Berkshire Children's Chorus

GIVING TO BCC

Letter from the President • 6 Ways to Help • Donate

Letter from the President

Dear BCC families:

The Berkshire Children’s Chorus is a non-profit 501(c)3 community organization that depends on tuitions, grants, and the support of Friends and Angels to meet its annual operating budget and provide scholarships to students who might otherwise be unable to participate.

Tuition covers only 35 percent of the chorus’ operating expenses, so fundraising and FRIENDRAISING are two life-sustaining elements to our existence. Through community support we are able to provide a rich level of musical enrichment and a variety of challenging opportunities for our members.  All of which make the chorus special for the students their families and our community.

We have gathered this information so you can consider the many ways you can support the chorus. We recognize, however, that not every family is in a position to financially give more to the chorus than the cost of annual tuition. We ask those that can’t donate to support the chorus in other ways, such as:

1. • Introducing a friend to the chorus (reduce your cost of tuition with every referral you make!);
2. • Soliciting advertising in our Spring Program from neighborhood businesses;
3. • Volunteering your time and areas of expertise to the Board;
4. • Introducing us to important business and personal contacts for our Development efforts;
5. • Soliciting items for our silent and live auction at the Annual Gala; and
6. • Encouraging friends, neighbors, and family members to come to our events

Please give generously in support of our mission to provide students with musical experiences that develop personal and artistic excellence, support the growth of positive values, and enrich our community. It makes all the difference in the life of a child.

Sincerely,

Colleen Simo, President of the BCC Board of Directors

Six Ways You Can Support BCC

1.  Participate in and Support Fundraising Activities         
We conduct four basic fundraising events each year. If each family of a chorister participates, we can raise a substantial amount of money to support our operating budget. These include:

• Pizza & Bread fundraiser with Berkshire Mountain Bakery - a percentage of sales is donated back to the chorus.
• Spring Concert Program ad sales – buy an ad and encourage other local businesses and individuals to advertise as well.
  
  Calendar Auction - Buy a day for a 31 day chance to win
  
  Sweetheart Gala – Join us for a night of dinner, dancing, song and entertainment at Eastover Resort

2. Buy BCC Wear Products
We now have an online store for branded specialty items on our web site. We hope you will purchase and proudly wear your BCC Wear to promote your affiliation with the chorus and help raise our visibility. A percentage of sales are donated back to the chorus. Click here to browse our store!

3.  Give to the Annual Fund Campaign
You can make a tax-deductible donation to the chorus for its discretionary use (General Fund) or designate your financial contribution to one of our other operating funds:

• General Operating Fund
• Troubadors ($10-$49)
• Bards ($50-$99)
• Meistersingers ($100-$249)
• Conductor’s Circle ($250-$499)
• Gala Fund – Contributions to this fund offset the cost of putting on the gala so the chorus is able to realize a larger percentage of the money raised. If you are unable to attend this important fundraising event, we ask that you make a contribution to the Gala by donating the cost of a ticket to this fund.
• Travel Fund – Contributions to this fund support the cost of transporting the chorus to concerts and events when they are held out of town.
• Documentary Film Fund – Contributions to this fund go to underwriting the documentary film being made about the chorus, “An Impulse to Soar,” by filmmaker Mati Kiin. It is Mati’s intention to submit the film, which follows the chorus on its journey – from rehearsals to performances - to the 2008 Berkshire International Film Festival. Your contribution of $1000 buys you a back-end credit; a contribution of $5000 buys you a “producer” front-end credit.
  

4.  Be a Gift Giver
The BCC has a ‘Wish List’ that you can support by applying your donation to a specific area or item of need, or making the purchase outright on behalf of the chorus. The chorus is looking to make purchases in the following areas:

• Music Scores ($800.00)
• Guest Artists ($1,600.00)
• Uniforms ($450.00)
• Portable Risers ($2,500.00)
• Portable Piano ($1,000.00)

5. Be a Partner in Song
Our Partners in Song program is intended to create long lasting relationships with area businesses, schools, and other artistic organizations for the purpose of advancing the work of children’s choral music in the Berkshires. Pledge $500+/year for three years.

6. Sponsor a Scholarship Student
Per our mission statement, students are selected to the chorus regardless of their ability to pay tuition. The BCC Scholarship Fund covers the partial or complete cost of a student’s enrollment. For many families, that assistance makes all the difference. We encourage you to ‘adopt’ a chorister - a $600 gift will sponsor a student for the year – or make a contribution at any level to help another family make this experience possible.

Make a Donation

To pledge or make a donation to the Annual Fund, please contact the Berkshire Children’s Chorus at 413-229-2465, ask your Parent Coordinator for a Pledge Card, or email: voices@berkshirechildrenschorus.org. All donations are tax deductible and will be gratefully acknowledged in show programs and other promotional materials.