Annual Report2016

Mission: To ignite the

spark of creativity inherent in all

children

Letter from the President & CEO . . . . . . . . . . 3

Board of Directors / Advisory Council . . . . . 4

About SPARK! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Letter from the Board Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Financial Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Donors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11

Table of Contents

3 S PA R K ! 2 0 1 6 ANNUAL REPORT

Dear Friends,

Thank you for making 2016 a remarkable year for SPARK! Our first full calendar year of operations!

I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the SPARK! staff, board of directors, advisory council and the more than 820 volunteers who have donated their time, talent and treasure this past year.

The SPARK! staff works tirelessly to maintain a level of excellence and creativity that is unsurpassed. For this, my thanks to: Monica Susman, Emily Kettlewell, Lori Carey, Mollie Jamison, and Lynn Raines.

From corporate volunteer days, to the individuals who participated in the numerous events we hosted, to those who helped install new creative features, we could not have done it without our amazing volunteers.

Much to my dismay, I continue to hear that SPARK! is “The Best Kept Secret in Dallas.” Let’s change that! Word is spreading about the positive impact SPARK! is making in children’s lives. The Metamorphosis research project was launched this year to measure that impact. By the end of 2016, roughly 162 children had completed the study. We saw improvements in the following measures:

• I am good at coming up with new ideas

• I have a good imagination

• I enjoy thinking about many different things

• I am creative

As we look ahead, we remain focused on our vision to elevate SPARK! into a World Class organization that ignites creativity and shapes the future of a million kids and families each year. To accomplish this, we must begin thinking about expansion, as our current facility will only allow us to serve approximately 12,000 kids per year.

I am excited about the progress we have made and am looking forward to a bright and creative future. With your help, we will continue to ignite creative minds and spark imaginations.

Sincerely,

Beverly Davis, President & CEO

Letter From the President & CEO

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Board of Directors

Officers Chair

Ryan Gummer Owner, Gummer Capital Partners

Chair Elect Matthew A. Jones CFO/COO VisitDallas

Treasurer Chris Holland CFO & COO, VolunteerNow

Secretary Monica Susman Retired, Deloitte Consulting HR

Directors John Cuellar

Chairman & President Las Tres Cs Inc.

Teri Isaacs Executive Director, Salesmanship Club of Dallas

M.K. Larson President, M. R. & Evelyn Hudson Foundation

Ted Stafford Senior Manger, Deloitte Financial Advisory

Services LLP

Jeff Susman EVP, BBVA Compass

Jessica Trudeau Director of Development, Momentous Institute

Jessica Tyler Director, Planning, Execution Compliance, American Airlines

Lauren Walters

SVP, GM FleishmanHillard

Founding Members Beverly Davis President & CEO, SPARK!

Devon Davis Software Engineer, Samsung Electronics

Amy Hite Owner, Hot Flash Communications

Advisory CouncilMarsha Clark Owner, Marsha Clark & Associates

Magdalena Grohman, Ph.D. Associate Director of Center for Values in Medicine, Science & Technology, UTD

Kevin Hurst Director of Charitable Giving, Neiman Marcus

Margaret Keliher Retired Judge, Practicing Attorney

Dennis Kratz, Ph.D. Dean, UTD School of Arts & Humanities

Scott Murray Owner, Murray Media

Victoria Thompson Financial Advisor, Edward Jones

5 S PA R K ! 2 0 1 6 ANNUAL REPORT

About SPARK! VISION STATEMENT:To elevate SPARK! into a World Class organization that ignites creativity and shapes the future of a million kids and families each yearOur programming is expanding exponentially and we are running out of room to accommodate the demand. The need for SPARK! is real and the time to grow is now.

SPARK! ImpactIn the summer of 2016, 16-year-old Mallory set out to achieve the highest honor for a Girl Scout: The Gold Award . After experiencing SPARK! for the first time, she knew this was the perfect place to execute her project .

In order to create a truly innovative and unique project worthy of the Gold Award honor, Mallory followed what SPARK! defines as the creative process: Inspiration, with Iteration and Collaboration, leads to Innovation .

Mallory’s love of astronomy and star-gazing inspired her to transform a dark, abandoned tunnel at SPARK! into an outer space-themed, interactive environment for children to explore . In collaboration with SPARK! staff and creative committee, she made iterations to her original design, adding more engaging elements and lighting effects that help transport the viewer from a tunnel 25 feet underground to a spaceship orbiting Earth .

After months of hard work, Mallory is now a proud Gold Award recipient and her space tunnel has officially lifted off . With this project, Mallory hopes to inspire other children at SPARK! and show them that anything is possible with dedication, hard work, and, of course - creativity .

MISSION: To ignite the SPARK! of creativity inherent in all childrenSPARK! Definition of Creativity – A sense of wonder that invites exploration and the discovery of new possibilities.

SPARK! Creative Process – Inspiration with Iteration and Collaboration leads to Innovation.

Importance of Creativity – Kids who identify as creative:

• Have higher self-esteem • Develop better problem solving skills • Go further in their education

6 S PA R K ! 2 0 1 6 ANNUAL REPORT

Programming During the summer, more than 2,800 children engaged in the creative process through SPARK! In the last week of Summer Camp, children experienced iteration and collaboration by designing and building a catapult. Working in teams of two or three, campers drew out their designs on paper and brought their vision to life. As the campers were constructing and testing their designs, they iterated to improve the catapult design and increase the launch distance.

In June 2016, SPARK! also quickly became a birthday party destination. During the last six months of the year, 13 birthday parties were held and each was complete with programming which included mobile making, cityscape creating, and photo booth prop designing. Along with birthday parties, SPARK! enjoyed playing host to six larger adult-centric events including Create with Cocktails and a Young Professionals Happy Hour. SPARK! continued its annual tradition of the children-focused Halloween Spooktacular and Shoes and Stories. In 2016, 70 girls were able to take part in Shoes and Stories, an event focused on giving girls an opportunity to create original footwear while also learning about the art of storytelling.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a motivational theory in psychology usually represented in a pyramid with five levels. The first

four levels are the “deficiency needs.” These are attributes that all human beings require. Thankfully many other organizations in our

community are working to meet these needs for our citizens. It is the top level, or pinnacle of self-actualization where Maslow

says we become full functioning, self-actualized, contributing members of society. SPARK! focuses on

helping the children of our community attain this top level, where morality, creativity and problem solving occur. Maslow believed that “the concept of creativeness and the concept of the healthy, self-

actualizing, fully human person seem to be coming closer together, and may perhaps turn out to be the same thing.”

SPARK! is here to help all our kids become “The healthy, self-actualizing, full human people they can be.” We believe that creativity drives this level of awareness and achievement and will drive success for all kids.

7 S PA R K ! 2 0 1 6 ANNUAL REPORT

8 S PA R K ! 2 0 1 6 ANNUAL REPORT

Letter From the Board Chair

Dear Friends,

As I write this letter, I realize how quickly my term as Chairman of the SPARK! Board has passed by. I have been honored to serve in this capacity and remain an active member of the Board of Directors. I’ve experienced a number of rewarding moments and witnessed amazing growth; so much of which occurred in 2016, our first calendar year of operations.

Here are just a few highlights:

• 6,363 children engaged in programming through school field trips, summer camps, and birthday parties.

• Over 25,000 people have visited SPARK! since opening.

• The Metamorphosis research project was launched to measure the impact SPARK! programming has on children.

• New adventures and creative activities continue to be added to SPARK!

• Programming opportunities are quickly selling out - spring field trips sold out in February and summer field trips in May.

SPARK! success is the community’s success, but we cannot do it alone. We must engage a large volunteer force to help with everything from office work and programming to fundraising and marketing. I encourage you to get involved, spread the word and help elevate SPARK! into a World Class organization that ignites creativity and shapes the future of a million kids and families each year.

I am grateful for the opportunity to chair the board. I will continue to contribute my time and talent to help ensure robust growth for the future. I hope you’ll join me.

Sincerely,

Ryan Gummer, Chair

9 S PA R K ! 2 0 1 6 ANNUAL REPORT

Financial Statement

Programming

Supporting Service

Fund Raising

69%18%

13%

Application of Funding Earned RevenueIt is crucial for any nonprofit organization to be able to support its operating and overhead costs. Since opening last year, SPARK! has generated income from various revenue streams including admissions, programming, event rentals, gift shop and concession sales.

In our first calendar year of operations we are excited to report that earned revenue accounted for 19% of all income and covered 28% of all expenses.

68%

11%

1% 2%

9%

9%

Foundation Grants

Individuals

Corporations

Related Parties

Program Fees

Other Earned Revenue

$67,992.98

$66,603.46

$15,320.00

$5,000.00

$75,642.57

$488,060.00

Income by Source:Total Income $718,619

1 0 S PA R K ! 2 0 1 6 ANNUAL REPORT

A Special Thanksto Our Generous Contributors

The work SPARK! is doing to ignite the spark of creativity inherent in all children is often supported by both financial as well as in-kind gifts – donations of goods, materials or services we would otherwise need to purchase. We are deeply grateful to the companies, organizations, and individuals who have provided financial support and gifts in kind.

Corporations & OrganizationsBig Thought Dallas Junior Chamber of CommerceProject Wisdom, Inc. Public Relations Society of America Bank of America Gummer Capital Partners Marsha Clark & Associates Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Samsung Electronics North America Vizient

FoundationsDallas Art Fair Foundation George & Fay Young Foundation, Inc. Graham and Carolyn Holloway Family FoundationHarold Simmons Foundation Heart of Neiman Marcus Foundation M. B. & Edna Zale Foundation Maverick Capital Foundation Mayor’s Intern Fellows Program Moody Foundation The M. R. and Evelyn Hudson Foundation

Government Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District

Financial Contributors

Individuals Christina Alexander Amadni Anonymous Donor (6)James Bauer Anne and John Bentley Philip and Kristy Brewer Noah and Jillian Bunn Marsha and Michael Byers Paula Calise and Bill Reed Kathleen Carey Lori Carey Yvonne Crum Scott Cytron Beverly and Devon Davis Jennie Davis Wendi Day and Mark Anderson Dave and Deb Finley Allen Foss Joyce Fritz Lisa and Todd Gammon Lisa Godasi Ryan and Michelle Gummer Amy and Marc Hite Chris and Kathy Holland Teri Isaacs

1 1 S PA R K ! 2 0 1 6 ANNUAL REPORT

In-Kind Goods & Services CorporationsOmni Dallas Hotel Paper Affair Photos with Alice Premier Amusements, Inc. ReMARKable Affairs CateringRhythm Room Robin Jackson PhotographySouthwest Airlines State Fair of Texas Tangerine Salons The Cookery United Renovations We Are 1976, Inc. Website Optimizers Wendy Krispin Caterer, Inc

SMUDallas Junior Chamber of CommerceSamsung Electronics North AmericaNeiman Marcus GroupAmerican Airlines Cargo

OrganizationsDallas Zoo Salesmanship Club of DallasTCU

IndividualsJen Adams-Maki Anonymous Donor James Bauer Ben Criste Rolando Diaz Dennis Gibbons Amy Hite

Matthew A. JonesAnnette Lynch Kim Maynard Derrick McPhersonScott Murray Pascale Pryor Debbi SavageJohn ShelleneMonica SusmanMarjorie ThorntonChuck TomielloDavid Young Byron Zarribi

Fossil GroupMercedes-Benz Financial ServicesISNetworkVizient

Volunteer Groups

Individuals (Continued)Cone Johnson Matthew and Helen Jones Keliher Family Foundation Chuck Kettlewell and Mary Jane ThorntonEmily Kettlewell Jan Klodner Fay Knight Ryan and Lauren Lamb Marcia and Larry Levine Joyce and Mark Lit Cyndi Long and Laura Gonzales Dennis Luczycki Shelly and Frank Markey Charlene and Mac McMenamy Kay and Paul Myers Marsha Neal Martha Parks and James Bowling Frank Parra and Maria Sheets Jamison Pendergrass

Vicki and Clayton Pinch Tim Pixler Pascale Pryor Christine and Scott Robbins-ElrodRaal Roos Debbi Savage Debbie and Arthur Schiemenz Joyce Susman Monica and Jeff Susman Jessica Trudeau Jessica and David Tyler Lee Vardaman Emily Visinsky Lauren and Wade Walters James and Cathy Webb Betty Westfall Lisa and Jim Windlinger Carole and Jim YoungSteve and Jenny Zimmerly

Financial Contributors (Continued)

Your Donation: • Ignites Creativity

• Raises Self-Esteem

• Increases Problem Solving Skills

Donate online: www.sparkdallas.org

Send Checks to: SPARK! 1409 S . Lamar St . #004 Dallas, TX 75215

Thank you for your support!