Donor IMPACT

DONOR UPDATE

Bag&Baggage is proud to report that we have received donations totaling more than $30,000 from over 250 individuals so far this season! That is an incredible accomplishment, and has enabled us to:

• Hire Audra Petrie as our Company Manager (along with help from the Meyer Memorial Trust, the Oregon Community Foundation and the Miller Foundation!) for a two year contract;
• Expand our rehearsal calendar to include additional time for detailed “table work” with the actors (this involves spending time reviewing, discussing and analyzing performance scripts with the director before rehearsals begin)
• Participate in “Artslandia,” a new Portland-wide arts annual  that lists upcoming performances from dozens of big name arts and culture groups
• Support the “Oregon Council of Teachers of English” annual conference by sending Artistic Director Scott Palmer to the conference to discuss Crimes of the Heart as an example of Southern Gothic Literature with Oregon’s best English teachers (many of whom will enjoy a performance of Crimes for free!)
• Expand our marketing efforts to include more direct mail! We are now mailing to more than 5,000 people throughout the state (and beyond!)
• Expand the size of our performance programs from 8 pages to 12, providing more opportunities for local arts organizations to promote their work and more room for us to tell our audiences about upcoming events!

THE STANDARD INSURANCE PUSHES US OVER THE TOP! 

Our annual Gala Dinner and Auction was a huge success this past summer, attracting nearly 200 people to enjoy dinner, wine and The Tempest after raising a record $25,000 to support our TEN4ONE education scholarship program! Your contributions to the Gala (and your bids at the auction) helped to provide 2,500 FREE tickets to any Hillsboro or Western Washington County high school student…If it had stopped there, it still would have been an incredible success, but…wait for it…

The Standard Insurance Company, headquartered in Portland, heard about the program and decided to help push the number of free tickets to an historic high: 3,000 free tickets for the 2011-2012 Season!

Bob Speltz, the Director of Public Affairs at The Standard, said, “We were impressed that Bag&Baggage had such a deep commitment to ensuring that students have access to the performing arts. We all know that these are difficult times for our schools, and the arts are often the first to suffer. With this program, Bag&Baggage is helping to ensure that a generation of students from throughout the region will have access to professional theatre. That’s something The Standard values, too, and we are proud to sponsor this important program.”

Your donations, combined with the sponsorship of The Standard, means that any student at any of 10 local high schools (from Hillsboro to Forest Grove and from Banks to Yamhill) can walk up to the B&B Box Office on a performance night, show their valid student ID, and get a free ticket.

Nice!

B&B LAUNCHES THE “LASTING LEGACY” CAMPAIGN

I have to say, this is a little awkward.

We all know that big arts organizations, Universities and charities of all kinds rely on “Planned Giving” as a way of supporting their long term success…but still, it is a little awkward. What are we talking about? We are talking about leaving Bag&Baggage something in your will! I know, I know….It seems morbid and strange, right? But, once you think about it, it starts to make a lot of sense for you and for your favorite Hillsboro-based theatre company (that’s us).

What is a “Planned Gift?” Planned gifts are a variety of charitable giving methods that allow you to express your personal values by integrating your charitable, family and financial goals. Planned gifts can be made with cash, but many planned gifts are made by donating assets such as stocks, real estate, art pieces, or business interests—the possibilities are endless!  Planned gifts can provide valuable tax benefits and/or lifetime income for you and your spouse or other loved ones. The most frequently-made planned gifts are bequests to charities, made through your will. Other popular planned gifts include charitable trusts and charitable gift annuities.

Making a planned charitable gift usually requires the assistance of a knowledgeable advisor such as an attorney, financial planner, or CPA to help structure the gift, and that advisor can detail both your options and the benefits of planned giving (such as reductions in capital gains or inheritance taxes) that you can realize.

STRATEGIC PLAN: TAKING OVER THE WORLD!

As you may know, our board of directors recently completed a major strategic planning process, mapping out our hopes and dreams for B&B for the next 3 years. It was a challenging and exciting process, and one that has really provided us with clarity and direction for our future! There are some surprising goals in our plan (these are the kinds of projects we hope to accomplish with YOUR generous donations), and they include:

• Hiring the Artistic Director full time beginning in July of 2012
• Rent a larger office space that includes administrative offices, costume and props shop space and more storage for props and costumes
• Expand our season at The Venetian from 4 shows a year to 5 shows a year
• Increase wages for actors and designers to help ensure that we contract the highest quality artists in the region
• Expand our box office hours to provide audience members with more consistent access to support and informatio

These are just a few of the long term goals we have for Bag&Baggage, and we know we will get there with YOUR help!

RENAISSANCE WINES AND BAG&BAGGAGE: THE PERFECT PAIRING

On October 30, Renaissance Wines at Orenco Station will play host to the third annual “Wines of Halloween” wine tasting and performance fundraising event for B&B. Over the past three  years, Mike and Kelly Plunkett have allowed B&B to hold 4 seasonal wine tasting and performance events at their Orenco Station wine shop each year. The result? Their generous support  makes Renaissance Wines one of our largest corporate sponsors (more than $8,500 in just the last few years!). The events are very popular, attracting a range of supporters, donor s and  wine lovers to enjoy specially selected wines and performances of drama, poetry and short stories chosen for the season. Think Poe’s The Raven partnered with a deep and delicious Oregon  Pinot Noir! Thanks to Mike and Kelly, and everyone who has joined us at Renaissance Wines over the years, for helping make this a perfect pairing. We hope to see you at The Wines of  Halloween on October 30!

GRANT UPDATES

In just the past few months, Bag&Baggage has received exciting news from a range of charitable foundations who have given us grants to support our work. They include:

• The Hillsboro Arts and Culture Council ($3,000 to support our Season Ticket brochure and campaign)
• The Washington County Cultural Coalition ($1,000 to support The Tempest)
• The Oregon Arts Commission ($4,000 for general operating support)
• The Oregon Cultural Trust ($3,000 for our Spring production of Shakespeare’s R&J)
• The Miller Foundation ($5,000 to support our Company Manager position)

We are waiting to hear back on a range of grant applications and will keep you posted on our success!

Thank you again for all you do for B&B! Your support is deeply appreciated. See you at the show!