There are many ways to support the Historic Tennessee Theatre.
Because ticket sales only generate a portion of our income, we rely on the investment of the community to fulfill our mission. From our annual membership program with a variety of benefits to our Take A Seat program where you can have your name permanently placed on a chair in the auditorium among other giving options, your tax-deductible gift helps preserve, maintain, and operate The Official State Theatre of Tennessee as a performing arts facility and theater for the benefit and enjoyment of residents and visitors alike.
Become a Friend of the Tennessee Theatre
The Friends of the Tennessee Theatre are a passionate community of theater-goers who enjoy live music, comedy, Broadway performance, classic film screenings, and more! Your membership will help sustain everything you love about the Tennessee Theatre, including necessary building improvements, and you will enjoy the benefits for an entire year. Honoring the mission of the Tennessee Theatre, membership contributions also support free community events and open houses, ensuring that everyone in the community can make memories at the Tennessee.
General Donation
Ticket sales only generate a portion of our income, so we rely on the investment of the community to fulfill our mission. Your support is greatly appreciated!
Endowment Gift
Fundraising is an ongoing endeavor for any nonprofit, and the Historic Tennessee Theatre Foundation (HTTF) is dedicated to using donations wisely. If you’re looking for a way for your charitable gift to make a difference over a longer period of time, consider a donation to the Tennessee Theatre’s Endowment Fund.
While our ticketed events generally pay for basic operational expenses, the HTTF is also committed to preserving and maintaining the investment made by the community in 2005, when the Tennessee Theatre was completely restored and renovated into a performing arts facility. To that end, an endowment fund, specifically restricted to capital expenses (major repairs, equipment upgrades, and eventual replacement of significant items like theater seats, historic carpets and curtains, etc.) has been created. Gifts to this endowment will be spent only on these items and never on general operating or programming expenses. A fully-funded endowment will help protect against the need for “emergency fundraising” if disaster strikes the Theatre and requires a significant capital expense.
How is an endowment gift different from an annual gift? An unrestricted annual gift is usually spent within the year it is received. An endowment is comprised of gifts and bequests with the requirement that they be invested while the principal remains intact. Only a percentage of the income growth is available to the nonprofit. This allows for each donation to have a much greater impact over a longer period of time than if they were spent all at once.
Besides a cash gift, donors also can make gifts to the Tennessee Theatre Endowment fund of stock, property, or through estate planning. Gifts to the endowment are fully tax-deductible within federal and state laws.
If you’d like more information about planned Endowment giving, please contact Becky Hancock at 865.684.1200.
Take A Seat Program
Reserve your place in Tennessee Theatre history! Purchase a seat for yourself, in honor or memory of a special person, or in honor of an organization. A permanent brass plaque with up to two lines of text (25 characters max) will be placed on each seat you sponsor.
- Gold Seats - $1,000.00 (View available Gold seats)
- Silver Seats - $500.00 (View available Silver seats)
Mighty Monday Musical Gift
Mighty Musical Monday is a monthly free concert event, taking place each first Monday of the month at noon unless otherwise noted, featuring the Mighty Wurlitzer organ, the Theatre House Organist and local guest performers. This series is very popular with the senior community in Knoxville. Your gift will help ensure this free series can continue for years to come. To learn more about the Mighty Wurlitzer organ, or to watch past Mighty Musical Monday peformances streamed during our closure on the Mighty Wurlitzer page.
Theatre Arts For All
Theatre Arts For All (TAFA) was formed to provide arts enrichment to school-aged children. Since its first year (starting as Youth Arts Alliance), the TAFA has provided over 10,000 tickets to students in the area. TAFA has also made possible Master Classes with cast members from our Broadway shows and classic movie screenings, and aims to continue to grow the opportunities and programs offered. Theatre Arts For All relies on grant money and generous donations from individuals and businesses in the community in order to provide arts enrichment. Your gift will help provide arts education in our community.
Planned Giving
Planned giving provides an opportunity to leave a lasting legacy for the organizations and/or causes that are meaningful to the donor. These types of gifts provide support that continues long after the reading of a last will and testament. Our planned giving document provides an overview of the options available for our organization but we strongly recommend that you consult your attorney and your tax or financial advisors to draw up an estate plan that is specific to your interests and needs. To learn more about planned giving options, please contact Becky Hancock, Executive Director, at 865.684.1200. Please see our gift acceptance policy for guidelines on the types of gifts we can receive.