrics) corroborates the critical importance of play to a child's AND adult's brain. As the experts on play, I am out of my mind (pun intended) excited to share the next 3 years we have planned and to introduce you to all forms of it without having to leave your amazing hometown - because you deserve that time to play with your loved ones. We have welcomed some of the most exciting national traveling exhibits in our museum's history:
-
The Pigeon Comes to Grand Rapids: A Mo Willems Exhibit
-
Molly of Denali: An Alaskan Adventure
-
Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum: The Exhibit
-
Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood: A Grr-ific Exhibit
and we are looking ahead to the arrival of:
-
Emotions at Play with Pixar’s Inside Out
-
Very Eric Carle: A Very Hungry, Quiet, Lonely, Clumsy, Busy Exhibit
-
Alma’s Way: Welcome to My Neighborhood
-
AIM HIGH: Soaring with the Tuskegee Airmen
We are also excited to share some new rotating exhibits that our team have been working hard on dreaming up. Stay tuned as we announce these exhibits this summer!
Keep sharing those play memories and strive to create more with your loved ones. Your mental and physical health will thank you, and so do I!
Playfully and gratefully,
FINANCIALS
2023 Revenue Total $2,170,197
• Earned Income $870,489
• Donations $1,299,708
2023 Expenses Total $2,325,773
• Programs $1,760,166
• General & Administrative $373,295
• Fundraising $192,312
OUR CHAMPIONS
List derived from gifts made in 2023
Aaron Turner
AARP
Acrisure
Adam Zahn
Alan and Debbie Abraham
Aleicia Woodrick
Alexander and Lauren Whaley
Allied Mechanical Services
Allyson Paris
Andrew and Nicole Shannon
Annette and Stephen Comer
Arnie's Bakery LLC
Ashlee Vance
Ashley Carey
B.J. and Pat Huizenga
Bank of America
Bee Steel, Inc
Ben and Stacy Brenner
Biggby Coffee
Blake and Mary Krueger
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
Bredeweg and Zylstra, PLC
Brenda and Michael* Lamfers
Brigid and Kraig Kloostra
Bruce Goodman and Janet Kreuger
Buddy's Pizza
Buzz and Lisa Miller
Carla and Glenn Morris
Cathleen Calveneau
Cathleen Curley
CDV5 Family Foundation
Charles and Barbara DePree
Chris and Heather Hoexum
Cindy and Doug Wabeke
Cindy and John Williams
Cindy and Sean Foley
City of Grand Rapids Office of Special Events
Claire and Andrew Johnston
Clare Shubert
Consumers Energy
Corinne Bossardet
Cornerstone Architects
Curt Filkins
Daisy Fredricks
Dale and Sharon Rietberg
Dan and Tara Clappison
Darryl and Sarah Elmouchi
Daryl and Cami Targosz
Dave and Karen Pullen
Deborah and Howard Wright
Deborah Drake
Delta Dental of Michigan
Denise and Tom Persons
Dewpoint IT
Dick & Betsy DeVos Family Foundation
Don and Marilyn Lancaster
Donna and David Hockstra
Donna and Michael Parr
Donna Hanson
Dorothy and Gregory Flaska
Doug & Maria DeVos Foundation
Doug and Beth Parker
Downtown Grand Rapids Inc
DTE Energy Foundation
Duard and Patricia Warsen
Dustin Engel
Ed Wong-Ligda and Carol Ligda-Wong
Eddie Tadlock
Edward and Linda Cox
Emily White
Erik and Kellianne Schumacher
EV Construction, Inc.
Experience Grand Rapids
Fishbeck
FoamGR
Frey Foundation
Gabriela Ryan
Gabrielle Calkins and Anne Thompson
Geoffrey Lam
Georgia and Jeff Gietzen
Gerald and Jane Feldman
Gerber Foundation
Glenn & Claudia Place
Glenn Morris & Associates
GMB Architecture and Engineering
Goldfish Swim School
Gordon Food Services
GR Auto Gallery
Grand Valley State University
Greg Willit and Meg Miller-Willit
Growtrust Partners
Gun Lake Casino
H & S Companies
Hannah Splajt
Happy Taylor
Heather Lund
Herbruck's
Hilary Vankrimpen
Holly and Erick Johnson
Horizon Bank
Hungerford Nichols CPAs + Advisors
Huntington Bank
Ian Sliger
Innovative Painting
J.C. Huizenga and Tammy Born Huizenga
Jack and Vickie Hannigan
Jack H. Miller
James and Debbie Hesseman
James and Gail Fahner
Jami Blanchard
Jamie Hills
Jamie Langlois
Janet Zahn
Jared and Sydney Bollaert
Jason and Julie Balgavy
Jason and Kelly Joseph
Jason and Windy Schnelker
Jason Barnum
Jennifer and Jeff Mesler
Jennifer Zuniga
Jeremy and Diane Barber
Jessica and Jeremiah Johns
Jessica and Seth Yon
Jessica Furrow
Jessica Kuiken
Jim and Bonnie Scarlett
Jim Davis and Laurel Joseph
Jim Keller
Joan M. McMillon
Jocelyn Dettloff
Joel and Kathy Ruiter
John and Barbara Kruis
John and Mary Parker
John Grace Restoration
John Taylor
Julia Atherton
Julie Feenstra
Kari and Chris Sherry
Kate Hunt
Katey Morse
Kathy and Jim Ringnalda
Katie and Derreck Asante
Keli Christopher
Keller Foundation
Kelli Belanger
Kelli Scarlett
Kelly and Doug Hutchings
Kent Companies, Inc
Kent Medical Foundation
Kent Pediatrics
Kim Shefferly
Kimberly Sherry and JJ Ooi
Kirk and Amy Breukink
Kris Pachla
Kristi Haik
Kristin and Tom Gootjes
Kristine Kuhnert
Krystal Kackley
Kurt and Madelon Hassberger
Kurt and Matteah Reppart
Kyle and Win Irwin
Lake Michigan Credit Union
Leslee Rohs
Linda Patterson
Lindsay Bombard
Lisa Knight
Lowell Arts Council
Lynn Marie Clarke
Lynne Brown-Tepper
Lynne Pope and Carlos Sanchez
Macil Morris
Madelaine Lane
Mandice McAllister
Mandy and Goran Jurkovic
Mara Spears
Marc Bos
Margaret Vega and Tom Erdall
Marianne and Art Nelson
Marianne Parker
Marie Stiegel
Mark and Shirley Bordner
Marlene and Denny Bongard
Mary Ann Sabo and Jeff Ott
Mary Jo and Bob Pomeroy
Mary Judnich
Mary Kate Austin
Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians
MCPc
Mei Mah and Dan Fechtner
Meijer
Mercantile Bank of Michigan
Michael and Charlotte Anton
Michael and Kerry Verhulst
Michael Davis
Michael Ludwig
Michael Wheeler and Susan Picking
Michigan Apple Committee
Michigan Arts and Culture Council
Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity
Michigan Educational Trust
Michigan Humanities
Michigan Nonprofit Association
Mickie Fox
Mike and Amy Monaghan
Miranda Hillard and Bismarck Lopez
Mitten Kids Dentistry and Orthodontics
Mnemonix
Mobile GR and Parking Services
Monica Hazel
Mr. Burger
Natalie and Omar Hall
National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Humanites
Nick and Cindy Paradiso
Nick and Terry Paradiso
Nicole and Bryon Hansen
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Associates of Western Michigan, P.L.C.
Outfront Media
Paradiso Consulting LLC
Paul and Kim Lothschutz
Paul Boxer
Philomena Mantella and Robert Avery
Plante Moran
PNC
Rachel Anderson
Rachel Llontop
Reagan Marketing + Design
Rehmann
Reyna VanKuiken
Richard and Mary Stevens
Richard and Mary VandenBerg
Rick and Sara Armbruster
Rieth-Riley Construction Inc.
Robert O'Conner
Robert Woolley
Robin and Thomas Bentley
Robin Bartells
Ruth Posthumus and Marlin Feyen
Ryan and Stephanie Formsma
Sandy and Kevin Jager
Sarah Mix
Scarlett, Inc
Schnelker, Rassi & McConnell, PLC
Scott and Sandra Cole
Shannon Harris
Shari and Matthew Berger
Sharon Caldwell-Newton
Sherry Kuo
Show Michigan Corporation
Starbucks
Steelcase Foundation
Steelcase Inc.
Stephen and Anne Scholler
Steve and Stacy Huizinga
Steven & Andria Romkema
Steven Thorpe
Stonecastle Dentistry
Susan Smalley
Tammy Karas
TEGNA Foundation
The 4100 Group
Theresa Doyle
Thermal Trends
Tim Hortons
Tim Mroz
Timothy and Shoran Williams
Tom and Luann Nemitz
Tony and Amy Robinson
Tony and Carolyn Roussey
United Bank
Varnum LLP
Vicki Walker
Victoria Munro
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Warner Norcross + Judd
Wege Foundation
Wells Fargo Advisors
Wendy Swalla
West Michigan Whitecaps
WGVU
*posthumously
BOARD
Mike Lamfers
We honor the memory of Mike Lamfers who gave 20 years of service as a member of the Grand Rapids Children's Museum Board of Directors. His work set a foundation for the museum to thrive, grow, and play. We love you and miss you.
THANKS FOR A GREAT YEAR!
We are an environment for play.
We advocate for the value of play.
We build minds through play.
