Playing with a Purpose: Pi Day
Organization: Museum of Science, Boston
The Museum of Science is the most visited cultural attraction in Boston, MA. with 1.4 million visitors annually. One of the largest science centers in the world, it boasts 100,000 square feet of exhibit space, the Mugar Omni Theater and the Charles Hayden Planetarium. The Museum also created and disseminates a robust pre-K-8 science and engineering curriculum used by millions of students across the US and the world. The Museum’s mission is to play a leading role in transforming the nation's relationship with science and technology.
The Challenge
The Museum lacked a high-profile annual fund activity to inspire fun, community excitement, and draw new donors at all giving levels to the organization.
With so many walks, rides, galas, and other similar events dominating the spring and fall fundraising “seasons” in Boston, Ellie asked: what could the Museum of Science do with limited staff, resources and volunteers that would be truly different and project the signature Museum smart family fun? How would the event raise money? And could it simultaneously accentuate the Museum’s role inspiring young people of all backgrounds to better understand science and engineering?
Ellie and her team decided to focus on March 14, which is known by science and tech geeks as “Pi Day” because 3.14 is the first three digits of Pi, (Greek letter “π”) which represents the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Pi Day is an annual opportunity for math enthusiasts to recite the infinite digits of Pi, talk to their friends about math, and to eat pie.
To make “Pi Day” interesting and fun for non-math geeks, Ellie proposed to break the Guinness Book of World Records for simultaneous shaving cream pie throwing. And do it on Boston’s City Hall Plaza. The event was combined with Museum events and encouraged participants, their friends and relatives engaged in the event to also make contributions to the Museum.
This audacious idea, begun in 2018, attracted 978 people to throw pies at each other, garnering media buzz, camaraderie, and new donors. While it did not break the world record that year, in the 3 years since its inception, the Pi Day efforts raised approximately $500,000 in new gifts and added close to 1000 new donors.