North Carolina’s Winston-Salem Symphony announced that it concluded its 2008-09 fiscal year with a small surplus of $5,300, marking its sixth consecutive season with a balanced budget. The orchestra also received record contributions to its annual fund campaign, with individual contributions of nearly $440,000, representing a 17 percent increase over the previous year’s campaign. Merritt Vale, the orchestra’s executive director, credited a $10,000 challenge grant from an anonymous donor on May 27 as the catalyst for the grassroots support for the orchestra during the last three weeks. The grant came after the orchestra’s annual meeting, when the orchestra faced the prospect of a year-end deficit of nearly $80,000. In a press statement, Vale mentioned donations “from new donors and from long-time supporters” ranging from $20 to $2,000. “The Symphony is overwhelmed by and deeply grateful for the community’s outpouring of support.”
Posted June 19, 2009
