In choosing to support HVSF, you are helping to ensure the vitality of live theater in our community, training for the next generation of professional actors, and the experience of bringing Shakespeare’s text to life for more than 50,000 students and educators each year.

Did you know that our ticket sales only cover about 40% of our total costs? That means that we need your help more than ever to keep our theater strong for generations to come…We simply can’t do it without you! 

Your donations mean so much, and when you give, your gift supports HVSF in the following ways: 

-$1,000 helps HVSF to support our Conservatory Company actors, increasing their participation

-$750 underwrites our traveling Shakespeare school tour productions, helping to bring plays to more local and regional middle and high schools 

-$500 allows HVSF to purchase essential costumes and materials for our plays 

-$150 subsidizes one child so that they can participate in our in-school theater workshops 

Thank you! As a 501c3 not for profit organization and a public trust, our theater belongs to you.
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Ways to Give

Join us at Meet the Artists: Spring Benefit

On Sunday, May 19, 2024 join us at The Valley Restaurant for cocktails and bites. You’ll be treated to special sneak-peek performances and the chance to meet the artists who make up HVSF’s 2024 Company. Buy a Ticket here.

Join a Membership Program

Find greater connection within our vibrant theater community while making a generous investment in HVSF’s future! By joining our Saints & Poets Society or Festival Circles Program, you’ll gain access to artistic insights and special events, and have the opportunity to purchase season tickets ahead of the crowd.

Make a One-Time Donation

We welcome gifts of any amount! Make a tax-deductible donation online, during your ticket purchase, or by mail to:

Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival
P.O. Box 125
Garrison, NY 10524

Employer Matching Gifts

Many employers sponsor matching gift programs and will match any charitable contributions made by their employees. If eligible, the impact of your gift to HVSF could be doubled or even tripled, and you’ll be recognized at the donor level of the combined gift amount! Talk to your employer or human resources department to determine whether your gift to HVSF is eligible for a match, then contact Director of Development Semra Ercin to learn more.

Stocks and Securities

Gifts of stock or other securities are a meaningful way to support HVSF’s work all year-round, and the IRS provides some of its most significant tax breaks for donations of appreciated assets. Contact Director of Development Semra Ercin to learn more.

IRA Rollovers

If you are 70½ years or older, you can give up to $100,000 from your IRA directly to a qualified charity such as HVSF without having to pay income taxes on the donation. This charitable rollover can satisfy all or part of your required minimum distribution for the year, and it’s easy to do – simply ask your IRA administrator to make the transfer and contact Director of Development Semra Ercin to learn more.

Legacy Gifts: The Sheila Allen Colby Legacy Giving Program

If HVSF has made a difference to you and your family, we hope you will consider remembering the Festival in your estate plan and/or as a beneficiary of a charitable trust, retirement plan, or life insurance policy. Your support will ensure the vitality of Shakespeare within the Hudson Valley for years to come! Contact Director of Development Semra Ercin to learn more.

With a legacy gift you can:

  • Make a more significant charitable gift than you may have thought possible
  • Reduce your income tax and avoid capital gains taxes
  • Leave a legacy without giving up assets during your lifetime

Make us part of your estate plan by:

  • Making a bequest to HVSF in your will
  • Designating HVSF as a beneficiary of an IRA, annuity, or life insurance contract
  • Naming HVSF as a beneficiary or charitable trust

This program is named for the inimitable Sheila Allen Colby. To Sheila, HVSF was where she could enjoy intimate, moving, and magical performances along with the world’s natural beauty in the most dramatic of settings. For this reason, and for all the joy it brought to her and her family, Sheila generously made a legacy gift to the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival.

AmazonSmile

By using AmazonSmile for your online shopping, Amazon will donate .5% of your purchases to HVSF! Please take a moment to sign up and select Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival as your charity of choice. All of your future purchases through AmazonSmile will also make a difference to HVSF. Shop AmazonSmile.