You Can Support Music Forever
by Casey Oelkers, Director of Development
Are you currently supporting the MSO with annual ticket purchases and/or an annual contribution? Do you wish to continue supporting the Symphony for as long as you can, possibly even forever?
Making a gift to the MSO’s endowment is a way that today’s Symphony patrons can ensure their continued support after they are no longer able to attend concerts or make annual contributions. Endowment gifts can be made outright during one’s lifetime or set up as part of an estate plan.
Endowment gifts of any amount are appreciated; however, we encourage you to think of an endowment gift as a way to – at a minimum – continue your current level of support forever.
For example*: Consider a subscriber who pays $1,000 for her season tickets and makes a $1,000 contribution to the annual fund. That patron is currently providing $2,000 of annual income to the MSO. An endowment gift of $40,000 to the Madison Symphony Orchestra Foundation would perpetuate her annual level of support, according to the following calculation:
$40,000 endowment x 5% distribution = $2,000
Gifts to the Madison Symphony Orchestra Foundation are strategically invested to earn more than 5% annually, so that even with 5% annual distributions, the gift principal is protected and never spent down.
The Madison Symphony Orchestra is a community treasure that has been supported by countless ticket buyers and donors for 100 years. Ticket sales and annual contributions are critical income streams. However, the MSO would not be the organization it is today without our $38 million endowment (as of December 2025). The endowment has been built up through generous contributions and investment growth over time. The endowment is permanently invested and provides a reliable source of investment income which funds approximately 20% of the MSO’s annual expenses.
The endowment is held in two parts and is managed by two separate entities: The Madison Symphony Orchestra Foundation (MSOF) and the Madison Community Foundation (MCF). The MSO receives annual distributions from MSOF and MCF, according to their respective distribution policies.
If you would like to discuss an outright endowment gift or a gift through your estate, please contact Casey Oelkers, Director of Development, at (608) 260-8680 x228. All gifts are appreciated, and the MSO is pleased to offer naming opportunities for specific purposes and minimum gift amounts. Learn more at madisonsymphony.org/endowment
*This illustration is provided as an example of how to approach endowment giving from a mathematical standpoint. Endowment gifts cannot actually pay for season tickets and do not qualify for annual giving donor benefits.