Support
Annual Fund
The Ann Arbor Summer Festival is a non-profit organization that relies on the generous support of contributors. The income generated from the sale of tickets and other earned revenue cannot cover the festival’s annual operating costs alone. Financial contributions from individuals sustain a spectacular array of artistic and public service programs, including admission free concerts and movies at Top of the Park, education and outreach events, and a number of other community engagement activities.
Click here to download our Case for Support and Ways to Give (PDF)
There are many ways to provide support to the Ann Arbor Summer Festival, all of which allow you to make a meaningful philanthropic gift while receiving tax benefits, including:
*Donations made by cash, check, or credit cards
*Gifts of stock made in any amount
*Tribute gifts made in honor or memory of loved ones
*Real estate donations of land, property, or residences
*Matching gifts from employers that double or triple the effect of individual contributions
*Planned gifts that include gifts of life insurance, bequests, annuities, trust arrangements and endowments
To make a donation, download and print the donation form below to send your gift by mail, or call the festival office at (734) 994-5999 to donate by phone. Or, if you prefer, simply click the green button below and make your contribution online.
Contributor Benefits
In grateful acknowledgement of your support, we offer these contributor benefits to enhance your festival experience.
Power Circle Plus | $1,500+
All benefits listed below, plus
*Opportunity to reserve a Top of the Park party tent
*Artist meet-and-greets, when available
Power Circle | $1,000
All benefits listed below, plus
*Six (6) parking passes to select parking structures
*Priority seating anytime, upon availability
*Complimentary Power Circle Dinner
Executive Producer | $500
All benefits listed below, plus
*Invitation to Director’s Opening Weekend Party
*Access to VIP Green Room on nights of Mainstage performances
Director | $250
All benefits listed below, plus
*Invitation to Season Announcement Party in April
*Three (3) parking passes to select parking structures
Principal | $150
All benefits listed below, plus
*Priority seating for ticket orders received before May 30 (upon availability)
*Advance notice of Mainstage season
Lead | $100
All benefits listed below, plus
*Invitation to AASF events throughout the year
*One (1) parking pass to select parking structures
Chorus | $50
All benefits listed below, plus
*Name listed in season festival guide and on signage at Top of the Park
Festival 5000
In 2008, the festival successfully introduced a new fundraising effort called Festival 5000 in support of its silver anniversary season. As part of this campaign, we ask supporters to pledge a minimum donation of $5,000 over a 5-year period. The annual minimum donation should be $1,000.
Purpose:
To reward and recognize our most loyal donors
To encourage new and increased levels of giving
To create a reliable stream of income for the organization
Benefits:
Festival 5000 Silver Card, with the following perks (including Power Circle benefits):
*VIP & concierge ticketing service
*Highly personalized service provided by festival staff
*Priority seating anytime, upon availability
*One pair of complimentary tickets per season for guests to accompany members to an event that they are already attending
*Six (6) parking passes to select parking structures
*Artist and Backstage Access
*Access to VIP Green Room on nights of Power Center performances
*Light refreshments and an opportunity to socialize with the festival director, board members, sponsors, and other Festival 5000 members during performance intermissions
*Artist meet-and-greets, when available
*Private post-show backstage tours
*Invitations to other major donor events
*Program recognition as Festival 5000 members
Align your brand
The Ann Arbor Summer Festival offers many involvement opportunities for the business community including sponsorship, advertising, hospitality, and ticket packages. In addition, the festival welcomes corporate donations in any amount and in-kind contributions that support our programs and operations.
Partnering with the festival aligns businesses with one of the leading multi-disciplinary performing arts festivals in the country while also demonstrating your company’s commitment to the community and quality of life in Ann Arbor.
Sponsorship
Festival sponsorships are uniquely designed to work as part of each partner's integrated marketing communications efforts. Our program is divided into four investment categories, each with multiple opportunities featuring different festival properties.
Series Sponsor $15,000+
Lead Sponsor $7,500+
Presenting Sponsor $2,500+
Supporting Sponsor $600+
We invite you to browse our sponsorship opportunities to review available properties and associated benefits within each investment level, or contact us to create a customized package designed to meet your marketing objectives and budget.
Click here to download Sponsorship Packet (PDF)
Advertising
For maximum exposure for your business, choose a four-color advertisement in the annual Festival Guide. This publication contains a comprehensive listing of all festival activities, and is distributed free of charge to all festival attendees and in high-traffic locations throughout Washtenaw County. Circulation is 50,000, and space is limited.
Click here to download Ad Rates, Specifications & Deadlines (PDF)
Hospitality & Ticket Packages
For companies wishing to entertain clients or employees, the festival provides a variety of hospitality options to enhance the festival-going experience. Special event locations at Top of the Park include: two private party tents; the wooded space, known as The Grove; and roped-off VIP seating areas directly in front of the stage. From caterer recommendations to event set-up, the festival staff works closely with supporters to create a spectacular event.
In addition, the festival offers corporate ticket packages and group discounts to all of its Mainstage attractions. Often combined with pre-show hospitality, these blocks of prime seats are available only by contacting the Group Sales Coordinator at (734) 763-3100.
Click here for Hospitality & Private Party Info (PDF)
Corporate Donations
In addition to the programs listed above, donations to the festival’s general operating fund support ongoing growth and development of the organization.
Click here to download our Case for Support and Ways to Give (PDF)
In-Kind Contributions
The festival receives significant support in the form of donated products, services, and promotions that help supplement programs. Businesses providing in-kind support of $250 or more are recognized in the annual Festival Guide.
For more information on any of the above opportunities, please call (734) 994-5999.
Give 3, Keep TOP Free!
Admission to Top of the Park is free, although a suggested donation per visit of $3 per individual or $5 per family is asked to help defray costs of the event. We are urging you, our patrons, to be as generous as you can and support this Ann Arbor tradition.
Top of the Park is produced by the Ann Arbor Summer Festival, an independent, non-profit organization that relies on contributions and support from the University of Michigan, the City of Ann Arbor, local businesses, individual donors, and you, our patrons. Each year, it costs the festival nearly $300,000 to produce Top of the Park activities, so donations in any amount are greatly appreciated.
Your active participation is important to the success of this community celebration, and for as little as $3 per visit, we are able to continue offering quality music performances, film screenings, and special outdoor attractions. Around the nation, ticket prices for concerts and movies continue to rise and yet, Top of the Park presents nearly a month’s worth of summertime entertainment without charging admission.
As a contributor to and patron of Top of the Park, your donations help put the band on the stage and the movie on the screen, and you help keep the festival accessible to those who cannot afford the price of a ticket.
We thank you for your nightly support and look forward to seeing you, your friends, family, and neighbors at Top of the Park.
To make a donation, download and print the donation form below to send your gift by mail, or call the festival office at (734) 994-5999 to donate by phone. Or, if you prefer, simply click the green button below and make your contribution online.
To learn more about our individual and corporate giving programs, please click here.
Foundation Gifts
Financial support from private and family foundations is vital to addressing the needs of the Ann Arbor Summer Festival’s continued growth and development. We welcome and appreciate grants of various kinds – from general operating support to those designated to fund special programs. The festival is privileged to work with a variety of foundations that share our commitment to broadening audiences and increasing arts participation.
Planned & Deferred Gifts
Planned giving is a meaningful way to create a legacy at the Ann Arbor Summer Festival while advancing your financial and estate-planning objectives. No matter the size, your gift will help us fulfill our mission.
Your gift, or bequest, may include property, securities, or cash. It may be a specific dollar amount, a percentage of the estate, or a remainder after other distributions have been made. Bequests are distributed at an estate’s settlement, have no impact on your current assets, and are often fully deductible for estate tax purposes.
We deeply appreciate your considering the Ann Arbor Summer Festival in your financial, estate, and philanthropic plans. To learn more about planned giving options, please contact the festival office at (734) 994-5999. All inquiries are kept strictly confidential.
Endowment Fund
In 2005, longtime festival supporter Connie Kinnear established an endowment fund for the festival at the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, in the hopes that it will become a long-term, secure source of funding for the organization. This added security allows the festival to grow and to support its many programs and activities.
To make a gift to the Ann Arbor Summer Festival Endowment Fund, please send a check to the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, specifying that you would like the funds to go to the Ann Arbor Summer Festival Endowment Fund.
For more information on the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, please click here.
The information provided here is intended only to provide an overview of gift options. Ann Arbor Summer Festival cannot render tax or legal advice. There are special rules, exceptions and limitations that govern the above areas. You should consult with your legal or financial advisors to see how the above techniques will affect your personal financial and tax situation.
Partners, advocates, and friends
In an effort to involve the community comprehensively in our mission, the Ann Arbor Summer Festival frequently collaborates with local artists and organizations offering culturally relevant programming, services, and support. These community-based alliances foster diversity, inclusion, and growth.
When looking to establish community partnerships, the festival uses the following criteria:
*Reciprocal: To the extent possible, it should be a mutual sharing of time, resources, skills, and knowledge.
*Mutually Beneficial: It should contribute to each partner’s respective mission, goals, and objectives.
*Sustainable: It should be developed with the intent of maintaining an ongoing and sustainable relationship through collaborative exchange.
Past festival partners include arts and cultural organizations, academic institutions, human service agencies, youth and teen groups, and other community networks. Activities have included artist workshops, music and dance demonstrations, hands-on craft projects, storytelling and creative play, science education, games for all ages, special interest presentations, and community resource areas.
The Ann Arbor Summer Festival welcomes inquiries from organizations wishing to discuss partnership opportunities. Please contact the festival at (734) 994-5999.
We are proud of our associations with the following partners for the 2009 season:
A2 Tango
Ann Arbor Art Center
Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living
Ann Arbor Cohousing
Ann Arbor District Library
Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority
Ann Arbor Film Festival
Ann Arbor Juggling Arts Club
Ann Arbor Music Center
Ann Arbor Music Center's Rock Band School
Ann Arbor School for the Performing Arts
Ann Arbor Street Art Fair
Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra
Arts Alliance of the Ann Arbor Area
Bichini Bia Congo
Blockbuster Video, South Main St., Ann Arbor
BollyFit Dance
Community Milonga
Detroit Institute of Indian Music
Dexter Ann Arbor Run
Fuller Park Day Camp
Hiral Henna
Kirk Lignell
Lamaze Family Center
Leslie Science and Nature Center
Main Street Area Association
State Street Area Association
Tango Folias
The Michigan Theater
The Neutral Zone
Think Local First
University of Michigan Center for Korean Studies
University of Michigan Center for South Asian Studies
University of Michigan Exhibit Museum of Natural History
University of Michigan Museum of Art
University of Michigan, Office of Institutional Equity
University of Michigan School of Art & Design
University of Michigan School of Music
University Musical Society
University Productions
Women's Exchange of Washtenaw
Thanks to our supporters
The Ann Arbor Summer Festival is deeply grateful to the many contributors whose gifts provide vital resources for our programs. Listed below are the businesses, media organizations, foundations, and government agencies whose support is indispensable to the ongoing success of the festival. We salute their generosity and leadership.
If you would like information on sponsorship and funding opportunities, please click here.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SERIES SPONSORS
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
LEAD SPONSORS
.jpg)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PRESENTING SPONSORS
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SUPPORTING SPONSORS
Ann Arbor State Bank • Crazy Wisdom Book Store • ECO PHYSICS, INC. • Enlighten • Enspire Dental • IVF Michigan • Jean and Jim Libs • Michigan Commerce Bank • ProAssurance • Ufer Co. & Insurance • Wilson White Management
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
FOUNDING PARTNERS
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MEDIA PARTNERS
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GOVERNMENT, FOUNDATION, AND CORPORATE GRANTS
Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation
Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority
Benard L. Maas Foundation
City of Ann Arbor
Chisbetts Foundation
Comerica Bank
Gelman Educational Foundation
Johnson Controls Foundation
Molloy Foundation
THE MOSAIC FOUNDATION (of R. & P. Heydon)
National Endowment for the Arts
Rave Associates
The Wally and Jo Strobel Foundation
Target
University of Michigan
Vibrant Ann Arbor Fund of Rosalie Edwards
