Through the hard times, our community has stood with the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. You can help keep that spirit alive by giving on Colorado Gives Day. The pandemic has reminded us that now, more than ever, investments in science and our community are investments in our collective future.
OUR MISSION
Be a catalyst! Ignite our community's passion for nature and science.
OUR VISION
Envision an empowered community that loves, understands, and protects our natural world.
The mission and vision were adopted by the Denver Museum of Nature & Science Board of Trustees in April 2014.
OUR VALUES
• We love science.
• We are curious, creative, and playful.
• We cultivate relationships: with each other, diverse communities, the environment, and for our future.
• We think critically and act with empathy.
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science was founded in 1900 by a group of Denver citizens interested in preserving the natural history of the Rocky Mountain region. Over the last century, it has grown into one of the largest natural history museums in the west. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science is a premier source of informal education in science, culture and natural history as well as a leader in scientific research in the fields of anthropology, earth sciences, health sciences, paleontology, space sciences and zoology. All of the Museum's activities promote STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) learning throughout the community. The Museum's collections number 4.3 million objects, including an extensive library/archives and education demonstration collection. In addition to its permanent exhibitions and historic diorama halls, the Museum offers temporary exhibitions, IMAX films and planetarium shows. Education programs for school groups, adults, teachers and young children reach broad audiences both onsite and throughout the community.
In 2019, the Museum served more than two million people both on- and off-site, including nearly 300,000 students and teachers. Nearly half of our audience - including a third of onsite visitors - were served for free through scholarships, free days and a variety of free passes and programs.
Looking forward, the Museum is executing on its Everyone, Everywhere strategic plan, which is guided by an overarching objective to connect more and diverse people to nature and science in ways that are meaningful to them. The projects within this strategic plan aim to:
• Make science accessible, inclusive, fun, understandable and meaningful;
• Activate human imagination that will catalyze a generation of explorers, problem solvers, creative strategists and analytical thinkers; and
• Contribute to a strong and vibrant future for Colorado.
If you would like to purchase or renew a membership, please visit our membership page, http://www.dmns.org/join/. We are unable to process memberships through ColoradoGives.
As you may know, there are new tax incentives to making charitable gifts in 2021.
Are you itemizing deductions?
The adjusted gross income (AGI) limit for cash contributions to qualifying public charities remains increased for individual donors. For cash contributions made in 2021, you can elect to deduct up to 100 percent of your AGI (formerly 60 percent prior to the CARES Act).
Not itemizing?
The CARES Act allowed for an additional, "above-the-line" deduction for charitable gifts made in cash of up to $300. This provision is extended into 2021 for taxpayers filing single/separately.
New in 2021 is an additional "above-the-line" deduction for those married filing jointly. Joint filers (who aren't itemizing) will be allowed to take an above-the-line deduction of up to $600 in cash contributions to charity this year.
Interested in corporate giving?
The AGI limit for cash contributions also remains increased for corporate donors. In 2021, corporations can deduct up to 25 percent of taxable income (formerly 10 percent prior to the CARES Act).
