PORTSMOUTH—
As The Music Hall begins its countdown to the launch of The Music Hall Loft, its new Center for Performing Arts, Literature, and Education, its Treasure the Future capital campaign is stepping out into the community to advance its fundraising efforts.
Said Treasure the Future Campaign Co-Chair Jameson French, “Through its infancy back in the mid 1980s up until this day, The Music Hall has been a community project, supported and advanced by the generosity of all sorts of individuals – from business leaders who set up challenge gifts to individual patrons throwing money in the hat at end of a show. As we look to the success of this major campaign it is, again, all about the community and individuals’ support for bringing arts to the community.”
The move to a community phase comes with the announcement of several major advancements in fundraising. Chief among them is a $1,000,000 pledge to the Treasure the Future campaign from the Thomas W. Haas Foundation of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. Additionally, the campaign has received several major six figure gifts and legacy pledges bringing the campaign total to $11.4 million in funds raised. In addition to the on-the-ground community effort, the Campaign Committee continues to pursue other major gifts with a number of key prospects.
“The Committee’s work on major gifts combined with our efforts in the community bring us within sight of our goal,” said Director of Institutional Advancement and Campaign lead, Laura Smith.
“To see the completion of the capital projects, we need to raise $1 million in new funds in the final phase of the campaign. On the way to the finish, we’ll see many intermediate steps. We’re on the road to meeting a mini-challenge set for our opera audience. Last week with the launch of our new website we now have the capacity to accept donations online at http://www.themusichall.org/support_us (click “Donate to the Campaign.”) We’re planning outreach to all Music Hall members and patrons. In the weeks ahead all our members and audiences will be invited to an open house in the new Music Hall Loft hosted by the Board of Trustees on Sunday, April 10. The open house will be a show-and-tell for the new space. It’s also where the campaign will truly be launched for the community,” added Smith.
“We’ve achieved this milestone of $11.4 million with major donors, board members, staff and a number of corporations and downtown businesses digging deep in support of The Music Hall. They have inspired and challenged us to step out further into the community and gather support from all our patrons and members. This is truly everyone’s Music Hall and every gift gets us closer to realizing our goal. We look forward to everyone joining in and to the fun of seeing donors recognized on our donor wall by generations to come,” said Campaign Co-Chair Gail VanHoy Carolan.
“Not since the historic theater was threatened by a wrecking ball in 1980s have we seen such a transformation in the scope of The Music Hall and its work in the community. With the Music Hall Loft space nearly complete, we are already seeing its powerful effect on the city and on the broader region. Shows are selling out before the paint is even dry! But, more importantly, more and more individuals are stepping forward to offer support. They know as we do this is a rare opportunity for any individuals who wants to make their mark and support the future of the arts and education as we experience and treasure them in this special community,” said Executive Director Patricia Lynch.
Photo caption: The Music Hall’s Loft design team pictured in June of last year, including Doug Nelson, Mary Jo Brown, Lee Frank, John Merkel, John DeStefano, Patricia Lynch, Jennifer Steffek, Diane Hart and John Lynch. Their efforts, along with the impressive and ongoing fundraising over the past year, will result in the opening of the new Loft performance space in April. (Courtesy photo)
As The Music Hall begins its countdown to the launch of The Music Hall Loft, its new Center for Performing Arts, Literature, and Education, its Treasure the Future capital campaign is stepping out into the community to advance its fundraising efforts.
Said Treasure the Future Campaign Co-Chair Jameson French, “Through its infancy back in the mid 1980s up until this day, The Music Hall has been a community project, supported and advanced by the generosity of all sorts of individuals – from business leaders who set up challenge gifts to individual patrons throwing money in the hat at end of a show. As we look to the success of this major campaign it is, again, all about the community and individuals’ support for bringing arts to the community.”
The move to a community phase comes with the announcement of several major advancements in fundraising. Chief among them is a $1,000,000 pledge to the Treasure the Future campaign from the Thomas W. Haas Foundation of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. Additionally, the campaign has received several major six figure gifts and legacy pledges bringing the campaign total to $11.4 million in funds raised. In addition to the on-the-ground community effort, the Campaign Committee continues to pursue other major gifts with a number of key prospects.
“The Committee’s work on major gifts combined with our efforts in the community bring us within sight of our goal,” said Director of Institutional Advancement and Campaign lead, Laura Smith.
“To see the completion of the capital projects, we need to raise $1 million in new funds in the final phase of the campaign. On the way to the finish, we’ll see many intermediate steps. We’re on the road to meeting a mini-challenge set for our opera audience. Last week with the launch of our new website we now have the capacity to accept donations online at http://www.themusichall.org/support_us (click “Donate to the Campaign.”) We’re planning outreach to all Music Hall members and patrons. In the weeks ahead all our members and audiences will be invited to an open house in the new Music Hall Loft hosted by the Board of Trustees on Sunday, April 10. The open house will be a show-and-tell for the new space. It’s also where the campaign will truly be launched for the community,” added Smith.
“We’ve achieved this milestone of $11.4 million with major donors, board members, staff and a number of corporations and downtown businesses digging deep in support of The Music Hall. They have inspired and challenged us to step out further into the community and gather support from all our patrons and members. This is truly everyone’s Music Hall and every gift gets us closer to realizing our goal. We look forward to everyone joining in and to the fun of seeing donors recognized on our donor wall by generations to come,” said Campaign Co-Chair Gail VanHoy Carolan.
“Not since the historic theater was threatened by a wrecking ball in 1980s have we seen such a transformation in the scope of The Music Hall and its work in the community. With the Music Hall Loft space nearly complete, we are already seeing its powerful effect on the city and on the broader region. Shows are selling out before the paint is even dry! But, more importantly, more and more individuals are stepping forward to offer support. They know as we do this is a rare opportunity for any individuals who wants to make their mark and support the future of the arts and education as we experience and treasure them in this special community,” said Executive Director Patricia Lynch.
Photo caption: The Music Hall’s Loft design team pictured in June of last year, including Doug Nelson, Mary Jo Brown, Lee Frank, John Merkel, John DeStefano, Patricia Lynch, Jennifer Steffek, Diane Hart and John Lynch. Their efforts, along with the impressive and ongoing fundraising over the past year, will result in the opening of the new Loft performance space in April. (Courtesy photo)
