The Challenge
In 2019, Nathan S. Collier, of the Collier Companies, generously offered a 10-year dollar-for-dollar challenge grant to help secure the Hippodrome’s future. 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.
The Gainesville community stepped up and pledged over $84,000, meaning the Hippodrome can count on $168,000 each year for the next decade!
New Collier Challenge donations are closed
Why Ten Years
Why Now
In recent years federal funding for arts grants has steadily dried up, and in Florida our state legislature’s funding decisions have been wildly erratic. Theatre companies like the Hippodrome, along with all the educational and cultural programs attached to them, now live or die on home-grown support!