Support the Arts. Sustain the Experience.
For the last 70 years, Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts has brought world-class artists and transformative performances to our community. Your support keeps this legacy alive—on stage, in classrooms, and throughout eastern Connecticut.
Whether you give your time, your resources, or your voice, every contribution makes a difference. Join our family of supporters and help Jorgensen continue to inspire, educate, and connect through the power of live performance.
JOY! (Jorgensen Outreach for Youth)
The Jorgensen Outreach for Youth and JOY! Conservatory Program bring the arts to eastern Connecticut’s children, providing free tickets to Jorgensen events for underprivileged children and their families, and full scholarships and unique educational opportunities to talented and highly motivated young musicians.
On October 17, 1999, Jorgensen presented Alice in Wonderland to a full house of eager youngsters—many experiencing live theater for the first time. Among them were 25 children and 8 young adults, the first participants in the Jorgensen Outreach for Youth (JOY!) program. Since then, JOY! has welcomed over 10,000 children from eastern Connecticut to Jorgensen events.
JOY! brings the arts to underprivileged children and families by providing free access to performances, transportation, in-school outreach, and the JOY! Conservatory Program.
This program is made possible through the generosity of individuals and local businesses. Thanks to our JOY! benefactors, Jorgensen can share the excitement of live music, dance, and theater with hundreds of young people each year. We invite you to share the JOY! by making a donation today and helping us bring the arts to deserving children across our community.
For more information, please contact Rodney Rock, Jorgensen Director, at 860-486-1983 or rodney.rock@uconn.edu.
Donor Levels: Diamond $1,000+ · Emerald $600–$999 · Ruby $300–$599 · Sapphire $100–$299 · Pearl up to $99
Lenard Chamber Music Endowment Fund
Gifts to the Lenard Chamber Music Endowment Fund support chamber music, one of the hallmarks and most dearly loved elements of the programming at Jorgensen. This fund is made possible through the generosity of Jean and John Lenard. Additional support has also been provided by the Jeffrey P. Ossen Family Foundation.
The Lenard Chamber Series is made possible through the generosity of Jean and John Lenard.
Thanks to the generous philanthropy of patrons Jean and John Lenard, chamber music, one of the hallmarks and most dearly loved elements of the programming at Jorgensen is secure well into the future. Also, thanks to the Lenard Endowment, UConn students, non-UConn students, and area youth are invited to attend all chamber music events for free.
Jorgensen would like to invite you to support the Lenard Chamber Music Endowment Fund by making a gift today.
Gifts to the Lenard Chamber Music Endowment Fund support expenses of and relating to the Chamber Music Series including musicians’ fees, master classes, pre-concert lectures, receptions, travel, lodging, and hospitality.
Contact Director Rodney Rock at 860-486-1983 or rodney.rock@uconn.edu with any questions.
CoStars
The CoStars are Jorgensen’s active donor-volunteers. In addition to a monetary donation, the CoStars generously donate their time and talent through community advocacy, creative fund-raising activities, ushering, and hosting pre- and post-concert receptions.
The CoStars are a special group of volunteers who generously contribute $750 per person / $1,500 per couple, along with their time and talents, to support Jorgensen through community advocacy, creative fundraising, and by hosting pre- and post-concert receptions featuring world-class artists. Their dedication has made possible the purchase of the portable chamber stage and acoustical shell, the Steinway Model D Concert Grand Piano, and the state-of-the-art exterior message center. By becoming a CoStar, you’ll join a vibrant, thoughtful community of arts lovers who make Jorgensen’s success a priority. Members receive an honorary Producers Circle membership in the Jorgensen Circle of Friends, which includes early ticket ordering for one full year, reserved lower-level parking in the North Garage, recognition in the Jorgensen Playbill, and invitations to artist receptions and meet & greets.
As a special thank you, CoStars are invited to the exclusive Sneak Preview Dinner and Cocktail Party each spring, hosted by Director Rodney Rock, where members enjoy an exciting first look at the upcoming season before its public announcement. Join the CoStars and be the first to know what’s new!
If you are interested in becoming a Jorgensen CoStar, please contact Rodney Rock at 860.486.1983, or by e-mail at rodney.rock@uconn.edu.
Director’s Fund
Your gift provides the Director of Jorgensen with discretionary funds to support the presenting program, and/or to undertake important facility upgrade and enhancement projects.
Your gift provides the Director of Jorgensen with discretionary funds to support the presenting program, including virtual programming, and/or to undertake important facility upgrade and enhancement projects.
Contact Director Rodney Rock at 860-486-1983 or rodney.rock@uconn.edu with any questions.
Circle of Friends
The Jorgensen Circle of Friends is a group of generous art-supporters who make vital contributions to special projects, interior restorations, and commissioned works.
Become a Friend!
Join Jorgensen’s Circle of Friends, a community of generous arts supporters whose contributions have helped fund restorations, special projects, and commissioned works throughout the years. By becoming a Friend, you’ll not only help sustain Jorgensen’s mission but also enjoy exclusive privileges, including early ticket-ordering for one full year, recognition in the Jorgensen Playbill, and invitations to “Meet the Artist” receptions.
Make your tax-deductible donation today and become part of a tradition that keeps the arts thriving in our community. To join, contact Rodney Rock at 860-486-1983 or rodney.rock@uconn.edu.
Donor Levels: Producer’s Circle $500 person / $1,000 couple · Director’s Circle $250 person / $500 couple · Artist’s Circle $125 person / $250 couple · Patron’s Circle $50 person / $100 couple · Critics Circle $25 person / $50 couple · Student Understudy $10
Jorgensen Event Sponsorship Program
Express your appreciation and support for the wonderful programs at Jorgensen by sponsoring a concert or other event through Jorgensen’s Endowed Sponsorship Program.
Depending on the performer's schedule, this could either be a special "meet and greet" session prior to the event, or a post-concert private reception for you and up to 25 of your friends. Through a sponsorship, you could celebrate a special holiday, birthday or anniversary, or dedicate an event to a loved one. Most importantly, by contributing to the cost of a current event, you will help ensure that Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts can continue to present such wonderful programs in the future. A cultural gift like this would benefit not only Jorgensen, but its neighbors throughout the region. A baseline donation of 25% of the cost of the event is suggested for a Title Sponsorship.
Supporting the arts starts with you. If you or your family would like to contribute in this meaningful way, contact Rodney Rock, Jorgensen Director, at (860) 486-1983 or rodney.rock@uconn.edu .
Jorgensen Legacy Circle
Help preserve Jorgensen’s legacy! For more than 50 years, Jorgensen has been among the premier college-based presenting organizations in the country. The Jorgensen Legacy Circle of the Charles Lewis Beach Society provides a vehicle for performing arts lovers and patrons who wish to continue their support of Jorgensen in perpetuity.
For more information or a brochure on the Legacy Circle of the Charles Lewis Beach Society, contact Greg Knott in the Office of Planned Giving at 860-486-6135 or visit legacy.uconn.edu . Or you may contact Jorgensen Director Rodney Rock at 860-486-1983 or rodney.rock@uconn.edu.
Jorgensen is an invaluable resource for students and faculty at UConn, presenting a variety of music, theater and dance programs that augment the formal education process. Live performances and master classes by renowned artists broaden students' experiences and add a new dimension to their intellectual exploration.
More than 70,000 people annually experience live performances by celebrated artists from around the world at Jorgensen. Additionally, periodic outreach programs are planned for children and adults in communities across the state.
Contributors to Jorgensen recognize the intrinsic value of the arts, and understand the financial challenges faced by arts institutions. Planned gifts provide long-term support critical to preserving Jorgensen's high level of programming for future generations. An endowment named in your honor or in memory of a loved one is an ideal way to establish a permanent legacy. Planned giving provides vital support, enabling Jorgensen to continue in its mission to serve the University and greater Connecticut.
In addition to providing vital support to Jorgensen, planned gifts can also benefit donors by helping them achieve their financial goals. The most common type of planned gift is to include Jorgensen in your will.
Most types of planned gifts offer estate and income tax benefits for donors and their heirs. With thoughtful planning, gift commitments can help donors meet their current financial needs and enhance the status of their estates, life insurance or retirement plans.
- Outright gifts: Appreciated securities, Real estate, Retirement assets
- Estate gifts: Wills, Living trusts, Retirement plans, Life insurance
- Life income gifts: Trust, annuity and remainder plans that offer lifetime income or residence to the donor
- Priority seating at Jorgensen performances
- Invitations to exclusive Jorgensen Legacy Circle events
- Recognition in the Jorgensen playbill
- An invitation to the Charles Lewis Beach Society luncheon, where members can meet and share ideas with leading faculty and administrators
Your gift will be received by The University of Connecticut Foundation, Inc., a Connecticut non-profit and a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization that exclusively benefits UConn. All contributions are subject to certain administrative fees that support Foundation operating expenses and other priorities determined by the University unit receiving the gift. If you do not wish to receive future fundraising communications supporting UConn Health, please contact UConn Foundation and we will honor your request to not receive fundraising communications from us after the date we receive your request.
You may contact us or obtain a copy of the UConn Foundation financial report at 2390 Alumni Drive, U-3206, Storrs, CT 06269, 800-269-9965, or www.foundation.uconn.edu.
The Foundation is registered to solicit charitable contributions with the appropriate governing authorities in all states requiring registration. For additional state solicitation disclosures, please visit the UConn Foundation website. Registration with a state agency does not constitute or imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by the state.