Grantee Spotlight: Local Support Helps Spark Muncie Children's Museum's Capital Campaign Success, Raising Over $2.6 Million to Date
Several years ago, Ball Brothers Foundation made the initial gift that helped to kick off the Muncie Children’s Museum’s “More to Explore” capital campaign. The gift—totaling $150,000—supported exhibit planning/fabrication and also supported growth of the Museum’s staff to increase fundraising capacity. To date, the Muncie Children’s Museum has raised over $2.6 million with a total goal of $3 million. In the years since BBF’s campaign grant was awarded, BBF has also helped the Muncie Children’s Museum further expand staff capacity for exhibit, education, and programming needs.
Learn more here about BBF’s support for the capital campaign, our early funding to support a feasibility study for the campaign, and our excitement about a new generation of future makers, innovators, and entrepreneurs who will walk through the Museum’s downtown doors:
ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED ON MUNCIE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM MORE TO EXPLORE, NOVEMBER 21, 2022
Ball Brothers Foundation made two significant grants to the Muncie Children’s Museum for the More to Explore Campaign
In early 2019, the Muncie Children’s Museum approached Ball Brothers Foundation for a rapid grant to partially fund a feasibility study, which would lead to the launch of the More to Explore Campaign. This campaign will provide much-needed updates to the exhibits and programming at the museum. At the completion of the feasibility study, Ball Brothers Foundation increased their commitment to the More to Explore Campaign by making the inaugural gift to the Muncie Children’s Museum More to Explore Campaign of $150,000.
Ball Brothers Foundation, one of the state’s oldest and largest private family foundations, has had a huge impact on Muncie/Delaware County and East Central Indiana with its support of projects that improve the quality of life in our area. According to Jenna Wachtmann, Vice President of Ball Brothers Foundation, “We are a family foundation that focuses on place-based funding rather than a specific issue. Our grants are dedicated to making Muncie and East Central Indiana vibrant places that people love to live, work, and raise their families.” The foundation invests dollars in all facets of the community, including heavily investing in the revitalization of downtown Muncie.
Built on a foundation of education, the Muncie Children’s Museum gives children the opportunity to learn through fun and exploration. “We truly believe MCM is an asset to our community by being the only children’s museum in East Central Indiana. The investment by the Ball Brothers Foundation gave us momentum in our endeavors to bring much needed updates and exhibits to the museum,” said Ashlee Anderson, Muncie Children’s Museum Director of Development.
As part of More to Explore Campaign, the Muncie Children’s Museum will be getting a new water table. Educational information in the exhibit will cover the White River and its importance in our area.
Wachtmann is excited about the new water table and its possibilities.
The More to Explore Campaign has currently raised over $2.6 million with a goal of $3 million. To donate or learn about the new water table and other new exhibits coming as part of the More to Explore Campaign, please visit www.moretoexplore.net or contact Kira Childers at kchilders@munciemuseum.com.