Children's Museum in Easton

October 31, 2009

Dear Friend of the Children’s Museum,

We are writing to ask your support for our “Invest in Kids Annual Appeal”. Helping to balance widespread cultural influences that compress childhood, children’s museums are important creators of programs and exhibits that transcend age, ability and experience and empower children to set their own pace.

Our educational exhibits and programs for children – in art, science, math, music, and literacy - are valuable resources, especially in these difficult economic times where such programs have been reduced or completely eliminated from schools due to budget constraints.

Many of the children who attend our Museum or who have been served by our outreach programs would not be able to experience our unique hands on educational exhibits and classes without your help. Our Helping Hands Program gives disadvantaged children and their families the opportunity to engage in the same interactive play as more fortunate families. Just think, with your contribution of $250 you could help pay for 10 children who could otherwise not afford it, to visit the Children’s Museum in Easton for one year!

Why should you help? Because our goal is to provide all children with these important learning opportunities, we provide many of our services below cost. Our admission fees cover only 23% of what it costs to the run the Museum, provide classes and programs and develop new exhibits. In order for Museum programs to be affordable for all families, the cost of these programs must be subsidized by donations from generous individuals, businesses and corporations.

As you can see a great deal rides on the success of this annual campaign – our ability to bring together the creative resources needed to maintain a dynamic schedule of programs and events; to extend our Helping Hands outreach program to needy communities; and to develop more innovative after school initiatives.

We thank you for considering our request to participate in this year’s Invest in Kids Appeal! We hope that you will be as generous as you can in making this 17th anniversary campaign the most successful in the Museum’s history.

On behalf of children and families, please accept our warmest and most heart-felt thank you!

Sincerely,

Maria O’Connell Unda
Chairman, Board of Directors

Paula Peterson
Executive Director

1. Every child should have access to educational programs that empower them and grow their love of learning!

2. All children deserve the opportunity to be the best that they can be!

3. Children should not be denied this right due to their inability to pay!