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“Raising the Roof” Campaign
Richmond, Virginia
Located on the James River in downtown Richmond, VA, the Richmond Ballet is recognized as one of the premier professional ballet organizations in the country. The organization's growth was in jeopardy due to a lack of space and the poor condition of their older facility.
The Objective: To renovate a donated 100,000 square foot building into a world class, state-of-the-art rehearsal studio for the Ballet's professional company and teaching school. A fund-raising goal of $4 million was deemed feasible by NCDS as a result of an in-depth analysis of community support.
The Challenges: Richmond Ballet had never performed a capital campaign and its core base of support was relatively small. Recent high-profile failures of arts related campaigns required establishing a commitment to fiscal conservatism and prudent project management.
The Campaign: NCDS developed a strong comprehensive campaign case statement to convey the Richmond Ballet's value as a community organization and its critical need for new facilities. Additionally, NCDS enlisted a strong group of volunteers whose leadership was paramount to the overwhelming success of the campaign. The campaign exceeded its $4 million goal by over $500,000. Extensions of existing pledges, pending decisions and additional unsolicited prospects should take the final total to $5.5 million.
The Results: Richmond Ballet moved into its spacious, 53,500 sq. foot facility located on Canal Street in downtown Richmond in July of 2000, boosting the organization's presence, visibility and profile. The Canal Street location consists of three buildings totaling more than 100,000 square-feet plus a full basement, and two other buildings are "as is" for future lease or sale.
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