Dear Patrons of the Arts,
As you know, our building has been a staple in the community for well over ninety years. From community building to movie house, our gathering place has endured great changes. Though the movie house succumbed to the appeal of “talkies”, our current organization emerged from the remains. The Covid-19 pandemic is like no obstacle we have faced before, but with continued support from our loyal patrons we will re-emerge once more.
Your generosity helps to allay operating costs during this unprecedented time and furthers our mission to create and present quality performance and educational opportunities for all members of our diverse community. Thanks to you and a generous grant gifted to us by the Maryland Historic Trust, we are almost finished with a complete interior refresh of our historic space. We look forward to more immersive theatrical experiences thanks to our new mobile seating arrangement and eagerly anticipate opening within the next few months. New art deco fabric will adorn our walls and a beautiful curtain will be the perfect addition to our iconic space. The next step in our project is to raise funds to restore our beautiful marquee that proudly updates passerby of all of our endeavors. Please consider donating to this final step in our project.
Church Hill Theatre holds a very special place in my heart. When I first moved to the Eastern Shore five years ago, I found my life to be stagnant. A conveniently placed ad promoting auditions for Jake’s Women at Church Hill Theatre swiftly changed that. On that day I was cast in my first CHT production, but I could never have predicted being cast in the role of a lifetime serving as the Theatre Business Manager. Your donation helps to fund renovation projects, produce annual productions, and continue our educational programs for school-age children, but it also helps locals like myself find a place to call home. Whether onstage or in the audience, we are in this together. I cannot wait to safely gather and share in the magic of community theatre once more.
Thank you for your continued support.
Donating Funds
Operating a community theater incurs many costs. Most community theaters generate enough income from ticket sales to cover only the costs of the production itself. General operating expenses such as utility costs, administrative and office expenses, building and grounds expenses, and others must be supported through other income sources. Arts organizations also must contend with each other for limited governmental or foundation grant support opportunities, and few of those allow for general operating support funding.
CHT, and other similar organizations, exist through the above limited revenue opportunities and through the kindness of its patrons and supporters. Without public support, we wouldn’t be the center for culture, youth and adult education and community entertainment that we are. Even small donations add up toward the necessary funding CHT must have to continue its goals and community work.
As a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization, donating to The Church Hill Theatre, Inc. is tax deductible. For your donation, you will receive from us a “thank you” note and acknowledgement containing the necessary recognition verbiage for your tax deduction. Your name will also appear under the proper donation level category in the next season’s Showbill publication, which is put into the hands of patrons for all performances throughout the year.
Donating Items
Support through item donation is an excellent way to assist The Church Hill Theatre, Inc. to have the things we need to do business or put up a show. Many of the items you see on the stage as a part of our productions once belonged to someone who decided to donate it to CHT. We have been the recipient of generous donations of costumes, furniture, dishes and silverware, building materials, fabric, and even things like fake plants or other household goods.
In our office, anything we normally must pay for would make for an excellent donation item. If you purchased office supplies that you realize you cannot use, think about giving such things to us.
We cannot always accept every donation. Between our theatre facility and our office, we only have so much space. For clothing, the more unusual or character-driven the piece is, the more likely we will take it. We do not usually take paint because of the storage restrictions on it. However, we may consider it based on age, color and type. Anything else is certainly something we will consider on a case-by-case basis.
Material donations are tax deductible provided you accompany your donation with a statement of value identifying your name, address and phone number and a specific itemization including individual worth. We can release to you an acknowledgment letter that includes proper verbiage for your tax filing in exchange for the donation and the value statement.
Call the office at 410-556-6003 if you have any questions or would like to donate over the phone. Your support will go a long way in assisting us to build our community through the arts!