Help Us Keep the SPARK! Burning
Metro Theater Company has been a cornerstone of our community for more than 53 years, igniting the SPARK! of empathy, imagination, and resilience in more than 15,000 young people each year.
This year, Metro Theater Company has continued to ignite the SPARK! in young people across our region through transformative theater experiences and meaningful education programs, both on stage and in schools. But the challenges ahead are real and urgent. The funding landscape is shifting dramatically. Arts organizations across the country are facing reductions in support from sources like the National Endowment for the Arts and other grantors subject to policy changes. At the same time, local resources are being stretched thin — meaning fewer dollars for organizations like ours.
Right now, we face a critical $150,000 gap that we must close in the next six weeks. This is the only way to end the year strong, avoid adding debt, and keep bringing life-changing arts experiences to young people who need them most.
Your gift today helps us:
Sustain our award-winning education and performance programs — costs to bring transformative performances and education to schools and communities continue to rise — with tour performances often costing MTC $1,200–$1,500 each, far more than most schools can afford. And if ticket prices covered the full cost of producing our shows, they’d be $75–$80 each — out of reach for most families.
Help us keep our dedicated staff and teaching artists — after already making tough but necessary decisions in fall 2023 to reduce our workforce, cut expenses, and restructure programs to meet young people where they are.
Prevent further cuts that would impact our community impact — ensuring we continue reaching more young people than ever, with the highest level of artistic integrity and outreach.
This isn’t just about numbers. It’s about continuing to meet a growing need for empathy, imagination, and resilience-building experiences for young people.
Will you help us keep the SPARK! Burning?
“Attending Metro Theater productions strengthened my students’ love for reading. Seeing the books we read as a class on stage is a bonding experience for our classrooms. I highly recommend MTC to other teachers.”
- Layne Thompson, 4th Grade Teacher
A few days after the performance (of MTC’s education program, Say Something, Do Something!) a 7th grade student, who is well known for having issues with other students, helped to resolve a conflict between two of his classmates.
– Ronald London, School Counselor
How to Give
It’s easy to make a one-time, tax-deductible gift online here. If you’re looking for other ways to expand the impact of your support, you may want to consider these options:
Monthly Giving
Sustaining monthly gifts ensure you can make a meaningful commitment to MTC that can easily fit in to any donor’s monthly budget.Employer Matching
Your employer might be among the many St. Louis’s largest corporate citizens with programs to match employee contributions. Employer matching doubles the impact of your gift and lets your company know how much you value our community impact. Check with your human resources department, and let us know if we can assist with any necessary paperwork.Planned Giving
If you would like to ensure MTC’s impact continues for generations to come, consider speaking with your financial advisor about including us in your estate plans. If you notify us of your plans, we can recognize that pledge and ensure you enjoy the benefits of supporting MTC, even before the gift is made.Qualified Charitable Distributions
Individual retirement arrangement (IRA) owners age 70½ or over can transfer up to $100,000 to charity tax-free each year. These transfers, known as qualified charitable distributions or QCDs, offer eligible Americans a great way to easily give to charity before the end of the year. And, for those who are at least 73 years old, QCDs count toward the IRA owner's required minimum distribution (RMD) for the year. Any IRA owner who wishes to make a QCD for 2023 should contact their IRA trustee soon so the trustee will have time to complete the transaction before the end of the year!Gift of Stock
We welcome donations of stock and other securities. Donors may take a tax deduction for the full, fair-market value.
Donations can be made online, by phone, or by mail:
Online
Make a secure, tax-deductible donation by credit card on our donation form.
Phone
Call Managing Director Jessie Youngblood at 314.932.7414 x 102.
By Mail
Checks can be mailed to us at Metro Theater Company, 3311 Washington Avenue,
St. Louis, MO 63103.
Thank you for your support!
