For sponsors, partners and supporters
How a first production gets paid for
We researched this before asking anyone for anything, and what we found shaped the whole plan.
Ways to say yes
Nothing here has been secured, and no business has been approached. These are the routes that exist, described plainly so a conversation can start from the same page.
Sponsor the founding production
Tiers run from programme advertising through to headline production sponsorship. We will bring the full structure to a conversation rather than lead with a price list.
Contribute in kind
Printing, advertising, materials, storage, transport, rehearsal space, hospitality, or professional services. Every donated item is money we don't have to raise, and for a first production it is often worth more than cash.
Give as a founding supporter
Individual gifts carry a first season. We are not yet incorporated, so a gift today is not tax-deductible — we would rather say that plainly than let anyone assume otherwise.
Lend professional help
Accounting, legal, insurance and governance advice. A volunteer board of students and parents learns fastest with an experienced person in the room.
Why we're asking locally
State and federal arts grants cannot fund this production. New Mexico Arts requires tax-exempt status and approves awards in July, paying by reimbursement — money would arrive months after opening night. The state tourism programmes run on the same July fiscal year. The National Endowment for the Arts requires years of prior programming and does not accept fiscally sponsored applicants.
So a founding production has to be funded locally. We are planning on that basis rather than hoping a grant lands.
| Source | Role | In time? |
|---|---|---|
| Local business sponsorship | The largest cash share. No eligibility gate, decisions made locally. | Yes |
| Ticket revenue | The most predictable line, and proof of demand for later funders. | Yes |
| In-kind support | Donated space, equipment, printing and materials. Every item is cash not raised. | Yes |
| Individual founding donors | Available once. Deductibility depends on our status at the time. | Yes |
| City lodgers' tax | Rolling application, restricted to promotion. Pays marketing, not production. | Likely |
| State and federal grants | Eligibility and award calendars both rule them out for this show. | Season two |
The formation work we are doing this autumn — incorporation, insurance, governance — is also what makes the organisation eligible for the state funding cycle that supports the second production. Nothing is wasted.
What a supporter should know
We are not yet incorporated, so a gift today is not tax-deductible. For most businesses, sponsorship is treated as a marketing expense rather than a charitable gift — worth confirming with your own accountant, particularly while our nonprofit status is still in progress.
We would rather state that plainly at the start than let anyone discover it at tax time. The same goes for everything else on this site: where we have no answer yet, we say so.
If you want the full case in a form you can print or forward, the plan covers the timeline and the risks, and we’re happy to bring a tailored version to a meeting.