A NEW CHAPTER BEGINS - SUSTAINABILITY AND ENHANCEMENT..

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Just days ago, we faced one of the hardest decisions in our history- closing our doors. Today, because of YOU, we are well on our way towards reopening them – wait for news of our reopening plans for late May - and having the financial foundation to help sustain us through 2026. This is a comeback powered by a community that refused to let something meaningful disappear.

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Thanks to an incredible outpouring of community support, we have reached our fundraising goal of $100,000, with the help of two substantial matching fund pledges, plus hundreds of individual contributions that bring us close to meeting the matching funds pledged.  

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This successful fundraising initiative will allow the Museum to reopen and to operate for the coming months, but that is not enough.  Substantial additional financial support is essential not only to reopen and survive but also to build a solid financial foundation for a long, stable, and resilient future and to create more and better exhibits and programs to enhance our services for the students, families, and community members who visit our museum.

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Accordingly, we are shifting our goal and our theme from survival to sustainability and enhancement, and we are raising ourfundraising goal to at least $200,000. That is not all - we hope that we can far exceed that goal so we can start building an endowment for long-term security.

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Over the next two months, we are not simply preparing to reopen; we are rebuilding, reimagining, and redefining what this museum can be like for generations to come.  Every decision, every improvement, every step forward is part of something much bigger than any one moment, and we are doing it with you!

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What happens next matters…

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Our staff and board members are hard at work: assessing and improving exhibits for a better visitor experience in our museum;reorganizing leadership, administration, and operations (including revitalized committees and task forces) to ensure long-term success; engaging community members for ideas, feedback, and participation; and continuing fundraising efforts to support our long-term goals of sustainability and enhancement.

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This is a community-powered comeback, and we need our community with us every step of the way.  So, we have created a “Friends of the Museum Advisory Council.”  We invite community members to volunteer to participate. Members of the Advisory Council will be available to support the museum byparticipating in our committees, providing specialized advice and information, expanding our outreach to community members and organizations, and otherwise helping us achieve our mission – all to the extent of each person’s interest, ability, and time. If you are interested in participating, please email Christy Gordon at executivedirector@delmarvadiscoverycenter.org

 

In addition, we want to improve and strengthen our Board of Directors and our committees by adding members from the community who will bring fresh ideas and energy.  So, we are asking community members who are interested in being on the Board or in serving on any of our committees (whether or not a member of the Advisory Council) to write to express their interest and to outline specifically what they can contribute in terms of time, talent, skills, resources, and support (including funding). In addition, we welcome volunteers who can assist with some administrative functions (such as marketing and social media) and can volunteer to help staff the museum after it reopens.

We will be sharing weekly progress as we move toward reopening- not just to inform you, but also to show you the impact of what you made possible and to invite your continued support.  This evolving story doesn’t belong to us alone.  It belongs to every person who stepped up, spoke out, and stood behind this museum when it mattered most!

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Please stay tuned for weekly updates, share your ideas and feedback, and continue to support the museum through donations, pledges, and participation, plus attendance after we reopen.

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If you would like to donate or make a pledge, please click the "Donate Now" button.  Or you can send a check, payable to the Delmarva Discovery Museum, to 2 Market Street, Pocomoke City, MD 21851.