CAC President's Report: Q2 2024

Q2 2024 (Apr-May-Jun)

LETTER FROM THE CEO & PRESIDENT

Dear Board, Docents, Volunteers & Staff:

The Chicago Architecture Center’s busy tour season is in full swing, and we’re excited to announce that both river cruises and walking tours are experiencing year-over-year growth. Not only do these tours further our mission by introducing visitors and Chicagoans alike to our city’s deep architectural history, but they are crucial to furthering our educational and advocacy efforts.

It’s thanks to our incredible community of volunteer docents that we’ve been able to grow our tours. In this report, you’ll find a Letter to the Editor from CAC trustee Graham Grady, recently published in the Chicago Tribune, highlighting the indispensable role of volunteer docents in Chicago's cultural institutions. Thank you, Graham, for articulating what we at CAC hold dear.

Beyond our uptick in tour revenue, we’ve had a busy first half of the year with exhibit openings and events.

We opened two new exhibits that show off the beauty—and potential—in Chicago’s Loop area. Loop as Lab: Reshaping Downtowns explores the new realities affecting downtown spaces worldwide and how Chicago is responding to them. Visitors can learn more about what’s currently happening in the Loop and ideas for the future, as well as vote on what they’d like to see in our downtown. In the neighboring gallery, HIGHRISES showcases selected photographs from artist Chris Hytha. The exhibit, curated around Art Deco buildings in Chicago and the Midwest buildings, will be on display through August 24.
Our boat tours were once again named the No. 1 Boat Tour in North America. USA Today readers voted the Chicago Architecture Center River Cruise Aboard Chicago's First Lady as a top tour for the fourth year in a row.
We are excited to announce the unveiling of a docent appreciation wall located prominently at the CAC’s entrance. This display honors our docents emeritus and current volunteers who have been with the CAC community for 20-30 years. We invite everyone to come visit the wall and learn about the individuals behind our top-ranking tours.

In the second half of the year, we are looking forward to the Democratic National Convention; our staff is fully prepped and we've added additional departures of our most popular tours for the delegates and their guests. We're also hosting Girls Build! programming that will allow Chicago youth to explore architecture and design, and gearing up for our Designing Futures Gala (October 2) and Open House Chicago (October 19-20), both of which promise to be exceptional events, as well as the launch of an all-new website at architecture.org; more details to come on all of this and more!

Thank you for your continued support of the CAC!

Eleanor Esser Gorski, AIA
CEO & President
Chicago Architecture Center

Q2 BY THE NUMBERS

YOUTH
EDUCATION

1,973 Total registrants across 54 programs
↑ Up from 2023

ADULT
PROGRAMS

1,169 Total registrants across 24 programs
↑ Up from 2023

DONORS &
DEVELOPMENT

$78.89k Individual Gifts
$92.5k Fundraising Events
↓ Down from 2023
$101.5k Corporate & Foundation Gifts
$245k Government Grants
↑ Up from 2023
$517.8k Total Donations

VOLUNTEERS

443 Volunteers
4734 Hours of Time Given
↑ Up from 2023

CENTER
ATTENDANCE

15,652 Guests
↑ Up from 2023
$64.6k Revenue

MEMBERS &
RETENTION

7,862 Total Members
60% Renewal Rate
$204k Revenue
↑ Up from 2023

RIVER
CRUISE

1085 Departures
157,007 Guests
$2.5M Net Revenue
↑ Up from 2023

WALKING
TOURS

1603 Departures
10,540 Guests
$181k Revenue
↑ Up from 2023

RETAIL
SALES

$198k In-Store
$5.6k Online
53.11% Profit Margin
↑ Up from 2023

Q2 EVENTS & HIGHLIGHTS

Media Highlights

The following highlights represent earned media coverage for a range of CAC’s products and programs throughout Apr-May-Jun 2024.
Total coverage generated 5.2 billion impressions, a 435% increase from Q2 of 2023.

Madame Architect

Urban Dynamics: The Chicago Architecture Center's Eleanor Gorski on Advancing Cities and Championing Causes

WGNTV

‘Loop as Lab’ exhibit at Chicago Cultural Center lets public plan city’s future

Chicago Tribune

Museums for summer 2024: After-hours parties at the Shedd and a Holocaust Museum debut

DO312

Girls Build! Day 2024

NBC Chicago

Study ranks Chicago as most walkable city in America for tourists

WGNTV

Exploring the vibrant neighborhood of Chicago’s Chinatown

TimeOut

The 69 best things to do in Chicago right now

ABC7 Chicago

Bears CEO speaks about future stadium plans (31:30)

TimeOut

This Chicago attraction was just ranked one of the best in the U.S.

Chicago Tribune

A real-world ‘Sesame Street’: Lawndale Pop-Up Spot puts art, storytelling in the hands of the public

Volunteer docents bring our cultural institutions and city to life.

Cultural institutions are more than buildings, housing objects and exhibits; they are places to learn and explore, especially if you take advantage of their guided tours. Often led by unsung heroes — our volunteer docents — these educational opportunities help visitors to Chicago and residents alike better understand topics such as art, architecture and science.

With some institutions that have chosen to disband these volunteer programs in favor of paid docents who work longer hours, I think it’s important that we remember the countless contributions these volunteers make to our city. By donating their time and passion, these individuals bring the perspective of the visitor and simultaneously free up institutional resources so organizations can finance the other work they do in communities.

At the Chicago Architecture Center (CAC), where I serve on the board, the impact of volunteer docents is profound. These dedicated individuals undergo rigorous training to deeply understand our city’s built environment. By leading walking and boat tours, docents offer visitors and locals alike an immersive journey into Chicago’s architectural heritage.

This includes individuals such as Cathy Thompson, who currently leads downtown walking tours and is training to become a docent on Chicago’s First Lady river cruise. Cathy is among several new docents contributing their tour-leading expertise to the CAC and other institutions, such as the Robie House and the Charnley-Persky House, following the end of their tenure at the Art Institute of Chicago.

The impact of CAC’s volunteer docents continues long after their tours end. These tours are a tourist destination in Chicago, and thanks to ticket revenue, the CAC is able to fund educational programming that introduces underserved youth to careers in science, technology, engineering, math and architecture, and empowers adults to take a more active role in building the city they want, thereby fostering a more inclusive and equitable future for our city.

Without volunteer docents, the CAC would be unable to dedicate the same level of resources to funding architecture and design education programs for Chicagoans.

Volunteer docents are the heartbeat of our cultural institutions, breathing life into exhibits, stories and traditions. In an era when the value of volunteer work is sometimes overlooked, it is essential to recognize and celebrate the contributions of these dedicated individuals. They embody the true Chicago spirit of service and community, selflessly giving their time and expertise to enrich the lives of others.

Without them, our museums and cultural landmarks would not be the vibrant, dynamic spaces they are today.