“A local anonymous donor will match up to $500,000 in donations for the Maryland Symphony Orchestra’s endowment fund to help with new initiatives, including innovative programming,” writes Julie Greene in Friday’s (5/19) Herald-Mail (Hagerstown, MD). “The challenge match will ‘force the organization to continually adapt and find new ways to serve the community,’ … symphony board President Brendan D. Fitzsimmons said…. Donations raised through the challenge, totaling up to $1 million with the match, can’t be used for operational costs such as rent and must be for new initiatives, MSO officials said. New initiatives could be experimental or innovative programming…. Other possibilities … could be a chamber music series performed in smaller, more intimate venues, or the orchestra performing in other areas…. The MSO’s presence at The Maryland Theatre will not be diminished, with core programming remaining.… Funds raised from the challenge match can support a new initiative for three to four years. But after that, the new event or program would have to stand on its own, and the challenge funds would be used for something else.” Music Director Elizabeth Schulze said, “This allows us to dream, and we haven’t been able to dream in ways like this before.”
Posted May 19, 2017
