Denver's Scientific & Cultural Facilities District (SCFD)
Benefits to Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS)

What is it? - A 1/10th of 1% sales tax (one penny on every $10) which funds scientific & cultural institutions in the Denver area.  You will be asked to re-approve this small tax in the Nov 2004 election.  Primary funding (59%) goes to the following “Tier I” institutions but over 300 organizations receive funds.

What does SCFD mean to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS)? - It represents a whopping 25% of the annual budget at DMNS.  And, it is the primary source of funding for the for the Programs division which includes Collections & Research, Visitor Experience, and Education.  DMNS funding will already be reduced soon because the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) will be added to the group of Tier I organizations.  So, 5 organizations will split the Tier I funds instead of 4, resulting in a smaller piece of the pie for DMNS.

Downward Spiral in Funding - Over the past three years, the economic recession has resulted in a huge drop in funding to our facilities because it is percentage of tax revenue.

Layoffs at DMNS - Drops in funding for 2004 caused layoffs affecting DMNS programs and public education.  Hardest hit with the loss of current tax revenues are programs related to collections & research, visitors, education and administration.  These losses were necessary even with the current SCFD tax.

What if SCFD isn't re-approved? - The impact to DMNS would be devastating!  It would significantly change your experience at the museum and greatly impact the way DMNS operates. Colorado is home to many outstanding fossil & archeological sites.  It also preserves a fantastic record of earth's history exposed in its geologic formations.  Important discoveries occur frequently in Colorado.  DMNS staff & volunteers recover, research & publish these finds every year.  DMNS brings this to the community through its exhibits, education programs and school field trips.  Massive cuts would be required in public education and research without SCFD.

What can I do? - First, vote “Yes” to re-approve the funding of SCFD in the Nov 2004 election.  Print this page to handout to your friends and neighbors.
 
PLEASE VOTE “YES”
to re-approve SCFD funding in Nov 2004

For more information on SCFD, please visit: http://www.scfd.org

Disclaimer: This page was created and is hosted by a DMNS volunteer at no expense to DMNS or SCFD.
The views expressed here are my own and do not necessarily represent those of DMNS or any other institution.