Plans and Progress

Strategic Planning

Strategic Plan 2025-27

Adopted by the Museum's Board of Directors in late 2024, the Strategic Plan guides the Museum’s annual planning and implementation of exhibits, programs, staffing, and outreach (in-school programs). It creates a framework and strategy for the annual budget setting process, identifying priorities for each year’s spending and fundraising efforts.  At the end of each year, the leadership team reports to the Board of Directors on progress toward meeting performance benchmarks. 

The 2025-27 plan is the product of a broadly inclusive process that brought voices from across our community: nonprofit industry and government leaders, community partner organizations, Museum visitors and members, funders, staff, and more.  The result is a focused plan for strengthening Discovery Museum following 10 years of tremendous growth in facilities, service, and capacity. We will be working to ensure that we are putting our unique expertise to best use in service to the most urgent needs of our regions families. 

For more information, please see the Discovery Museum Strategic Plan or email CEO mbeam [at] discoveryacton.org (Marie Beam).

Sustainability

Discovery Museum is committed to environmental sustainability. We are working to:

• become a more sustainable organization and share what we learn along the way
• educate and inspire to action our visiting adults and the next generation of earth’s caregivers
• advocate for environmental stewardship.

We act on this commitment in ways that are designed to have a positive impact and urge our community to action in the short term, while preparing and motivating children to address the complex environmental challenges of the future.

—approved by Discovery Museum Board of Directors, November 2023

Annual Sustainability Reports

We are committed to reviewing and reporting on progress against our 5-year Sustainability Plan on an annual basis. Based on a combination of internal measurement and reporting and review by our external team of Sustainability Review Advisors, we are pleased to present our Year 1 and Year 2 reports.

5-Year Sustainability Plan

Discovery Museum's 5-year Sustainability Plan, adopted in June 2021, outlines 29 action steps across all areas of Museum operations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and move toward carbon neutrality, reduce water usage, minimize waste generation, invest sustainably, and advocate for climate action. A cornerstone of the plan is the installation of a 326kWh solar array over our parking lot that generates more than 100% of the Museum's electricity on site, with the 50% of the energy produced sold at a discount to four other nonprofit organizations and 11 low-income residences. The solar array represents CO2 reduction equal to preserving 317 acres of forest and became operational in summer 2022. In June 2022 we kicked off a first-of-its-kind carbon offset program for members, staff, and volunteers, now used as a national model. This was followed by an offset option for all non-member visitors in September 2023. 

In these efforts we are working to be visibly and demonstrably sustainable in our operations and to pursue our sustainability objectives in ways that promote access and equity. Thanks to the support of the $1M Sheth Sangreal Foundation Challenge, we are able to devote the energy and resources necessary to set an example of leadership and action in this important work. 

For more information, please see the Discovery Museum Sustainability Plan or email CEO mbeam [at] discoveryacton.org (Marie Beam).

DEAI

Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion (DEAI) Framework

The DEAI Framework, an Addendum to the Strategic Plan adopted in April 2022, provides structure for action and a system of accountability. Drafted over the span of a year with input from staff in all departments and guidance from our external advisors, the DEAI Framework outlines action steps across all aspects of our internal operations including hiring practices, marketing, governance, and audience engagement. While our intent in developing it was to be comprehensive, we recognize that this framework represents the next, but by no means final, phase in our evolution. As we move forward, we commit to changing course when needed as we gather insight from our community and learn from our experiences. We take this work seriously and we strongly believe that there is joy to be found in celebrating the unique lived experiences of the children and families we serve. Such joy can give rise to hope, which in turn can inspire action.

For more information, please see the Discovery Museum DEAI Framework or email CEO mbeam [at] discoveryacton.org (Marie Beam).