Program areas at Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center Foundation
In fiscal year 2022/2023, the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center Foundation, Inc. (the "Foundation") carried out its mission in supporting the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Inc. dba david a. straz jr Center for the Performing Arts (the "Center or "straz Center") through disbursement of (a) approved spending policy distribution grants and (b) grants of gifts received from other foundations to support Center education and opera programs, artistic initiatives, facility improvements and general operations. (continued on schedule o)spending policy distributions are based on the related established board policy to provide a consistent process to move funds from the endowment to operating funds on an annual or approved basis. Gifts received by the Foundation and transferred to the Center from other foundations are approved by the Foundation board or per donor request.
The Foundation launched its "boundless capital campaign" towards the end of its fiscal year 2018/2019 in continuing its mission to support the Center as it continues to grow in the Tampa Bay region. This campaign is for a master plan construction project and to raise further endowment support. The master plan commenced its design phase in 2019/2020, which continued in fiscal year 2021/2022 with expenditures of $2,096,970. With the Foundation collecting the campaign pledges and the Center making the expenditures for the master plan, the Foundation made the required reimbursement distribution to the Center for these expenditures. The capital campaign is underway, and the master plan is anticipated to continue into fiscal year 2027/2028. (continued on schedule o)with the Foundation serving as the endowment fund and support for the Center, the Foundation provided the Center financial stability in fiscal year 2022/2023 and helped maintain the Center's high standards of excellence and creativity as well as providing patrons the ability to continue to enjoy the Center's programs.foundation endowment by the numbers:$66.5 million in gifts and pledges has been committed to the straz Center endowment from both the private and public sectors through outright gifts and planned gifts.in 2022/2023, a total of $1.8 million of endowment earnings were distributed to the straz Center's operating budget to support artistic excellence, Arts education, and our state-of-the-art facilities.impact of the endowment:income from our endowment allows the straz Center to provide the highest level of artistic programming while also ensuring that young talent flourishes in our community. It also supports vital capital projects that help the straz Center remain an industry standard. Endowment funds provide support through endowment earnings in the areas of artistic excellence, campus improvements, Arts education, opera Tampa, outreach and community education, Arts education scholarships, ticket subsidies, and more. Thanks to your support, the support of our endowment, and our staff, we are able to maintain and move forward with our mission.artistic excellence:our artistic programming is once again thriving with broadway and our grand opera leading the way at the straz Center. Once again, we have our morsani hall crowd thrilled to see a broadway spectacular, a jaeb theater audience enjoying something left of Center, and our patel studios full of young actors, dancers and musicians and the next generation's performers.in our fiscal year 2022/2023 (22/23) season, we held 1,322 performances and events, served by 851 annual volunteers dedicating over 142,459 service hours. We extended our outreach to the community in providing 16,670 complimentary tickets.our 22/23 fiscal year was a transition year in ceo leadership of the straz Center, with the retirement of judy lisi, former president and ceo of the straz Center, retiring in our 21/22 fiscal year. Judy's retirement reflected the culmination of judy's 30 years of hard work and leadership of the straz Center through its most successful seasons, the closed doors of covid and our emergence from the pandemic. During her tenure, the straz became one of the most formidable Performing Arts centers in the nation. The relationships judy built with the new york theater community made the straz the broadway of the south. Dance, comedy, theater, lecture, pop and classical music, and, of course, opera also flourish at the straz. Her commitment to Arts education shines in the bright faces of our students attending the patel conservatory and her legacy forever grows through straz outreach programs in area schools and underserved communities. Judy, whose focus on issues that impact all sectors of our community, launched the straz's inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility (i.d.e.a.) Initiative. I.d.e.a. Nurtures an organizational culture that advocates welcoming inclusivity of all, equity and belonging on our campus and beyond. The stakeholders of the straz Center are forever thankful for judy for the foundational vision and success in bringing the straz Center to where it is today.in moving forward, greg holland was appointed by the straz Center's board of trustees as the straz Center's new president and ceo as of october 1, 2022. Greg is a highly experienced professional and leader in the commercial aspects of the Performing Arts industry. He is excited to build upon the upon the sound organizational Foundation that judy built, joining the community, and moving the straz Center as a charitable and nonprofit organization, into a bright and wonderous future. Greg has commenced doing so with the 22/23 season, with a strong vision of expanding both our straz offerings and reach to the community. Greg is also now a board member of the foundation.arts education:to us, Arts education is not about making new professional artists. It's about giving young people the chance to develop competencies that will help them succeed in school, work, and life; to grow into good citizens and good neighbors; to dream and achieve better futures.the patel conservatory continues to flourish with high enrollment, great attendance at our professionally produced productions and strong diversity among students from pre-k to golden age. Curriculum includes sequential instruction in music, dance and theater, vocal Arts, musical theater, playwriting, improvision and storytelling.placing Arts education within reach of all Tampa Bay students is something we can't do without community donors and support. This year, with your help, conservatory students were served in on-site classes, camps, intensives, and workshops in over 162,783 instruction hours. In addition, over 33,000 regional and national students visited and participated in events or classes at our campus.performance opportunities are an important part of Arts education. Patel conservatory students stepped onto straz Center stages to showcase their skills in 28 student productions throughout the school year, gaining valuable experiences that reflect professional applications.scholarships:since our scholarship program launched in 2007, millions of dollars have been awarded to deserving students with limited resources - many through endowed scholarship funds established through planned estate gifts. We awarded 366 scholarships totaling $343,213 to help students access the training they desire...all thanks to our donors.selected advancing students were also invited to perform alongside professionals in Arts legacy remix and other performances on our outdoor riverwalk stage. The straz Center also links students to opportunities to stretch their wings and earn scholarships, by hosting events like youth america grand prix international ballet competition finals, Florida thespians festival, and regional broadway star of the future awards.arts education partnership program:we also delivered patel conservatory dance, music and theater curricula and other Arts learning experiences to 1,783 Tampa Bay students in 43 schools and neighborhoods lacking in Arts offerings through our Arts education partnerships program. Patel conservatory and partnership students also participated in master classes and workshops with professional touring artists, including complexions contemporary ballet; attended dress rehearsals of opera Tampa productions; and received more than 800 tickets to attend select study-related performances on straz Center stages.
In fiscal year 2022/2023, the Foundation also carried out its mission in supporting the Center through a spending policy distribution from its endowment assets at the community Foundation Tampa Bay.