Performathon
March 29 - April 1, 2012 - New this year: online pledging!
(Note: The Guilford branch begins Performathon on March 28.)
View a slideshow of rock students performing at The Space in Hamden.
“Performathon” is an NMS tradition and grassroots fundraiser held every spring. In honor of our Centennial Year, our goal is to have 100% of NMS students, parents, faculty, alumni and friends raise as much money as possible for financial aid.
Last year, more than 700 students from all programs and departments participated in more than 40 recitals during Performathon, raising more than $35,000! Monies raised went to NMS financial aid, which supports 350 students annually.
This year you'll be able to create a personal fundraising web page that you can customize and then send the link to your friends and family. Here's how:
How to create your personal Performathon web page
- Visit our Performathon page and click on the large "Register" button near the top.
- From the pop-up registration window, join as a participant (set the quantity to 1) and click "Register."
- You can form a team if you want (see details below). Each team member should register separately.
- Create your FirstGiving account, which helps us track your fundraising efforts and keep up-to-date information. You can customize your profile URL address to whatever you like.
- When you’ve finished filling in the information, click "Create Account."
- Choose whether you are creating this account for yourself or someone else (such as a parent creating the account for a child) and fill in your relevant NMS information (teacher, ensemble and instrument/study area).
- Click the box to agree to the waiver and click "Next."
- You will be asked to join a team. The existing teams should show up automatically, and you can join one if you wish. If you'd rather not join a team, click “Skip this” to the left of the "Next" button at the bottom.
- Congratulations! You've now arrived at your personal fundraising page, where you can upload a photo, edit the text to tell your personal story about your NMS experiences and set your fundraising goal.
- After you finish editing your profile page, choose the "Email" button at the top of the page to send an e-mail to all your friends and family members. The e-mail will be pre-filled with information about the Performathon, with a direct link to your personal profile.
What's next?
After you've created your personal page, you can go back and add more information, including images from Flickr and videos from YouTube. You can also tailor the "thank you" message that will be automatically generated for everyone who makes a donation to your page.
While envelopes will be available for cash donations, and we will process checks, we encourage you to register online and then send your sponsors to your personal fundraising page. This will help you reach the largest number of people -- and maybe you'll win one of the amazing Performathon prizes for the top 10 individual fundraisers!
Performathon Frequently Asked Questions
Click on the questions below for answers to questions you may have.
What is Performathon?
Performathon is a school-wide, grassroots fundraiser in which the entire NMS community is invited to participate. The goal is to raise money for financial aid so that the school can fulfill its mission of making music and dance education accessible to all.
From March 29 - April 1, students collect donations and celebrate the spirit of giving by playing a three-minute piece at NMS (Audubon and Guilford locations) or at special locations in the community. Note: Guilford's Performathon begins March 28.
Performathon is very important to the well-being of NMS because more than 350 students count on financial aid, and we don’t want anyone to go without music and dance just because they’re short of money. Last year, the efforts of NMS students during Performathon raised an astonishing $35,000!
How does Performathon work?
Performathon consists of two phases: During most of March, you look for sponsors, who support you by making a donation to NMS. This year we've added online giving. If you prefer, you can still collect donations by check and put them in your Performathon envelope, writing the names and addresses of your sponsors on the outside.
You may obtain donations without having to perform. Financial aid is very important at NMS, and your efforts to help others are important and really appreciated!
How do I participate?
Participation is very easy. To create your personal fundraising page online, go to the Performathon website. Once you have created your page, send the link to all your friends and family members. If you'd rather collect checks, ask for a Performathon envelope from your teacher. On the front of the envelope, write your name and address, as well as the name of your teacher.
If you wish to perform during Performathon week, discuss this with your teacher or just sign up on the bulletin board on the first floor as soon as possible.
Once you have your personal web page, ask your friends, family members, neighbors, classmates, teachers and acquaintances to sponsor you as a Performathon participant by donating to Neighborhood Music School. Any amount is welcome – from a quarter to a quarter million!
How can people donate?
Ask your supporters to go to your personal fundraising page online. You'll get a direct link to your page once you create an account. Create an account here. If your friends and family members would rather write a check, please ask them to make the check out to NMS. Put these donations in your Performathon envelope and make sure that your sponsors write their name, address, and donation amount on the lines provided.
Are donations tax-deductible?
Yes. Neighborhood Music School is a tax-exempt organization. Everyone who donates to NMS will receive an acknowledgment letter. If your supporters choose to pay by check, make sure we receive their name and address with their donation.
What are gifts? What are prizes?
We want to encourage your sponsors to give generously, so we have some great gifts and prizes available. Every individual who raises at leadst $50 will receive a gift at the school on the day of your performance.
If you are one of the top 10 individuals school-wide in terms of dollars raised, or one of the top 10 in terms of number of sponsors, you qualify for a special prize. This year, the prizes are outstanding, and we will post a list describing them on the Performathon bulletin board prior to the event.
Start getting donations as early as you can. The weekend of celebration and performance will take place this year from March 29 through April 1 (plus March 28 at the Guilford branch). Envelopes may be turned in through April 15 and still qualify for a prize.
Thank you for your support!
