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L Y R I C O P E R A O F C H I C A G O
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February 2 - 22, 2019
planning. “We have about 600
planned givers – members of our
Overture Society – who have loved
Lyric over the years. ey want to
give back and make sure future gen-
erations have the same enjoyment in
the company that they do. Opera
gets more and more expensive, and
we need these funding sources to do
major projects. Planned gifts helped
us produce
Les Troyens
and the
current
Ring
cycle.”
ere is no minimum planned
gift, and gift planning can also mean strategic giving during your
lifetime, explains Mike Biver, director of gift planning: “Often
donations come in the form of cash (credit card or check), but there
are many other opportunities for donors to be more strategic with
their giving, and we try to make sure they are aware of all options
such as transferring appreciated stock directly to Lyric and avoiding
capital gains tax. Likewise, if you have an IRA and you’re of a certain
age, you can transfer your required distribution directly to Lyric and
avoid it being counted towards income taxes.”
You don’t have to be a millionaire to create a gift plan that
includes Lyric. “A few thousand dollars is a very meaningful gift,”
says Biver. “I think of gift planning as being the democratization of
donating. It’s a way of allowing all Lyric patrons to engage with
supporting Lyric in profound, meaningful ways. We recently had a
donor who sat in the upper balcony and gave a modest gift each year
for decades who was able to leave a bequest to Lyric through her
estate that will help ensure Lyric’s
future for the next generation of op-
era lovers.”
Lyric’s donors become part of
Lyric’s legacy through their generos-
ity, and their contributions are not
only a gift to Lyric today, but also to
the future of opera. At Lyric, our
generous donors who are passionate
believers in the arts “can say ‘I
helped put that onstage and helped
share that amazing performance
with others,’ ” says DelPilar. “ is is
what a career in development is all about,” states Hurley. “My
colleagues and I are called to create a connection between Lyric, the
field of opera, and our audience--and we believe in this call deeply
and personally.” Whether it is at a performance in the theater, at a
gala in the opera house, or at a Lyric Unlimited activity in the great-
er Chicago community, a member of Lyric’s development team is
probably there. Start up a conversation and learn how you can
become further connected. Yes, opera is expensive, but it is also
inspiring, all-encompassing, and life-changing, so very much worth
the effort. e work of Lyric’s development department and the
incredible generosity of Lyric’s donors strengthens the arts in
Chicago and secures Lyric’s future for generations to come.
Roger Pines, Lyric's dramaturg, is a regular contributor to opera-company
programs and music publications internationally. He has appeared annually
as a panelist on the Metropolitan Opera broadcasts' Opera Quiz since 2006.
“I think of gift planning as being
the democratization of donating.
It’s a way of allowing all Lyric patrons
to engage with supporting Lyric in
profound, meaningful ways.”
— Mike Biver
At a 2018 donor reception entitled “Costumes and Canapés,”
Ring
cycle costume designer Marie-Jeanne Lecca (right) explained the details of her
costumes for Wotan.
DAN REST