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The Kittitas County Historical Museum is a private, nonprofit charitable organization. With only <br />two paid staff and 17 volunteers, we plan to continue building awareness of the museum, <br />which will reflectively increase our further sustainability. <br />ln 2013, we embarked on a new advertising campaign after having been denied funding the <br />previous year. Through the new program we saw a positive response from visitors. Overall, we <br />saw a consistent 25-28o/o increase in attendance yearly, especially in our targeted market. Our <br />museum attendance nearly doubled from 4,975 in 2013 to 8,697 in 2015, and while 2016 <br />decreased in visitation to 7,359, it was a higher annual visitation rate than previous years. ln <br />201-8, we ended the year with 8,20L visitors. <br />Our Museum Monthly Attendance numbers continue to show multi-year highs in our visitor <br />attendance, and at the end of 2OL9, we had 8,328 which was a slight increase over 2018 <br />numbers. ln the midst of 2O2O, we have not yet regained a glimpse of 2019 numbers but we <br />are at a monthly high of 3O% of our monthly attendance, averaging 290 visitors. <br />We have also had yearly increases in donations to the museum and gift shop sales as a result of <br />the increased visitation. Our donations are at I08% of the anticipated amount for 2020. Gift <br />shop sales are already exceeded the expected annual income at a rate of I09%. We have <br />invested more into the gift shop in 2019 which has in turn increased sales. We plan to increase <br />our offerings again for 2021-, tying to events and programming. <br />As another direct result of increased visitation, the museum has experimented with its hours to <br />meet the needs of the community. For example, the Museum was open for 3 Sundays to <br />coincide with major events in 201-9 (Spirit of the West, Jazzin the Valley, and the Kittitas County <br />Fair/Ellensburg Rodeo). These openings have resulted in increased visitation to the museum as <br />a whole, with an audience that often has never had the opportunity to visit previously due to <br />timing. We did not have the opportunity to do that this year due to cancelled events but plan to <br />resume this in 2021. <br />By continuing to build on a successful model, we plan to attract a new audience that has had an <br />increased interest in the Kittitas County Historical Museum, Ellensburg, and Kittitas County. <br />Through the months of June to August 20L9, we have had a noticeable increase in visitors from <br />the Seattle-Tacoma area and the Portland area. Whether it was indicated in print or verbally, <br />we found that most of these visitors were day-trippers (-75%) with another destination, such as <br />Spokane or British Columbia. Others (-25%l were staying overnight in Ellensburg while <br />attending an event or activity and visiting the downtown. By advertising to these markets, we <br />are targeting a demographic already predisposed to visit the museum. These individuals are <br />already interested in history and are more apt to visit the museum and local attractions. By <br />producing the advertising, we will be able to add more information and an overall access and <br />view of the museum to the advertising which may attract more visitors. <br />With a program building on the success of social media marketing, we can increase visits to the <br />museum, Ellensburg, and Kittitas County. By the increased attendance and gift shop sales, along