In the face of federal funding cuts, Long Island has stepped up for its children’s museum, raising $1 million at its annual Cupcakes and Cocktails Gala to help the institution keep its doors open in a year of uncertainty.
“We’re really thrilled,” said Erika Floreska, the museum’s president. “It does really shore up the gap left by the lost funding…But, even beyond just hitting the numbers goal, it’s a real endorsement of the diversity of folks in our community who see the value of the museum.”
The museum typically counts on about $200,000 annually from federal grants like those from the Institute for Museum and Library Service, National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Science Foundation, Floreska said. It’s learned over the course of this year that money wouldn’t be coming through due to the Trump administration’s cuts to arts and museum programs.
The loss of those grants means that the museum is closing an hour early on weekdays, had to stop a STEM learning program and put an indefinite hold on the development of a fourth-grade local history curriculum to go along with its new exhibit, Saltwater Stories.
To make up for the unexpected loss, the museum bumped up its Oct. 9 gala fundraising goal to $1 million this year, hundreds of thousands of dollars more than it’s ever raised before.
The Children’s Museum raised $780,000 at its gala last year, and usually brings in between $600,000 and $700,000 at the event.
“With the loss of that federal funding, we knew we had to do something,” Floreska said. “Raising $1 million this year means that we can keep doing what we do and that we’ll be able to continue to fulfill the programs we’ve planned for the coming year without having federal funding,”
Approximately half of the museum’s budget comes from donations and fundraisers, including its annual gala.
The other half comes from earned revenue, or admission tickets, memberships, space rentals, birthday parties, school visits and gift shop purchases. Floreska said the museum has also struggled in this regard recently, as museums across the country are seeing a decrease in visitors due to rising costs and families having less expendable income.
“All nonprofits are facing challenges, and we always have the balance between earned and contributed revenue,” Floreska said. “This is a particularly difficult time because of the shifts in federal funding that’s no longer available and economic uncertainty for families that make this a particularly challenging year.”
She said the best way for people to support the museum is to pay a visit or buy a membership.
“The holidays are coming. Give the gift of membership. Give the gift of a visit,” Floreska said. “Membership is an incredible, affordable opportunity to have year-round museum access. Think of LICM as a place to do something with your kids on the weekend. We’ve always got something different going on.”
She also hopes more businesses will step up as donors, rent out spaces in the museum for corporate events and gatherings or purchase memberships for their employees as an HR incentive.
“For those who are able to support and sponsor and get involved on the contributed side, think of the museum as a place that you really want to support,” Floreska said. “We’re an anchor of the community and provide this safe, playful, off-screen learning for kids and families.”
For more information, please visit the museum’s Get Involved webpage.
Those looking for an educational and fun-filled activity for their kids can visit LICM at 11 Davis Ave, Garden City.
