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CREATING LEGACY TO ENSURE A BRIGHT FUTURE Verb Ballets was honored to receive a gift from Kenneth Milder, longtime supporter of the company, to establish the first endowment fund for the organization. The Verb Ballets Endowment Fund was set up through the Cleveland Foundation. Different from an annual fund that supports yearly operations, the endowment fund grows in perpetuity as an investment and allows a non-profit to take a portion of the interest earned each year. In short, it helps to strengthen an organization financially by diversifying its income to ride the tides of economic challenges.
As fate would have it, I did not stay in the performing arts, although I had apprenticed in technical theatre at The Santa Fe Opera. Perhaps I didn’t share the courage to pursue such a challenging career path in the arts. Nonetheless, I have been blessed with a wonderful 38-year career at the New Mexico’s Los Alamos National Laboratory. Now as a retiree from a prestigious national laboratory, it has afforded me the opportunity to give back to my beloved performing arts. Why would you encourage people to contribute to the endowment?
I believe art and humanities education is an essential component of society’s progress, especially in this highly competitive world.
The arts help push the frontiers of human knowledge and achievement. In this era of tight budgets, where funding for arts and humanities is first on the chopping block of school and college education, our support is more critical than ever. My hope is that you, too, recognize the importance of having arts and humanities in our lives and share in creating a legacy of support through this endowment. Will you join me?
What inspired you to create the
I witnessed first-hand the
endowment fund?
challenges faced by those who bring
On the surface a dancer’s life
us their talent and beauty through
appears glamorous. I know this
their art.
because two of my dearest childhood friends, including Maggi,
What has inspired your sense of
made it their career as dancers. I
philanthropy?
have seen their reality, in the hard
As a child, theatre was my refuge; a
work, long hours, dedication to
safe place away from my own home-
make it for very little pay.
life challenges. It was also in theatre
Developing their talent to a level of
that I created life-long friendships
acceptance by a ballet company
that shaped my personal
typically requires struggle.
philanthropic goals.
verbiculture | November 2020
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