Greetings to you who know and appreciate the wonderful experience we call The Discovery Center (TDC). The first time I visited the Center I said to myself this is an “Acre of Diamonds”, a real Fresno jewel. As the new President of the Board of Trustees it will be my honor to work with the staff and board over the coming year. We congratulate Trustee Janet Berry for her dedication and commitment to be the Executive Director as a volunteer for this coming year. As TDC evaluates its offerings of a hands-on and fun science experience for our community we have been making changes in staff and program content.

As an accountant by trade I will be focusing on the financial details of TDC while Janet will be focused on the daily operations. We want to raise the public’s awareness of the many activities and programs we offer and gain additional financial support from local, regional and national agencies that support programs such as TDC. To that end we have engaged Donna Nelson, CPA to perform a certified financial audit of TDC financial statements.

Donna Nelson has been reviewing our financials and preparing the IRS 990 Form for several years so she is familiar with our operations. A certified financial audit, while not required due to our size, is an important next step for TDC to enable it to gain the support of the community for our fundraising efforts. These audits also enable us to apply for grants, as well as participate in organizations such as the United Way campaign.

For years TDC has financed all of the improvements at Reedy Park where TDC is located and its activities through donations, small grants and fees for on-site and off-site programs. TDC needs to make changes in the ways in which it finances the student scholarships to summer and winter camp programs. One thought is to embark on a campaign to raise $250,000.00 for a fund that could support annual scholarships to approximately one-half of the participants in the camp programs. A program such as this will be discussed at the Trustees next board meeting on Wednesday October 10 in the Johnson Building at the Discovery Center.

If you or your family are thinking about leaving a legacy and want to include The Discovery Center in your planning please contact me directly and we can put you in touch with a Clovis CPA firm that specializes in legacy planning. Thank you all for your continuing support and encouragement of The Discovery Center.

Warmly,
Gary L Pigg
MBA
President
The Discovery Center
(o) 559-438-7040
garypigg@yahoo.com