From time to time, the Hippodrome will call for donations for a specific purpose, or a donor or board member will call the community to action. Here are some recent or ongoing campaigns:
Grande Dames
The Grande Dames of the Hippodrome Theatre is a womens’ philanthropy group founded in 2016 by former Hippodrome Board Chair Betsy Styron. This group is set up to align with research from the Women’s Philanthropy Institute on how women prefer to give. It meets the Six C’s of Women’s Giving, which are create, change, connect, commit, collaborate and celebrate.
These remarkable women are honored every year at a VIP celebration in the spring.
The Collier Challenge
Nathan S. Collier, of the Collier Companies, generously offered a 10-year dollar-for-dollar challenge grant against pledges made during the 2019 calendar year. This unprecedented gift will allow the Hippodrome to build up an unrestricted fund to help smooth out the cash flow challenges inherent to the seasonal nature of theatre. The theatre’s staff and board of trustees expect it to lay the foundation for growth and an even higher caliber of artistic product in the coming years.
Rusty Salling Memorial Fund
Rusty Salling appeared in exactly 100 Hippodrome productions and worked in some capacity at the theatre for over three decades. The Hippodrome Theatre was Rusty’s home for over forty years.
Since Rusty’s passing on June 12, 2016, the Rusty Salling Fund has collected over $50,000 to support his ongoing legacy of artistic achievement and community service, according to his family’s wishes, such as new artistic endeavors on the mainstage, and supporting artistic internships.