AH! ANOTHER SIGN: STOP FOR A MOMENT... SO TRU CAN KEEP GOING.
DONATE, JOIN OR RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP DURING OUR SUMMER DONOR DRIVE.
(THE GOAL: $10,000 BY LABOR DAY 9/2!)

Raised: $11,600

Stop ... and consider all the ways TRU supports the theater community. For starters, we've actually created a community, a place where professionals can meet, network and learn, and feel TRUly welcome in a business that can often be a bit overwhelming. We offer monthly panels to keep you on top of current developments, a producer mentorship program plus specific workshops to provide ongoing training in the skills it takes to make theater happen, opportunities for writers to hone their career chops as well as get creative feedback, and 24/7 availability to offer answers, support and guidance to our – yes – community.

When we first started TRU, everyone had land lines, and a big computer was 256kb. Did you know that for most of TRU's 27 years we worked out of donated space? With tons of free storage? We even had free space for our panels ... once upon a time. Well, the one constant in life is change: starting in September we will no longer have access to a free office and storage, so we need your help even more than usual. The most affordable office space we have found is $450 a month, ($5400/year). Minimal storage space is about $85 a month (another $1020).  And this is all in addition to the extra boost we need every year at this time just to make it through summer. 

Drive is now over. Thanks to those who helped.

We used to get $5000 from the City Council every year through the generous support of former Council Member Inez Dickens, until she moved on to the State Assembly in 2017. And we haven't yet made a blip on the radar of her City Council replacement (but we are working on it). Council Member Dickens genuinely admired the work we do for the community. We miss her, but maybe you can help fill in what's missing.

♥ Help us continue to offer our monthly panels free for members (and at a really low-priced $12.50 for non-members); venue and refreshment costs per panel is about $200 each month, or $2200 for the year;
♥ Make it possible for us to continue to offer "PDMP," our premium program for developing new producers at an affordable price, so we can maintain our goal of being the most affordable training program for aspiring producers. Our expenses are about $600/month including space and stipends for our 3 program directors;
♥ Keep our new TRU Scholarship Fund healthy so we can offer support to those who otherwise might not be able to afford programs crucial for their careers. This year we funded 5 actors so they could be seen in our Audition Event; we gave a scholarship to a promising producer so he could be part of our 10-month Producer Development & Mentorship Program; and we enabled two ambitious women artists to build their business skills by attending our Weekend Intensive for Showcase Producing;
♥ We no longer have funding for our TRU Voices Reading Series. We told you about the $5000 from the City Council. Now New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) has shifted their interest in TRU away from our reading series, and they now are supportive of our educational programs, like producer development, panels, and workshops that train producers as well as artists in business skills. We have canceled the January musicals series; with your help we can start building funds for the June play series.

Summer is tough, and we make this annual plea to motivate your giving. Is it working? Here are some specific ways we can put your generous donation to good use. (A dropdown menu when you donate lets you tell us where you want your money to go, if you have a preference):

♥ $2000  - one play in the 2020 TRU Voices Play Reading series (if we get enough support, that is);
♥  $1500 - a new Mac laptop to help make running TRU more portable;
♥ $1250 - an annual fee for one of the 3 program directors who teach aspiring producers in our Producer Development & Mentorship Program;
♥ $500 - a monthly retainer for a development consultant who might help us raise money to keep growing (so we don't depend on you as much);
♥ $450 - one month of rent in a new office space;
♥ $250 - a fee for our TRU Voices administrator, the monthly fee for our publicist, or videotaping of a monthly TRU panel to share online with our out-of-town friends;
♥ $125 - one day's salary for a staff assistant, or wine and refreshments for a TRU workshop;
♥ $100 - one month retainer for our web technician;
♥ $85 - one month of storage space;
♥ $50 - light snacks for a monthly panel, or a stipend for a panelist or Speed Date coach;
♥ $25 - one month of service from our internet mailing house, our monthly bank fee, or part of a two-week payroll period fee from our payroll service, ADP. 

DONATE TO OUR PROGRAMS (including our new Scholarship Fund, and a Hope Fund for our TRU Voices series):