Donate

At the heart of the Santa Barbara Symphony’s mission lies our goal to be an indispensable partner to our community, providing enrichment through inspiring concerts, music education programs, and access for everyone. Ticket sales and other earned income cover less than 40% of our total operating budget, leaving the remaining gap to be filled by contributions. The Santa Barbara Symphony relies on the generosity of contributors to continue the outstanding quality of performances audiences have come to expect. Your gifts and the generosity of all of our donors it make for us to provide you with artistic excellence, educational programs and much more.

If you have questions about how you can support our mission of musical excellence, music education programs and access to all please contact:

Lisa Holzman
Director of Development & Patron Services
1330 State St, Ste 102
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805) 898-0107
lisa@thesymphony.org

Click here to make an online donation.

Here are the different ways that you can participate:

Individual Annual Giving

Make a contribution in support of the Symphony’s artistic, educational and community engagement programs. Your donation places you in one of our unique giving programs: Classical Works Club or the Baton Society. Call the Symphony office at 805-898-0107 to make your contribution.

Classical Works Club and The Baton Society

Both of which will provide you with special benefits to enhance your affiliation with and enjoyment of the Santa Barbara Symphony.

Business Council

Call the Symphony for more information: 805-898-0107
Be a corporate leader through your gift of $1,000 or more to the Santa Barbara Symphony.

Endowment

Call the Symphony for more information: 805-898-0107
Make a gift to the Santa Barbara Symphony Endowment Trust and build your own musical legacy.

Sponsorship

Call the Symphony for more information: 805-898-0107
Reach out to over 30,000 music lovers annually – concert, musician chair and artist sponsorships are available for you or your business!

Foundation Support

Call the Symphony for more information: 805-898-9386
An important resource for all Santa Barbara Symphony operations.

Volunteer Opportunities

Call the Symphony for more information: 805-898-0107
Learn about the various ways you can help to fulfill our community program and administrative needs.

Special Events

Special fundraising events, receptions or festivals put on by the Symphony or the Santa Barbara Symphony League. More information about our giving programs and benefits of becoming a donor member!

Annual Giving

At the heart of the Santa Barbara Symphony’s mission lies our heartfelt desire to be an indispensable partner to our community, providing enrichment through inspiring concerts, music education programs, and access for everyone.

Most people do not realize that gifts from individuals like you comprise the single largest source of the Symphony’s contributed income. Ticket sales cover less than 40% of our total operating budget. The remaining gap must be filled by contributions to deliver the kind of excellence on the stage and in our many programs for children, adults and under-served communities that you – and they – have come to expect.

Celebrate the special experience of symphonic music with us by becoming a Classical Works Club or Baton Society member. By becoming a member, not only will you support magnificent artistic and educational programs, but you will receive fantastic benefits that make your Santa Barbara Symphony experience even more enjoyable.

Envision the Impact of Your Gift Classical Works Club and Baton Society donors make an impact in the following ways… and so many more.

• Provide local school children special music education opportunities fuel a child’s imagination and musical interest with support for the Music Van
• Help a class of 4th, 5th or 6th grade students attend a Concerts for Young People performance
• Send a group of under-served children to a Santa Barbara Symphony Sunday matinee
• Provide hidden scholarship support for students participating in the Symphony’s After School Strings program
• Provide behind-the-scenes support to cover the cost of sheet music rentals for a week of concerts
• Assist the Symphony in continuing to bring exceptional guest artists to Santa Barbara
• Keep the Symphony’s July 4th Concert tradition alive for our special community
• Aid the Symphony in its ability to expand artistic and educational offerings. Be instrumental in making the Symphony an indispensable community partner.

Corporate Matching Gifts

Your gift to the Santa Barbara Symphony may be worth more! Matching Gift Employers.

Santa Barbara Symphony Orchestra Association Federal Tax ID: 95-2104089

The Santa Barbara Symphony Experience Artistic Excellence

The extraordinary 7-concert and 4 concert Subscription Series with Maestro Nir Kabaretti, our talented musicians and guest artist from around the world.

Concerts for Young People
Specially designed Symphony concerts that provide a live introduction to classical music and encourage a life-long appreciation of the arts for nearly 2,7000 Santa Barbara County 4th, 5th and 6th graders annually.

Music Van
Our traveling “instrument petting zoo” which provides hand-on instrument playing to nearly 2,000 3rd grade students to the instruments of the orchestra with visits to nearly 40 Santa Barbara County schools each year.

July 4th Concert
This free, patriotic family concert thrills nearly 6,000 patrons annually in the Sunken Gardens of the Santa Barbara County Courthouse.

Thank you to our current donors!

Click here to see a list of our generous Annual Fund donors.

Benefit Levels

Benefits are our way of saying thank you for joining the Santa Barbara symphony family! Memberships and benefits are valid for one year from the date of your last gift. Augment your association with the Symphony and the music with your member benefits and privileges.

• Etude Club ($50-$99)
  Your name listed in the Program Book
• Prelude Club ($100-$249)
  All of the above, plus Two passes to Symphony Working Rehearsals
• Overture Club ($250-$499)
  All of the above, plus Two additional passes to Symphony Working Rehearsals (total of 4 passes)
• Concerto Club ($500-$749)
  All of the above, plus Exclusive Two-for-One Ticket Offer for a concert of your choice
• Symphony Club ($750-$999)
  All of the above, plus Invitation for two to a Baton-the-Scenes Night
• Bronze Baton Society ($1,000 – $2,499)
  All of the above, plus
  • Listing by name on the Santa Barbara Symphony website
  • Two complimentary intermission drink vouchers for each Platinum series concert
  • Invitation to one post-concert Meet-the-Artist reception
• Silver Baton Society ($2,500 – $4,999)
  All of the above, plus
  • Invitation to a second Meet-the-Artist reception
  • Invitation for two to the Santa Barbara Symphony Orchestra Association Annual Meeting
• Golden Baton Society ($5,000 – $9,999)
  All of the above, plus
  • Invitation to the annual Golden Baton Society Event
  • Two additional passes to Symphony Working Rehearsals (total of 6 passes)
• Platinum Baton Society ($10,000 – $14,999)
  All of the above, plus
  • Two complimentary tickets to a Platinum series concert of your choice (instead of the Two-for-One Ticket Offer)
  • Invitation to a third Meet-the-Artist reception
• Concertmaster’s Baton Society ($15,000 -$24,999)
  All of the above, plus
  • Two additional complimentary tickets to a Platinum series concert of your choice (total of 4 tickets)
  • Invitation to a fourth Meet-the-Artist reception
• Maestro’s Baton Society ($25,000 – $49,999)
  All of the above, plus Invitations to all Meet-the-Artist receptions
• Laureates’ Baton Society ($50,000 and above)

*All benefits levels are fully tax-deductible.

Symphony Working Rehearsals Classical Works Club and Baton Society members receive exclusive invitations to attend members-only Symphony Working Rehearsals, which provide an insider’s glance at the rehearsal process. Dates to be determined. The rehearsal program may not include the complete concert repertoire and is subject to change.

Meet-the-Artist Receptions

Held on Saturday evenings or Sunday afternoons following Symphony performances, these intimate post-concert receptions provide Baton Society members the opportunity to interact with the guest artist(s), Music Director Nir Kabaretti, and Symphony musicians.

Annual Meeting

Each June, the Santa Barbara Symphony Board of Directors hosts this meeting and reception which provides an insider’s look into the Association’s accomplishments throughout the fiscal year and a sneak-peak at the upcoming season.

Golden Baton Society Event

This event honors the Symphony’s most generous supporters.

Endowment

The Santa Barbara Symphony maintains a permanent Endowment fund to secure the orchestra’s artistic, cultural, and education programs for future seasons. The Endowment is a protected fund and every gift to the Endowment generates a defined annual gift to the Symphony. Meanwhile, the principal gift remains intact and appreciating in the Endowment where the funds are conservatively invested to grow over time.

Endowment donations ensure that the Symphony maintains the highest standards of artistic quality and community engagement programs. Endowment gifts are also an excellent way for donors to maximize their donations as a gift to the Endowment will generate annual gifts in perpetuity greater than the equivalent gift made in annual donations.

We invite you to join the company of these visionaries who support the long term viability of the Symphony.

Allegro Society

The Allegro Society honors donors who have contributed $10,000+ to the Endowment Trust. Members of the Allegro Society play a leading role in preserving the Symphony’s heritage.

Vivace Society

The Vivace Society recognizes individuals who have contributed gifts of $1,000+ to the Endowment. These important gifts provide a solid basis on which the Symphony will grow.

Friends of the Endowment

Every gift is important and helps to secure the future of the Santa Barbara Symphony. We welcome every gift and thank each donor for helping the Symphony thrive.

Foundation

Foundation support is an important resource for the Santa Barbara Symphony. Grants from foundations support all of our programs, including concerts and educational programs that reach more than 4,700 school children each year. Grants may be given for general operating support or may be designated for support of a particular program or project including, but not limited to:

• Specific Concerts or Artists
• July 4th Concert
• Education Programs including:
  • After School Strings
  • Concerts for Young People
  • Informances
  • Music Van
  • Musical Mentors
  • Community Engagement Tickets
  • Santa Barbara Youth Symphony
• Legacy Endowment Fund

Volunteer

Volunteers make up a very important part of the Symphony and its many programs that benefit our community. Dedicated volunteers run the Music Van program, which has shown thousands of children the joys of music. Each year third graders throughout the County’s schools are treated to a visit from the Music Van. The docents who are all volunteers go into these classrooms to show the children the instruments and demonstrate through recorded tapes the sound each instrument makes. Professional musicians from the Symphony also come along to provide insights into what it is like to be in an orchestra and play excerpts of music for the children. This program has a powerful impact on 2,000 area wide school children per year and our volunteer docents make this possible.

Concerts for Young People

is a program that is presented to area wide school children at The Granada. Each concert is led by the Symphony’s Music Director, or guest conductor and is an important part of the Santa Barbara Symphony League’s commitment to our community. A special musical program is presented for the children, many who have never attended a Symphony performance. All schools are invited to participate in an essay contest and the semi-finalists are invited onstage to sit with the Symphony. The essay contest finalist is provided with the honor of conducting the Symphony. The concerts reach nearly 2,700 children annually. Volunteers are responsible for making this event possible.