Be seated in style
FOR A CENTURY OF GREAT PERFORMANCES
Place your name in the spotlight…
TREAT YOURSELF, YOUR BUSINESS, OR HONOR LOVED ONES
THROUGH A GIFT OF EVERLASTING VALUE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
An investment in the City Opera House offers:
- A major year-round cultural attraction downtown that supports regional economic development
- Charitable deduction and gift recognition for preserving an historical jewel
- Federal match of 20 cents per dollar invested inTraverse City’s most prestigious cultural address
Gifts to the Seating Campaign may be made payable to City Opera House Heritage Association, or made online to the City Opera House Restoration Fund at www.cityoperahouse.org.
Click here for a City Opera House foldable brochure in PDF format for more details.
Annual Support for the City Opera House
Ongoing support for the City Opera House comes in all sizes… gifts range from $25, $50 and $100 to major donations of $1,000, $5,000, $10,000 and up. Each gift, regardless of its size, is essential to the City Opera House – and each donor becomes a partner with us in providing national and international, as well as local arts and culture events in northwest Michigan. Your gift can be unrestricted, to help us relieve general operating expenses; or restricted to a specific program or activity (for example, underwriting the cost of an event or program). To make an individual gift to the City Opera House, please contact Executive Director Sheryl Hayward at 231-941-8082 or info@cityoperahouse.org or Make a Gift Today.
Endowment Giving
Leave an Arts and Culture Legacy to generations yet to come!
Whatever your circumstances, and however modest your income, you can leave a legacy of arts and culture by making an endowment gift to the City Opera House. When you contribute to the City Opera House endowment, you are making a direct and unique investment in both the current operation of the City Opera House and its programming and its future financial security. The City Opera House Endowment is managed by the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation. The Endowment provides an increasing source of income and capital to further the mission of the City Opera House through strategic long-term investment goals. Preserving and extending the high-quality performances for generations to come is what endowment building is all about.
How does an Endowment contribution differ from an Annual Campaign gift? Annual Campaign contributions support the City Opera House of today; endowment contributions ensure the sustainability of the City Opera House tomorrow. Endowment funds are restricted; each year, the City Opera House receives a percentage of the interest earned each season, but the principal is held in perpetuity and is strategically invested to increase in value. Both annual and endowment support are essential ingredients of long-term financial health for the City Opera House. Endowment gifts may also afford naming opportunities, concert or series endowments, and various other components. Both Annual and Endowment gifts may be made in honor or in memory of a loved one. For more information on endowment giving, please contact Executive Director Sheryl Hayward at 231-941-8082 or info@cityoperahouse.org.
Planned Giving
City Opera House supporters can also create a legacy of great entertainment with a planned or deferred gift. Though a planned or deferred gift is often the culmination of a lifetime of philanthropy, careful estate planning can put significant giving within reach of individuals who might not think it otherwise possible. And the far-reaching consequences of such giving can transform the destiny of an organization, matching the outcome of the gift to the philanthropic goals of the donor. In almost no other way can we express so powerfully the ideals and passions that have drawn us to truly special causes.
While planned gifts are usually made with the guidance of an estate attorney, many gifts are in the form of a simple bequest. Bequest designations can take many forms, but should be included in the donor’s will or living trust. There are a number of types of assets that can be given to the City Opera House. Examples include bequests of cash or investment funds, life insurance, or retirement plans. There are also a number of ways to structure the actual gift. Here are just a few:
Gifts that provide income to you include charitable remainder unitrusts and annuity trusts, or charitable gift annuities (offered through the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation. For more information, visit www.gtrcf.org). In each case, the donor receives income from the gift with the organization receiving the asset at a later date.
Gifts that provide income to the City Opera House include the charitable lead trust, in which those benefiting from your will own the asset, while the City Opera House receives the income.
Outright gifts may include cash, appreciated securities, real estate, or other property.
Who should consider a planned gift?
Anyone who cares about the City Opera House and would like to designate assets – either outright or in his or her will – to benefit the theater. Particularly in the case of planned gifts, patrons at a variety of income levels have the opportunity to become major donors of the City Opera House. Planned gifts can offer many benefits including: reducing federal estate taxes, by-passing capital gains taxes, increasing current income, and conserving estate assets.
We are dedicated to honoring and celebrating your planned gift. All donors who have included the City Opera House in their estate plans are members of our Theater. Members of the theater not only enjoy the arts events today, but the warmth and pride that comes with knowing that their gift will sustain the programming for years to come.
We will be happy to work with you and your estate attorney to identify the proper approach for your specific needs. For more information, contact Executive Director Sheryl Hayward at 231-941-8082 or Contact info@cityoperahouse.org.
