ExplorationWorks, Inc.

Expanding STEM
Goal #1 To expand exhibits and programs, emphasizing early childhood education and Montana's place-based natural science

Accessibility
Goal #2 To ensure ExplorationWorks is accessible for all who wish to visit and participate in programs

Expand Awareness and Participation
Goal #3 To expand regional and state-wide awareness and outreach
Financial Growth

Goal #4 To achieve a sustainable financial status, with surplus revenue to re-invest in staff and capacity building

Staff and Board recruitment and retention
Goal #5 To recruit and retain qualified staff and board members who have fun working together

Expanding STEM
Goal #1: Expand exhibits and programs, emphasizing early childhood education and Montana's place-based natural science.
Strategies include increasing our preschool program offerings, introducing teen exhibit interpreters on weekends to interact with kids and families, adding Montana place-based science exhibit and education opportunities and re-introducing adult programs.

Accessibility
Goal #2: Ensure ExplorationWorks is accessible for all who wish to visit and participate in programs
Strategies include increasing the number of scholarships offered for summer camp and after school classes, offering 3 School Nights annual for families in Helena Title One schools, securing funding to help underwrite field trip admissions and transportation and introducing a membership affordable for low-income families.


Expand Awareness and Participation
Goal #3: To expand regional and state-wide awareness and outreach
Strategies include expanding our regional marketing plan and introducing state-wide marketing, increasing our annual marketing budget to support increased outreach, and continuing to reach out to Montana's family summer visitors.

Financial Growth
Goal #4 To achieve a sustainable financial status, with surplus revenue to re-invest in staff and capacity building
Specific strategies have been developed to address increasing paid admissions, members, continuing to increase program revenue, advertising nationally to tour our Women in Space NASA exhibit, building our operating cash reserve, broadening corporate and foundation sponsorships and support and
better defining board fundraising accountability

Staff and Board recruitment and retention
Goal #5 To recruit and retain qualified staff and board members and to have fun working together
Strategies include recruiting and retaining qualified board and staff, offering competitive salaries and attractive staff benefits and recruiting and maintaining sufficient volunteers.

Realizing that it's difficult envision the future, ExplorationWorks strategic plan is viewed as a living document. Created collaboratively by our board and staff, planning began by envisioning where we want ExplorationWorks to be in 2019.

Quantitative and qualitative outcomes have been created in a separate document for each objective and provide the broad framework for decision-making over the next three years. As we progress toward our goals, staff and board will review and adjust strategies and tactics annually as needed.

Incorporated in 1998 as a 501(c)(3) Montana corporation, CommuniityWorks was founded to create a community informal learning center and gathering place. Founders set out to develop an innovative, hands-on facility for educational opportunities, working in partnership with public schools and available for students of all ages and from varied backgrounds.

Adopting the name ExplorationWorks!, the science center model was determined to best fit the mission, providing a means to meet the goals and mission of the organization. ExplorationWorks has been a member of the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) since 2002.

From its beginning to its opening in 2007, ExplorationWorks was a volunteer-driven, collaborative and grassroots effort. Between 2000 and the 2007 opening, board members, a very small staff, and hundreds of volunteers worked to develop plans and build the new museum, located in the new Great Northern Town Center in downtown Helena, Montana.
ExplorationWorks was the recipient of three significant multi-year NASA and HUD grants totaling $1,352,628 that were essential sources of support in the four years after ExplorationWorks opened to the public in 2007. These grants substantiated ExplorationWorks growing reputation for excellence across Montana and at the federal level. Since 2011, the ExplorationWorks board has worked to eliminate dependence on federal grant dollars to support operational expenses. Grants are still sought, but only to support specific projects, which are undertaken when grant funding is received.

Independence from federal financial support was completed in 2016. ExplorationWorks 2011 $620,500 annual operating plan was supported by 39% earned revenue, 19% contributed revenue and 41% grant revenue. ExWorks 2016 operating plan was $614,437 as the remaining $15,000 in HUD funds were expended. In 2016, using year-end financial numbers, the per cent of earned, contributed and grant revenue had increased to 50% earned, 44% from contributions and grants were reduced to 6% of income.