As one of the top family attractions in northern Illinois, Discovery Center Museum is a hands-on children’s science museum with more than 300 exciting, interactive exhibits spread throughout 23,000 square feet on two floors. All exhibits relate to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). Exhibit galleries focus on the human body, forms of electricity, the science of sports, space travel, simple machines, communication, agriculture, color and light, and math. In the museum’s backyard, visitors can explore the Rock River Discovery Park, a 15,000-square-foot multi-level science park featuring a dinosaur dig pit, maze, water play area and a secret garden.
Discovery Center, like most nonprofits, requires the generous support of individual donors, annual memberships, sponsor businesses and charitable foundations to maintain the quality of the experience while managing affordability for guests.
Solution
Chartwell Agency was hired to develop the Discovery Center’s annual donor brochure. Museum officials wanted to develop a fun, vibrant fundraising tool that better communicated the facility’s compelling donor story, focusing on outreach efforts and how much the museum benefits children and families beyond its four walls.
The brochure needed to align with other marketing pieces and underscore the organization’s need – and enhance the ROI – for donor giving. The colorful, playful design reflected both the museum’s energy and aesthetics, setting the piece apart from the bulk of holiday cards and annual appeal letters that crowd mailboxes during the holiday season.
Outcome
Museum officials were thrilled with the final product, which also provided the Discovery Center staff with flexibility. The piece could be used as a leave-behind in face-to-face meetings with donors, included with other member mailings or sent independently as an annual appeal piece. The resulting brochure takes full advantage of the energy and popularity of the Discovery Center in its design and shares important information about the need for support as well as a call-to-action for giving.
