August 2007

Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) Surveys Science Café Organizers 

The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) recently conducted a survey of Science Cafés across the U.S.  Sent to 34 Cafés, the survey gathered general information about Café operation and organization. Of the Cafés that received the survey, 21 (62%) responded. The results show that most of the Cafés are structured similarly, although there are a few Cafés that are unique for their size, sponsorship, and/or meeting frequency. Muskegon Café Scientifique meets less often than the majority of Cafés, but is otherwise akin to the majority of Cafés across the country.

 The following is a summary of the survey results:

• Where is the Café located?

  Ann Arbor, MI	Detroit, MI	Newburgh, NY
  Berkeley, CA	Lansing, MI	Portland and Eugene, OR
  Boulder, CO	Los Angeles, CA	Raleigh, NC
  Bozeman, MT	Menlo Park, CA	Seattle, WA
  Cleveland, OH	Muskegon, MI	Sebastopol, CA
  Colorado Springs, CO	New York, NY	Somerville, MA
  Denver, CO	New York, NY	Syracuse, NY

• How often is the Café held?
  17 (81%) of the respondents hold their Cafés once a month. Only the Café in Sebastopol, CA meets more often (once per week). Others meet quarterly or less often

• On average, how many people attend the Café?
  The average was approximately 60 people, with a range of 20-200 attendees.

• Where does the Café meet?
  18 (86%) of the respondents hold their Café at a bar, restaurant, or café. Others meet at research/academic facilities and a bookstore.

• Is there a charge for the venue, and if so, how much?
  19 (90%) of the respondents use the venue free of charge. One Café pays $5 per person, which includes snacks, and another pays $100 per meeting.

• Is there an admission charge for the Café?
  18 (86%) of the respondents do not have an admission fee. One Café charges $3 per person, which is split with the venue; another Café charges $10 per person, which includes a beverage; and the remaining Café charges $5 per person, which covers the venue charge.

• Does the Café ask for donations?
  17 (81%) of the respondents do not ask for donations. Three Cafés do not have a suggested amount and receive $20-$100 in donations per event. One Café suggests a $3-$5 donation toward food costs.

• Does the Café receive funding from a sponsor, and if so, in what amount?
  13 (62%) of the respondents do not have a sponsor. Other Cafés have sponsorships that range from limited in-kind support to sponsoring the Café entirely.  Some of the sponsors supply the room and/or food at no cost, and some offer a few hundred dollars per event. One Café, which meets quarterly, has a sponsor that pays $3000 per event for travel, speaker fees, advertising, etc. Both Sigma Xi and WGBH were mentioned twice as sponsors.

• Does the Café have any other kind of revenue source?
  15 (71%) of the respondents have no additional revenue sources. One Café gets revenue from book and concession sales and another Café is considering selling t-shirts.

• Does the Café have any additional expenses?
  Most of the respondents had some sort of additional expenses, though most were relatively minor. Several buy dinner for the speakers, two have costs associated with hosting a website, and one hands out trivia prizes. Most have minimal or no costs for advertisement, and most have no stipends or travel fees for their speakers.

• Is the Café run by volunteers or as part of a job?
  12 (57%) of the Café organizers are volunteers and 38% run their Café as part of their job. One Café did not respond.

• How many people are involved with organizing the Café?
  Most respondents run their Cafés with a group of two to a committee of 20 people. Only one respondent said that he is the sole organizer.

• How many hours are spent in preparation per event?
  Most respondents said that they spend between 1-5 hours in preparation, a few reported 5-10 hours, and one reported 40-50 hours.