The Creationists Won February's Debate Against Bill Nye The Science Guy
THE ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Ernest Disney-Britton
Last Saturday over dinner in Cincinnati, we debated who was the winner in February's Creationism debate. Well, the results are in and the clear winner was not Science Guy Bill Nye, but is instead Creationist Ken Ham who just announced he is ready to build his 501-foot replica of Noah's Ark. Ham even credited the attention of the Bill Nye debate for bringing him to this moment. “Even in a difficult economy, tens of thousands of supporters have made donations, purchased bonds, or bought Ark boarding passes in the past three years,” Ham said in a press release. “With the funding in place to build the Ark, it is now our goal to raise an additional $15 million in donations to provide additional attractions like the special high-tech and interactive exhibits that guests have come to appreciate at our museum.”
This is one of the most fascinating philanthropic adventures in America today, and it doesn't matter where you stand on this issue (and there are lots of issues), but the unquestionable success of the Creation Museum (outside of Cincinnati), and how Ham leverages both public and private support for his projects is an amazing philanthropic journey that I've been following with fascination since 2004.
Funding Facts/Projections:
By Ernest Disney-Britton
Last Saturday over dinner in Cincinnati, we debated who was the winner in February's Creationism debate. Well, the results are in and the clear winner was not Science Guy Bill Nye, but is instead Creationist Ken Ham who just announced he is ready to build his 501-foot replica of Noah's Ark. Ham even credited the attention of the Bill Nye debate for bringing him to this moment. “Even in a difficult economy, tens of thousands of supporters have made donations, purchased bonds, or bought Ark boarding passes in the past three years,” Ham said in a press release. “With the funding in place to build the Ark, it is now our goal to raise an additional $15 million in donations to provide additional attractions like the special high-tech and interactive exhibits that guests have come to appreciate at our museum.”
This is one of the most fascinating philanthropic adventures in America today, and it doesn't matter where you stand on this issue (and there are lots of issues), but the unquestionable success of the Creation Museum (outside of Cincinnati), and how Ham leverages both public and private support for his projects is an amazing philanthropic journey that I've been following with fascination since 2004.
Funding Facts/Projections:
- This is a $120 million commercial venture with a nonprofit managing partner: Answers In Genesis. To complete the first phase will cost more than $70 million.
- The Ark is Encounter is owned by the members of a Limited Liability Company (LLC). Answers in Genesis (Creation Museum is a ministry of AIG) is one of the members of the LLC.
- The fundraising goal is $24.5 million needed to build the ark alone.
- In 2011, the Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Authority granted approval for up to $43.1 million in sales tax rebates over 10 years. State tourism law allows developers to recover up to 25% of a project's cost through a return of the sales tax paid by visitors on admission tickets, food, souvenirs and other expenses.
- The city of Williamstown, Kentucky issued a $62 million municipal bond offering to support the project as an economic development initiative.
- State development studies have predicted that Ark Encounter would draw hundreds of thousands of visitors and bring in a net fiscal impact of $119 million over 10 years, including sales and income taxes.
- The night of the debate, the project's website read they'd raised over $12 million in private donations but today it reads $14.4 million.
- Answers in Genesis, the owners of the Creation Museum will continue raising money for various phases of the project, including lifetime "boarding passes" costing $3,000 for families and $2,000 for individuals.
