Goal Getter
The Human Race Theatre Company, Dayton’s only professional theatre company, recently kickedoff the public phase of a capital and endowment campaign in celebration of its twenty-fifth anniversary. The 25th Anniversary Campaign for the Development of New Works was initiated in May 2011 and has already raised nearly $1.2 million toward a goal of $1.5 million.
The Human Race has built a national reputation for the creation of new musical productions. The company calls The Loft Theater (located in the Metropolitan Arts Center in downtown Dayton) its home. Contributions to the campaign will be used to improve The Loft’s sound system, and to establish an endowment fund to support the development of both new musicals and new dramatic works. “We don’t want to always have to wait to do shows that have won Tony Awards. We want to develop new shows and send them off to win Tonys,” said Producing Artistic Director Kevin Moore.
Beth Schaeffer, the 25th Anniversary Campaign chair and the immediate past president of the Board of Directors stated, “Before we decided to go ahead, we started with a campaign planning study in 2010. . . the progress so far has been very affirming.” In addition to a study that examined the climate of Dayton’s philanthropic landscape, the board and staff of The Human Race dedicated itself to following a careful and deliberate campaign plan.
Beginning with the creation of a visionary case for support, the Company progressed to hosting a series of small and informal “friend-raising” cultivation events that enabled Kevin and Beth to present the case, and seek feedback from and educate community stakeholders. The two proved to be an unbeatable team, and their passion and dedication brought many volunteers and donors to the fold. Each volunteer was provided with a meaningful role in the campaign, including the opportunity to contribute commensurate to their interest in The Human Race and their financial capacity. Each donor was personally engaged as a 25th Anniversary Campaign partner. The success achieved to date speaks to the quality of both the theatrical productions and the campaign’s volunteer leadership.
Goettler Associates, Inc. is honored to have worked with The Human Race Theatre Company on this campaign. Goettler Associates directed the campaign planning study, developed the case for support and the campaign plan, and guided staff and volunteers through the initial fund-raising efforts. Considering the challenging times faced by all nonprofits — and especially arts organizations — their success speaks volumes about the merits of visionary leadership and sound planning. The Human Race Theatre Company continues to play a vital role in the cultural vitality of our region . . . and here’s to another twenty-five years!
Additional project information is available at www.goettler.com.