CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF NEW HAMPSHIRE RECEIVES $300,000 IN CHALLENGE GRANT FROM KRESGE FOUNDATION

Portsmouth NH (February 19, 2008) – The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire has received a $300,000 challenge grant from The Kresge Foundation of Troy MI for the museum’s “Imagine. Build. Grow.” capital campaign. The $3.6 million campaign is dedicated to renovating and transforming the Butterfield Building in Dover, New Hampshire into a museum that will have triple the space of its current facility, classrooms, several major new exhibits and enhanced visitors services. The new presence in Dover will also bring the museum a new name, the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire. The Children’s Museum is the most-visited cultural attraction in the state with over 97,000 visitors a year from all over New England.

The Kresge Challenge grant is designed to encourage others to support the museum project. The $300,000 Challenge Grant will be awarded only if the Museum has successfully raised $1 million from individual and business donors by July. The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire Capital Campaign has already raised 70 percent of its goal.

In announcing the grant, Kresge Foundation President Rip Rapson said, "In the 21st century, promoting human progress means working to influence the quality of life for future generations by creating access and opportunity for poor and disadvantaged children and adults, advancing methods for mitigating and adapting to global climate change." The President also praised the Museum’s plan to make the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire a LEED-certified, sustainable space. Mr. Ripson said, “The Foundation commends you for your outreach and after-school programs as well as for your work with artists. We also applaud your decision to develop a sustainable facility.”

“Receiving the Kresge Foundation Challenge is an incredible opportunity,” said Denny Doleac, executive director of the Children’s Museum. “Kresge Foundation grants are highly competitive and we are honored to be recognized by the Foundation as an institution that provides innovative, high quality programming. The grant award also recognizes the museum’s long time commitment to reaching out to under-served populations. We hope that the Kresge Challenge Grant will motivate others, who see the value the museum, to step up to the challenge by supporting the campaign.”

The Kresge Foundation announced grants totaling $49.8 million to organizations in 28 states, the District of Columbia, Canada and South Africa. The Children’s Museum was the only recipient in New Hampshire and one of very few children’s museums named. All grants are aimed at the commitment expressed by founder Sebastian S. Kresge to “using its resources to promote human progress.” According to the Foundation, these grants reflect a new emphasis on addressing opportunities to better address society’s pressing issues, advancing low-income opportunity, promoting community impact in ways most needed by residents, encouraging innovation and risk taking, fostering interdisciplinary solutions, advancing ecological sustainability, and valuing diversity in board governance.

The Children’s Museum Capital Campaign has announced major grants from companies and organizations including Sprague Energy, TDBanknorth, DF Richard, Federal Savings Bank, Ocean Bank, the Rotary Club of Dover, Measured Progress/Center for Assessment, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. Bill Dube Ford Toyota Scion and from a number of individual donors. The challenge grant stipulates that the goal be met by raising unrestricted funds from private sources including individuals, corporations and foundations. The details of the public phase of the Museum’s capital campaign, “Imagine.Build.Grow,” to help meet the Kresge Challenge Grant, will be announced shortly.

TD BANKNORTH ANNOUNCES $100,000 LEADERSHIP GIFT TO CHILDREN'S MUSEUM CAMPAIGN

Manchester, New Hampshire (January 31, 2008) - TD Banknorth announced a gift of $100,000 to the Children's Museum of New Hampshire Capital Campaign today. The announcement was made by TD Banknorth New Hampshire CEO R. Scott Bacon at the 300 Franklin Street TD Banknorth branch in downtown Manchester. The gift was made through the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA) Community Development Investment Program (CDIP).

TD Banknorth's commitment supports the creation of the Museum's new home in Dover in the Butterfield Building downtown, including much expanded classroom/performance space in the new museum. The Museum will move from its Portsmouth location of 25 years to the Dover location in July 2008. The new building will offer triple the space, enhanced visitor amenities, extended programming and exhibits for older and younger children and a new name: The Children's Museum of New Hampshire. The new identity reflects the fact that the Museum is the most-visited cultural attraction in the state, drawing nearly 100,000 visitors a year from throughout New England. In addition to enriching the communities that have supported its bricks-and-mortar presence, Portsmouth and Dover; the museum's outreach programs "Museum To You" and its 21st Century Learner workshops have visited towns all over the state, including Manchester.

TD Banknorth has chosen to name a new classroom/performance area as a tangible way to recognize its financial support for the Museum. The classroom will allow the Museum to provide dedicated space for teachers to provide lessons in conjunction with school visits and for youth organizations to conduct activities relating to their Museum experiences. The space will also accommodate much larger audiences for the highly popular live performances and special programs the Museum presents.

"We are extremely grateful to TD Banknorth for this leadership gift of $100,000 to the Children's Museum of New Hampshire Capital Campaign," said Peter Hamblett, Chairman of the Capital Campaign Committee. "The gift from TD Banknorth underscores the Museum's appeal to a statewide and New England-wide audience, attracting nearly 100,000 visitors each year from throughout the region, not just the Seacoast. Their gift sends a message to those throughout TD Banknorth's communities that the Children's Museum itself is a leadership organization meriting close attention and support."

"We are very proud to announce this substantial commitment to the Children's Museum of New Hampshire because supporting the communities where we live and work - especially families and youth in our communities -- is central to TD Banknorth's core values," said R. Scott Bacon, CEO, TD Banknorth New Hampshire. "We believe very strongly in 'giving back' to those we serve, both through the thousands of volunteer hours our employees devote each year and by providing financial assistance for a variety of cultural and community events that promote economic empowerment, youth development and community involvement. Our mission is to strengthen the fabric of neighborhoods, and improve and enrich the lives of community members by supporting local organizations. Helping the Children's Museum of New Hampshire draw more attention and more donors statewide does just that."

The CDFA approved the Museum's capital campaign as one of the 16 community projects currently eligible for state tax credits, The program challenges each nonprofit grantee to raise the money for their project and then CDFA will issue state tax credits totaling 75% of the value of each donation to the project donor.

MIKE KENSLEA PLEDGES $100,000 TO THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

Kittery ME (November 28, 2007) - When Michael Kenslea, founder of Olde Port Bank in Portsmouth, retired from the bank on its acquisition in 1998, the bank Directors wanted to pay tribute to his decades of service. When he declined their suggestion of a testimonial dinner, the Directors proposed the idea of establishing a fund in his name that would benefit a non-profit.

"I told them I would agree on two conditions," said Mr. Kenslea. "First, I get to name the fund and second, I get to name the recipient." And so The Martha Briggs Kenslea Fund, named in honor of his late wife, was created specifically to benefit the Children's Museum of Portsmouth.

"When the Directors told me they had collected $10,000 for the Fund I told them they had made me so happy I would match that amount," he said. Thus, for the past ten years, the Martha Briggs Kenslea Fund, managed by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, has given $25,000 to the Children's Museum to enable their mission of helping children learn and grow through hands-on experiences. Mr. Kenslea has continued to seed the fund over the years and has now announced a $100,000 donation from The Martha Briggs Kenslea Fund towards the capital campaign for the new Children's Museum of New Hampshire, which will relocate to a site now under construction in Dover in July 2008.

"If you get behind something, you try to support it in as many ways as possible," said Mr. Kenslea in making the announcement. "When the museum approached me 23 years ago for a donation to get started, we pledged $200. Now he we are with the most popular cultural attraction in New Hampshire and so many more people involved in the effort of giving back to their community." Mr. Kenslea hopes his pledge inspires others to contribute whatever they can to the capital campaign.

"Mike Kenslea is not only a very generous supporter of the Children's Museum, he is a friend to the museum, has been on the Board and has provided leadership throughout our history," said Denise Doleac, founder and executive director of the Children's Museum. "We are very grateful for his gift and for his understanding of the museum's goals; but most of all we are thankful that he is willing to be an example of how individuals make a difference."

HARVARD PILGRIM HEALTH CARE FOUNDATION MAKES $50,000 DONATION TO CHILDREN'S MUSEUM CAMPAIGN

Portsmouth NH (October 29, 2007) - The Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation has pledged $50,000 to the Children's Museum of New Hampshire to fund the new snack area in the museum and will be encouraging visitors of all ages, especially children, to learn about nutrition and healthy eating lifestyles. One of the most-requested amenities to be included in the expanded museum scheduled to open in Dover in 2008, the snack area will provide a place for family, school and group visitors to take a break while exploring the museum's exhibits. The new space will take the theme of a 1950's Diner.

In making the announcement, Peter Hamblett, chairman of the Children's Museum Capital Campaign Committee noted that Harvard Pilgrim is an active member of the Museum family. Beth Roberts, Harvard Pilgrim's Vice President for Northern New England, is a member of the Children's Museum of New Hampshire Steering Committee and the company has funded past Museum programs and initiatives at the Portsmouth location. The Harvard Pilgrim Foundation also recently joined fellow Steering Committee member, New Hampshire's First Lady, Dr. Susan Lynch to announce a grant to the Foundation for Healthy Communities "to support healthy lifestyles for New Hampshire's children."

"The Harvard Pilgrim Foundation is committed to encouraging healthy lifestyles," said Karen Voci, Executive Director of the Harvard Pilgrim Foundation . "Funding the museum's healthy snack area gives us the perfect avenue for teaching about healthy eating habits - one of the critical health care challenges of this decade - at the source. If we can help make the connection between good snack habits and fun we will be accomplishing a major service to the parents, teachers, group leaders and others responsible for modeling children's behavior."

The Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation gift will be recognized with plaques installed in the lobby of the museum and prominently displayed in the exhibit.

"We sincerely appreciate Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation's generous gift to the Children's Museum of New Hampshire," said Hamblett. "The support of such a visible and vocal advocate for children is most welcome as we continue to raise the capital necessary to make the new museum a reality next summer."

MEASURED PROGRESS INC. AND THE CENTER FOR ASSESSMENT PARTNER TO MAKE $50,000 DONATION TO CHILDREN’S MUSEUM CAMPAIGN

Portsmouth NH (October 4, 2007) -- When the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire opens it doors to the public in summer 2008, the door will also open to a new museum classroom, thanks to the support of two Dover-based companies. Measured Progress and the National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment have each pledged $25,000 to support the creation of the classroom, created so that staff and visiting educators can provide more curriculum-related programs to young visitors.

“Measured Progress and the Center for Assessment are the perfect partners to make the new classroom space possible,” said Peter Hamblett, chairman of the museum’s Capital Campaign Committee. “Both companies support our commitment to the value of alternative forms of teaching and learning.”

Individually and together, the two companies share the Museum’s mission to provide young people with diverse educational opportunities. Measured Progress is a not-for-profit provider of K-12 educational assessments and related tools and services, assisting states and districts nationwide to improve student learning. The Center for Assessment helps states to design and implement effective assessment and accountability systems.

“Given the many pressures educators face to balance accountability requirements with the individual needs of students, it’s critical that we support initiatives that get to the heart of what education should be all about; as the Children’s Museum’s motto says, to ‘imagine and grow,’” said Measured Progress President Stuart Kahl. “The Museum demonstrates daily that personalized learning can be both effective and fun.”

Brian Gong, executive director at the Center for Assessment, said, “Educators, school districts, legislators and society as a whole share the responsibility to ensure our children are ready to succeed in the 21st century. We believe that supporting the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire is one significant way we can meet that obligation. I encourage others to join us in helping the Museum to grow!”

D.F. RICHARD ENERGY MAKES $50,000 DONATION TO CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF NEW HAMPSHIRE Campaign

Portsmouth NH (September 13, 2007) - D.F. Richard Energy of Dover has pledged a lead donation of $50,000 to the Children's Museum of New Hampshire to fund the art and science creativity area in the new museum location in downtown Dover, opening in the summer of 2008. One of the Museum's most-anticipated spaces, the new area will give children and activity leaders the space to fully explore their imaginations, learn new concepts and create experiments and art works that give them hands-on experience with the ideas they are learning.

In making the announcement, Peter Hamblett, chairman of the Children's Museum Capital Campaign Committee noted that D.F. Richard has anchored the community for generations, just as the Museum hopes to anchor the downtown renaissance for the benefit of current and future generations. As contributors to the early phase of the Museum's capital campaign, D. F. Richard timed the announcement to coincide with the placement of a sign in front of the Museum's new home in the Butterfield Building announcing that it will be "Opening Summer 2008."

"We pride ourselves on our heritage of uncompromising neighborly service and this contribution to the Children's Museum, which is a large donation for the company, is an expression of that participation in our community," said Robert Richard, President of D.F. Richard. "Generations of customers have come to rely on D.F. Richard since the early days when "Danny" Richard delivered kerosene to local homeowners. We hope this gift will benefit many future generations of the families in the Seacoast and beyond."

"D.F. Richard has expressed to us how important our move to Dover is to the community," said Hamblett. "The placement of the sign that proclaims that we will open here, in 2008, is one more step towards that day, just under a year from now. The momentum is building, with generous corporate support from companies such as D. F. Richard moving us forward."

SPRAGUE ENERGY COMMITS $250,000 TO CHILDREN'S MUSEUM CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

Sprague Energy, a leading energy wholesaler headquartered in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, has committed $250,000 to launch the capital campaign for the Children’s Museum. This fundraising campaign will allow the Children’s Museum to step into its new role as the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire in a new downtown Dover, New Hampshire location on the banks of the Cocheco River. After a ten year search to find the adequate space to accommodate the 90,000 visitors the Museum welcomes to its Portsmouth location each year, the Museum will soon start renovation of the Butterfield Gym building being provided by the City of Dover. The move will take place in early summer of 2008.

Sprague Energy is the first organization to announce its pledge to the campaign. Their $250,000 Leadership Gift is earmarked to fund a creative new exhibit focusing on the environment. The “Cochecosystem” exhibit will tell the story of New Hampshire’s mills and river ecosystem. Sprague specifically identified this exhibit as it fits the company’s ongoing commitment to environmental concerns, to children and their families and to its company roots in New Hampshire.

Sprague Energy, a company at the forefront of clean fuels development and the marketing and distribution of Biofuels, is a strong supporter of environmental issues, especially in relation to children. In 2005 the company received one of the first Environmental Protection Agency’s Recognition Awards for Children’s Environmental Health and in 2006 celebrated Earth Day by announcing a partnership with the Queens Clean Air Project and Clean Air Communities Program.

“Sprague Energy has a long standing commitment to both the environment and children’s education,” said John McClellan, Sprague Energy’s President and CEO. “Our water-front locations give us a unique perspective on the environmental sensitivity and importance of the local bodies of water. As a member of the Piscataqua River Cooperative, Sprague is actively pursuing ways to help utilize these areas while preserving the delicate ecosystem.”

McClellan continued, “Children’s causes are very important as well to our organization. Sprague has long been involved in local, national and international children’s causes and we are very proud to help the Museum continue their work educating New Hampshire’s children and look forward to their long term success.”

“This extremely generous contribution from Sprague to underwrite the Cochecosystem exhibit allows the Children’s Museum to bring kids face to face with new, creative ways of learning about the environment,” said Denise Doleac, Executive Director and Founder of the museum. “It is a joy to partner with visionary companies whose executives understand the value of museum experiences that open up new worlds to children and their families with learning opportunities that go beyond the classroom. "As our partner in the new exhibit, Sprague Energy leads our effort to enable the Children’s Museum as a statewide institution to provide a much richer encounter to visitors. Their support will benefit everyone who visits the Museum, for generations to come."

CHILDREN'S MUSEUM ANNOUNCES CAPITAL CAMPAIGN FOR THE "CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF NEW HAMPSHIRE”

Dover NH (July 31, 2007) – The Chair of the Children’s Museum Board of Directors, Daniel Mulkern welcomed a distinguished group of community leaders to the Butterfield Building at 6 Washington Street in downtown Dover this morning to kick off the public phase of the Museum’s capital campaign. The focal point of the event was the announcement of the museum’s new identity as the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire when it moves from its current location in Portsmouth to Dover in the summer of 2008. The guests took the opportunity to ‘plant the flag” of the Museum’s new identity, unveiling the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire’s colorful new logo icons which children placed around the entrance of the museum’s future home.

Joining Mr. Mulkern and Denise Doleac, founder and executive director of the Children’s Museum for the occasion were: Dover Mayor Scott Myers; New Hampshire First Lady, Dr. Susan Lynch, a member of the Children’s Museum Steering Committee; George Bald, Commissioner of the New Hampshire Division of Resources and Economic Development, and member of the Museum board of directors; Mary Heath, Deputy Commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Education; and Peter Hamblett, Chairman of the Children’s Museum Capital Campaign.

“This announcement of the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire Capital Campaign is actually Phase II of our overall effort,” noted Mr. Mulkern. “We must raise the $3.3 million in order to be able to completely renovate and adapt the Butterfield Building for use as a publicly accessible museum. We have secured $2 million so far in commitments from national and state foundations, businesses and individuals, including the very generous Leadership Gift of $250,000 from Sprague Energy that we announced a few weeks ago. We anticipate many additional announcements in the weeks ahead and thank those who are providing the support we need to make this move possible.”

Founded in 1983, The Children’s Museum in Portsmouth is one of the nation’s most highly-regarded children’s museums and is New Hampshire's most-visited cultural attraction. Serving over 97,000 visitors a year from all over New England (and beyond), the Museum is a leader in the field for its innovative, experiential learning programs. In 2005 the Museum signed a 60-year lease with the City of Dover for the Butterfield Building. This 20,000 sq. ft. facility on the banks of the Cocheco River, surrounded by the Henry Law Park, stands at the gateway to the future downtown waterfront development.