You are here
Ways to Give
Annual Fund Giving
Your gift to our Annual Fund supports great concerts featuring the works of Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms and much, much more. Plus, talented soloists such as pianist Matthew Hagle, violinist Irina Muresanu and cellist Wendy Warner. Every gift, whatever its size, is recognized with gratitude in our concert programs and ensures the ESO remains healthy and strong, now and in the future!
Share The Stage!
You share the excitement when Maestro Eckerling and the Evanston Symphony Orchestra take the stage. Now you can “Share the Stage” with the orchestra – with your gift of $150 or more to the Annual Fund.
Share the Stage is our way of recognizing that our ESO Community is made up of orchestra members and supporters. Your gift sponsors a Section member, a chair in the orchestra. Choose an instrument you love, one you play, or one you wish you could play – it’s your turn to shine. A gift of $450 or more sponsors a Principal Player (leaders of each of the 19 sections). You may select to support a Soloist with a gift of $750 – $1,499 and our exclusive Concertmaster category is available for gifts starting at $1,500.
At each concert we display our “Share the Stage” recognition board in the lobby. Principal Player sponsors are prominently displayed because, like the musicians who lead each section of our orchestra, these generous individuals demonstrate leadership in their commitment to our mission. Section Member sponsors are recognized in the reserved seat of the instrument of their choice. Our goal is to have a sponsor for each musician in our orchestra!
Matching Gifts
If your employer matches their employees’ gifts to non-profit organizations, every dollar you give to the Evanston Symphony Orchestra could have twice the impact or even more for the ESO! When making your gift to the ESO, please contact your Employee Benefits Administrator or Corporate Giving Department about matching gifts.
Tribute Gifts
A tribute gift to the Evanston Symphony is a wonderful way to celebrate a milestone like a birthday or anniversary, or to recognize accomplishments like graduations, promotions or other special occasions. It can also honor the memory of a dear friend or relative. An honor or memorial gift to the Evanston Symphony Orchestra expresses your feelings in a unique way and is a moving tribute to a loved one who cherishes music and cares about enriching our community. Tribute gifts are listed in our programs and in Keynotes.
Gifts of Appreciated Securities
Making a gift of stock, bonds, mutual funds or other securities that have increased in value could help you achieve both your financial and charitable goals. When you give securities directly to the ESO, you bypass capital gains taxes that would be due on a sale and reduce your federal and perhaps state income taxes. To find out more about the benefits of making a gift of securities, please contact us at 847.864.8804.
Support the ESO
Gifts to the Evanston Symphony Orchestra help keep classical music alive in our community. The ESO relies on the support of corporations, foundations and individuals like you for its success. Ticket sales and advertising revenues cover about half of our operating budget. Your gift supports our concerts, community outreach and music education. The ESO has a variety of giving opportunities that fit your giving needs and address your philanthropic goals.
Please consider a gift to the Evanston Symphony today—your gift does make a difference!
Donate by Shopping
Join the KeyNote Society – and leave a musical legacy
The Evanston Symphony Orchestra recognizes and honors individuals who have generously provided for its future through bequests, trusts, and other life income gifts as members of the KeyNote Society. Membership in the KeyNote Society is a reflection of the highest individual commitment to the future of the Evanston Symphony Orchestra. KeyNote Society members establish their personal legacy by continuing the musical tradition of the ESO and maintaining its musical heritage in our community. .
It is quite simple to become a member of the KeyNote Society. In fact, if you have named the Evanston Symphony Orchestra in your will or included our orchestra in your estate plan, you are already a member, and we would appreciate the opportunity to thank you and enter your name in the membership rolls of the KeyNote Society. Please contact us at 847.864.8804. Of course, any wish to remain anonymous will be honored.
You may make a gift to the ESO in your estate using this language:
“I give and bequeath (specific amount, percentage of estate, or specific property) to the Evanston Symphony Orchestra Association, an Illinois not-for-profit corporation, for general purposes.”
Other types of planned gifts include:
- Naming the ESO as beneficiary of a life insurance policy, pension plan, IRA or bank account
- Establishing a Charitable Gift Annuity that ensures you a life income and makes a deferred gift
- Setting up a Charitable Remainder Trust with the ESO as the beneficiary
- Naming the ESO as an income beneficiary of a Charitable Lead Trust
Please consult an independent legal or tax advisor for advice on estate planning.