We are so grateful to all the individual, corporate, foundation and government donors who have supported the Madison Symphony Orchestra and its affiliate organizations during the 2019-2020 Season. A giving summary and a full list of donors* appears at the end of this article.
Annually, the Madison Symphony Orchestra (MSO) relies on contributed income to bridge the gap between ticket sales revenue and the costs of presenting our subscription concerts, education programs, and community engagement programs. These costs include paying the orchestra, conductors, guest artists, administrative staff, office and concert hall rent, insurance, and more. Most contributions become part of the Madison Symphony Orchestra’s Annual Fund, which receives all unrestricted gifts, as well as those gifts made in response to personal requests for support of specific concerts or programs. For the 2019-2020 season, the Annual Fund received gifts ranging in size from $1 to $101,000 from 1,335 donors. Additionally, over 650 households converted their ticket purchases for April and May into donations to date.
The MSO also relies on generous support provided through the Madison Symphony Orchestra League (MSOL), our longstanding affiliate organization of dedicated volunteers which raises funds, primarily through special events, to support the Symphony’s education and community engagement activities, and the Friends of the Overture Concert Organ (FOCO) our other, fast-growing affiliate organization which raises funds, primarily through an annual membership campaign, to support the Symphony’s Overture Concert Organ programming and maintenance. The MSOL and FOCO both operate under Madison Symphony Orchestra Inc.’s 501(c)(3) status and all contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
The Madison Symphony Orchestra Foundation (MSOF), a separate nonprofit entity, is the custodian of all gifts made to the Symphony for endowment purposes, including all bequests left to the Symphony. The MSOF supports the Symphony by providing an annual endowment distribution which helps offset the costs of specific positions and programs, and general operations.
All fundraising activities under the Madison Symphony Orchestra umbrella are overseen and guided by the MSO’s Development Department. However, all staff members, board members, musicians and volunteers can (and do) play an important role in MSO development efforts! If you have any questions about any aspect of Madison Symphony Orchestra’s fundraising activities, or how your gifts support the Symphony, please contact Director of Development Casey Oelkers at coelkers@madisonsymphony.org or (608) 260-8680 x228.
Below is an alphabetized list of 2019-2020 donors* to all Madison Symphony Orchestra entities. Every single donor adds strength and stability to the Symphony. Because of your support, we can meet our current financial obligations and plan for the future during these uncertain times. Thank you!
*This list includes monetary & Gift-In-Kind donations that supported the MSO’s 2019-2020 Annual Campaign; MSOL’s 2019 & 2020 Concert on the Green, 2019 Gala, 2019 Parties of Note, General support for the League; 2019-2020 Organ Concerts; Friends of the Overture Concert Organ’s 2019-2020 Annual Campaign; Gifts to the MSO Endowment made after July 1, 2019. Tickets purchased to the April 2020 and May 2020 concerts which were converted to donations following the cancelation of these concerts will be recognized separately once we have a full accounting of all those who have generously supported the MSO in this way. We have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this list. If you believe an error has been made, please contact our development department at (608) 257-3734.