Are you an Arts Leader or Well-Connected Advocate?
As an arts leader or well-connected advocate in our community, there are a few things that you can actively do right now to help support the survival of Theatre Puget Sound.
Immediate Asks & Action Items
Encourage your patrons to join TPS as a Patron Level Member
A $55 annual payment is all it takes for patrons to join TPS and to help sustain the arts economy. Patron members then receive discounts and perks that could help drive your own organization’s ticket sales. We ask that you make known this opportunity for support by including the TPS logo and a QR code in your upcoming programs and online advertising. We also have flyers! If you have a space for them, we can deliver them to your theatre. Let’s work together to get audiences back to live theatre!
Borrow-An-Arts-Leader
Do you have a board member who is experienced and accomplished in fundraising and development efforts, and is interested in helping TPS? Would you be willing to discuss Theatre Puget Sound borrowing their dedicated time for a short-term period? We are looking for a few experienced board members to temporarily join our #SAVETPS Task Force. If a member of your board is ready and willing to help TPS, please have them contact our Board Treasurer Ry Armstrong at Treasurer@TPSonline.org as soon as possible.
Join the TPS Task Force
We are actively recruiting folks with higher level connections to funding, as well as those with wise minds, experience, and a vested interest in the community (as well as their own organizations) to brainstorm new revenue-producing ways TPS can better fulfill you and your organization’s needs. If these efforts to find funding, reimagine business modeling, and advocate on behalf of TPS interest you or a highly qualified member of your team, consider joining our Task force by emailing me at crystal@tpsonline.org.
The big ASKs
TPS has historically avoided pursuing funders or grants that would put us in direct competition with the organizations that we support. That said, you and your organization might have the contacts looking to secure their legacy or financially support our organization, and we have several opportunities for larger funders. Do you know anyone who would be excited about:
Co-Sponsoring TORCH
TPS is excited to be launching our new website in the coming weeks. The website will include a brand new space for our community to benefit from our collective efforts, energies and experience. The Theatre Online Resource and Community Hub (TORCH) will include public forums, community submitted posts, jobs and auditions listings and MORE! You have the opportunity to Co-Sponsor this singularly unifying resource for our community through your $30,000 gift.
Named Executive Director
Help TPS’ internationally published Executive Director put their doctorate back to good use while improving community programs. Your $150,000 named appointment will return our Executive Director to full-time for a year, and provide additional funding for a research project which will help the community and be submitted for publication in an established journal, listing you as the project’s funder. (This is not an endowment – but we would love to discuss endowment opportunities with you).
Named Teaching Artists
Help provide a professional paid rate for professional instruction to the community. For $95,000 you can bring a local teaching artist on full-time salary with benefits for a year. There is so much we want to provide for the community, and your funding will help make this possible. Being able to pay TPS Staff a living wage is key to being able to bring back TPS programs.
Named Spaces
For as little as $10k, you could secure your local legacy through the naming of a Theatre Puget Sound space at Seattle Center. If you’re looking for a larger naming opportunity (in the hundreds-of-thousands range), we have 2 theatres with naming rights available. Alternatively, consider our largest sponsorship opportunity by helping us to reimagine the Center Theatre Lobby as a community gathering space.
Sponsorship of The Gregory Awards
is an annual opportunity at $50,000. Details on sponsor benefits can be provided. Your sponsorship ensures that this long standing community celebration of the performing arts is secured for another year! While the nomination process is ongoing this season, and there will be awardees selected and honored, there will not be an in-person or virtual community celebration event or ceremony without this additional funding. An excellent marketing opportunity, the TPS co-sponsor of The 2024 Gregory Awards will be listed above the title and in all materials which historically have reached a 1M+ audience each year.
Help keep TPS sustainable into the future:
Join TPS in a mutually beneficial marketing program
Get an extra boost for your season, a production, or an event in trade for providing space for TPS in your program. TPS has a wide reach through both our email marketing (12.8k), social media (13k), and website (40k/mo) audiences. We are building up our new Diamond Associate and Patron Memberships and would love your help! TPS will provide a digital design, advertising these two membership types for inclusion in your production program and in turn,TPS will promote your show or event up to 5 times for a total comparable value.
Provide discounts or perks for TPS Members
Our members love the special discounts and perks they get from performing arts organizations for being a TPS Member. But, times have changed from the early days of these Partner Organization perks. We love how many organizations have made show attendance more equitable through dynamic pricing, community discounts, and PWYW programs! A secondary effect, however, is that there are few exclusive discounts that remain for TPS Members. Are there any special coupons or discounts you can provide which could help you drive your advertising or revenue streams? TPS Member discount nights? Deep discounts on last minute seat fills for TPS Members? Concession coupons exclusive for TPS Membership? TPS Member preview performance pricing? Opening Night raffled seats for TPS Members who sign up for your newsletter? Special deals for TPS Members to buy your old merch? Other ideas? Complete the form here to submit your contribution and we will promote it on our website.
Daytime Rentals
Theatre Puget Sound manages rehearsal and performance spaces for rent in the Seattle Center Armory. The revenue from these rentals support other programs and services that TPS offers the community. Do you have a performance, rehearsal, event or class in the coming months? If so, consider utilizing a TPS Space4Arts studio or performance venue. We are frequently fully booked at night, but often have daytime availability. Check out our available spaces, see available times, and book a rental HERE, or email facilities@TPSonline.org for more info or to discuss a performance rental contract.
Prepare for TORCH
TPS is weeks away from launching our new website and the Theatre Online Resource and Community Hub (TORCH). A primary benefit to our community will be a community stocked resource library. Do you have any resources, tips, tricks, guides, worksheets, workbooks, articles, lessons, forms, or anything else you want to share with the community as a free resource on TORCH? Send it our way by emailing it to TPS@TPSonline.org.when the new website launches, use it! There will be a community events calendar, direct messaging, discussion boards, and much more!