Sweet Auburn: The Magazine of the Friends of Mount Auburn A Modern Vision for an Historic Cemetery | Page 23

People and Happenings

People and Happenings

Improvements to the Friends of Mount Auburn

By Jude Bedel , Director of Individual Giving
As donors to the Friends of Mount Auburn , your generosity each year provides essential support in our efforts to maintain and enhance our treasured landscape . As we enter our thirty-second year , we are pleased to announce new and exciting changes to our Membership program and benefits .
Currently , unrestricted donations to the Friends flow through two separate giving avenues , the Annual Fund and Membership . Following a series of discussions and roundtables with members , donors , volunteers , and staff , we have decided to merge these two initiatives into a single unified program .
Starting October 1 , your annual unrestricted gift will simply be made to the Friends of Mount Auburn , and will automatically qualify you as a member . This unified program will streamline the donation process and allow all of our donors to take advantage of an expanded list of benefits that was previously only available to donors to the Membership program . Member benefits will start at the $ 50 level ($ 40 for students and seniors ), covering two individuals . Each donor , or Friend , will receive a membership card and a variety of new benefits and privileges ( coming soon ) all year long , including special access to curators , invitations to behind-the-scenes events , and more . The tax-deductibility of your gift may vary depending on your member level , and which benefits you choose to accept .
It ’ s an honor for us to partner with you to care for our 175 acres of greenspace , monuments , buildings , and collections . Thanks to your generosity , we can continue to provide the robust roster of educational and cultural programming that inspires and engages visitors of all ages . We are confident that the new Friends program will allow us to offer exciting programming and benefits that better benefit you , the donor , without whom our activities and efforts would not be possible .
Sametz Blackstone Associates
2018 Volume 11 | 21