| Q: |
How would you describe
your role as a fund-raiser? |
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| A: |
We facilitate gifts. We are
the connectors. Most people assume we ask for money –
and in some cases we do – but in reality, we find people
who are philanthropists and volunteers and already supporting
our programs. We ask them to connect with and invite their
friends and peers to performances. And sometimes, they will
actually do peer-to-peer solicitations – that’s
the highest and best form of fund raising.
We also research and identify foundations or corporations,
so part of my job is to write proposals and grant applications. |
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| Q: |
What is your goal for the
Performing Arts Center? |
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| A:
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We’re trying to raise
$5 million, which is over and above what the state provided
us. |
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| Q: |
Why $5 million? |
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| A: |
We received $39 million from
the state for the building, not including funds to equip and
furnish it. Out of the three bids we received, the lowest
was $5 million over the budget. |
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| Q: |
Where will the $5 million
come from and what is involved in obtaining it? |
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| A: |
Mostly from individuals. We
started by forming a campaign task force of staff and faculty
members and volunteers who are big supporters of the project.
Most of them have made their own gifts and we’re asking
them to help us connect with people they think will support
the project.
It also involves Jerry Samuelson, dean of the College of
the Arts, department chairs and various faculty members connecting
us with alumni, and people who buy tickets and support the
arts in the community. We’re out there meeting people
all the time at lunches or receptions, attending group activities.
We’re also identifying corporations and foundations
and writing proposals. A big part of our efforts is bringing
prospective donors to campus to see our students perform.
Once people see them they become involved and want to give.
Three of our major gifts were a result of people seeing “A
Chorus Line” last spring. We received another gift after
a couple saw Concert Under the Stars. Many other gifts are
from music supporters. |
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| Q: |
What other ways are you
raising money? |
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| A:
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We have a lot of different strategies
to raise the $5 million. In addition to the campaign task
force and bringing people to performances, another strategy
is to give people an opportunity to give at smaller levels,
and one of the ways we’re doing that is the seat campaign
[see article in the Oct. 14 issue of Dateline]. Seats are
$1,000 each and we already have about 45 seats sold. These
smaller gifts are just as important because they add up to
one big gift.
This gives the campus an opportunity to support this magnificent
new center. The good thing is they can give through It’s
Our University payroll deduction. Many people on campus have
said, “When do I get to give?” It was our strategy
to wait until we were further along so people could see the
building and how fast it’s progressing, because people
get more excited once they see a building. If they sign up
within the next month or two, they will have a year to pay
for it and their plaque will be there for the opening night
gala, which will be the first public use of the facility. |
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| Q: |
What can you tell us about
opening night January 2006? |
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| A:
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The building will be ready in
fall 2005, and that gives us three months to get the kinks
out before any public appearances. That evening, we will have
a very traditional black-tie event, which will be our last
big effort to raise the money to pay for this building.
The opening night gala will be Saturday, Jan. 14, 2006. The
star of that evening will be international opera star and
distinguished Titan alumna Deborah Voigt. We’ll have
a traditional volunteer committee overseeing the event, which
will include a dinner beforehand in the Titan Student Union
–decorated like a formal ballroom.
The concert will be “Deborah and Friends” in
the Vaughncille Joseph Meng Concert Hall. She has developed
a cabaret show and it’s going to be directed by Dean
Hess. The University Orchestra will be involved, as well as
the University Singers. We’re expecting to sell out
well ahead of the event.
We have three other performance venues that we’re going
to premier the next day. It will involve performances in the
James D. Young Studio Theatre, the Hallberg Black Box Theatre
and the McGarvey Family Dance Studio.
We’ll have the building dedication Friday, Jan. 13,
a campuswide
open house and a community open house, so the opening isn’t
just the black-tie gala. There will be several events that
will get people involved. |
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| Q:
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Has anything been planned
beyond opening night? |
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| A: |
We plan to have an opening season.
We’ve invited the Pacific Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonic
Society of Orange County and the John Alexander Singers to present
special concerts during the first six months of 2006. And, we
will bring some additional professional presentations duing
non-schooltimes. |
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| Q:
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Dean Samuelson is leading
hard-hat tours for current and prospective donors. Do you plan
to offer them to the rest of the campus? |
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| A: |
We will have campus tours as construction
progresses, but right now the building is very rough and because
of safety requirements we can’t take more than 10 people
at a time. We are using the tours as a premium to bring prospective
donors – so they can really see the site and how incredible
it’s going to be. As it gets farther along, which may
be in six months, we will definitely have tours. The hard-hat
tours came about because I saw the center one day and got so
inspired that I said we had to get people in here. We want people
to get so thrilled that they buy season tickets or single tickets.
We want people on campus, as well as the Fullerton community,
to be proud of this facility. Everyone should have a huge sense
of pride and ownership. It’s going to be a premier educational
facility, as well as an entertainment facility. |
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