ariZoni Theatre and Artist Relief Fundraiser
Our theatres and artists are clearly feeling the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), as we witness productions and seasons being postponed and placed on hiatus. The ariZoni Theatre Awards of Excellence is organizing a relief fund to support our community in these trying times.
During this time of challenge, the arts are more important than ever to giving us sanity and support. However COVID-19 safety protocols have taken an immense toll on the ability of these same artists to make a living. Many have had their performing work and even their secondary jobs disappear and they are left struggling to pay bills. Very few theaters have reserves and many are struggling to keep their doors open. In other words, when we need our artists the most, they may no longer be around.
Thanks to strong financial management and the success of our Celebration through the years, the ariZoni Theatre Awards of Excellence is fortunate enough to have a small reserve. We would like to use a large portion of those reserves to encourage others to raise funds to support our artists in need. For every dollar you donate to the ariZoni Theater Organization and Artist Relief fund, we will match it dollar for dollar up to the first $5,000 raised. Please consider donating today so that when this is over theater in the Valley will still be around to provide you much-needed laughter and love.
We are Many Stages, One Community
The funds raised will be awarded back to our community in the form of grants.
(The actual cost of any requested donor gifts and any credit card processing fees are the only amounts deducted from donations.)
These funds will be split between:
• ariZoni Theatre Awards of Excellence member theatres (50%)
o Active member theatres as of the 2019-2020 season will be able to submit an application outlining their support needs (whether that be covering the next show’s royalties, production fees, or general operating costs)
• local AZ artists (40%)
o Microgrants will be awarded to eligible applicants up to $500 (depending on donor support)
o Artists, including performers, technicians, support staff, etc, who work specifically in the Performing Arts who are currently residing in Arizona, can apply for microgrants to help offset the financial losses they may be experiencing due cancellations, cancelled classes for teaching artists, or the loss of other side gigs and survival jobs
• AZ theatre organizations that are not member theatres (10%)
o Theatre organizations local to the AZ landscape can apply for funding assistance to offset the losses that they may be experiencing due to closures and postponements
Donate Today
The stronger the support we receive, the more of that support that we can pass on to our local artists and institutions. As a 501c3 ourselves, the ariZoni Awards of Theatre Excellence are limited in what we can donate, but we can serve as a voice and a platform to gather support. With your support and your word of mouth we hope to be a significant resource in easing the hardships caused by the recent pandemic.
The ariZoni Board would like to thank the following donors for supporting the ariZoni Theatre and Artist Relief Fund
Hilary Ascani
Michelle Magic Barry
Linda Bennett
Sean Daniels
Sydney Davis
Sumiko Glenn
Athia Hardt
Stephen Hardy
Deborah Jamieson
Amanda Johnson
Amanda Keegan
Thomas L Kelly
Jane McClure
Joan Mercer
Paul Pedersen
Thomas Piemme
Lee Pomush
Wade and Priscilla Pond
Richard Powers
Bobby Sample
Valerie Sorkin-Wells
Susan St. John
Electa Thompson
Janis Webb
Linda Yatso