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PARTNER, YOUNG PARTNER, & SUPPORTER GIVING PROGRAM POLICIES

POLICIES AND INFORMATION

The Public Theater has three levels of membership: 

  • Team Public is a free membership program that offers first access to announcements.
  • The Supporters Program is a donation-based membership program split between Supporters ($100 and $180 level) and Supporter Plus ($300, $500, and $1,250).
  • The Partners Program is also a donation-based membership program with levels ranging from $3,000 to $15,000. The Young Partners Program mirrors the Partners Program and is for donors under 40 years old.

MEMBERSHIP

  • Only one (1) membership per household account is permitted.
  • Memberships are valid for 12 months from the date of initial donation.
  • Membership gifts are non-refundable.

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

  • Annual membership benefits must be redeemed within the dates of your current yearly membership.
  • Unused benefits — including reserved seating to FREE SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK's HAMLET and complimentary tickets to the ASTOR PLACE Season — do not roll over into the next annual membership cycle.
  • You must log in to your Public Theater account to access and use your benefit tickets (complimentary or paid). Once there, choose the production you would like to see and select a performance date on the calendar.
    • If the performance date you are seeking is greyed out, that performance is currently unavailable. If you need assistance in booking, contact the Supporters Desk or Partners Desk.
  • All seats are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Ticket availability is not guaranteed.
  • During Partner and Supporter Priority Access Periods, a maximum of 3 full price tickets can be purchased. Additional full price tickets can be purchased after access becomes available to the general public. This does not affect complimentary or discounted ticket benefits during Priority Access Periods. 
    • When purchasing tickets from The Public Theater, you are limited to a specified number of tickets for each event (also known as a "ticket limit"). This ticket limit is posted during purchase and verified with every transaction. This policy is, in effect, to discourage unfair ticket-buying practices. Each Public Theater Account must be linked to a unique individual and contain valid and verifiable information. Multiple Public Theater Accounts may not be used to circumvent or exceed published ticket limits. If you exceed or attempt to exceed the posted ticket limits, we reserve the right to cancel, without notice, any or all orders, and tickets, in addition to prohibiting your ticket purchasing abilities. Any tickets cancelled due to violating the posted ticket limit may be refunded at face value (excluding fees). This includes orders associated with the same name, email address, billing address, credit card number, or other information.
  • You may reserve benefit tickets for friends or family who aren't on your membership. When reserving the tickets, please select "Hold at Box Office" as the delivery method and enter the recipient's name and information.
  • Invitations to events are for two (2) attendees and are non-transferable. Requests for additional attendees are subject to availability and will be considered for fulfillment on a case-by-case basis. Tickets to performances with pre- or post-show events will be deducted from your overall reserved seat allotment.
  • Members can exchange or receive a ticket credit up to four (4) hours before a performance. Contact the Supporters Desk or Partners Desk to process your request.
  • The benefits a member can access are dependent on the most recently purchased membership. An active member that renews their membership early (i.e., before the end of their current membership’s term) at an upgraded level will get immediate access to the benefits of the new level. Similarly, an active member that renews early at a downgraded level will only have access to the benefits of their new membership level.
FREE SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK's HAMLET reserved seats
  • Supporters Plus and Partners must reserve seats to FREE SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK's HAMLET performances within the dates of their membership. To access benefits for performance dates beyond your membership, you will be required to renew your membership.
  • There is no limit to the number of seats, within your benefit allotment, you may reserve to a single performance of FREE SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK's HAMLET (*except for Opening Nights and performances with Dorothy Strelsin Backstage Dinners). You may redeem your full allotment of reserved seats for one performance or multiple performances.
  • Supporter Plus and Partners may reserve seats up until 12:00 p.m. the day prior to a performance, subject to availability.
  • Partners at and above the $10,000 donation level may donate a maximum of two (2) reserved seats to FREE SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK to a charity of their choice.
ASTOR PLACE Season Tickets
  • Supporters may book tickets to ASTOR PLACE performances that fall outside of their membership. 
  • Partners must use their ASTOR PLACE benefits within the dates of their membership. To access benefits for performance dates beyond your membership, you will be required to renew your membership.
  • Within their allotment, Partners at the $3,000 - $10,000 donations levels may redeem up to two (2) complimentary tickets per production for the ASTOR PLACE Season. Partners at and above the $15,000 donation level may redeem up to four (4) complimentary tickets per production for the ASTOR PLACE Season.

TAX DEDUCTIBILITY

  • All levels within the Public Supporter program are 100% tax-deductible.
  • Most Partners program gifts extend benefits (i.e., goods and/or services) to a donor that are considered non-tax deductible. Please consult our membership page to view the tax deductible amounts by membership level. Members have the option to decline benefits for any membership level that extends non-tax deductible benefits.
  • Per guidelines provided by the IRS and donor-advised fund (DAF) sponsors, gifts from DAFs cannot be used as payment — either partially or wholly — for dues toward any membership that extends prohibited goods and/or services to a donor. However, if all prohibited goods and/or services of a membership are fully waived by the donor, payment via a DAF is acceptable.Partners who decline benefits forego the following:
    • All complimentary tickets to the ASTOR PLACE Season (tickets at discounted rates are still offered)
    • Invitations to all Partner events (e.g., Partner Dinners and Partner Cocktail Receptions) 
    • Access to redeem any member premiums offered throughout the year
  • Partners who choose to decline benefits still have access to reserved seating for FREE SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK's HAMLET and other Delacorte Theater programming.
  • DAF directories list The Public Theater using our legal name: "New York Shakespeare Festival."
  • The Public's federal tax identification number (FEIN) is 13-1844852.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with giftaccounting@publictheater.org.

RENEWING

The Public offers numerous ways to make your membership gift, including credit card, check, cash, stock or wire transfer, a donor-advised fund (DAF), employer matching gift, and gifts made over the phone. See below for instructions:

  • CREDIT CARD: Log in to your Public Theater account, visit the Supporter & Partner Programs page and click "select" above your desired membership level.

  • CHECK: Make a check payable to "The Public Theater" and mail it to:


    Attn: Development

    The Public Theater

    425 Lafayette Street

    New York, NY 10003

  • STOCK OR WIRE TRANSFER: Fill out this form to receive instructions.
  • DONOR-ADVISED FUND: If your DAF is with Fidelity, Schwab, or BNY Mellon, you can recommend a gift to The Public using our DAF Direct Form on our DAF page. If you use another DAF sponsor, please make checks payable to "The Public Theater" and mail them to the address above. Please note that most DAF directories list The Public using our legal name: "New York Shakespeare Festival."
  • MATCHING GIFT: Matching gifts can be used to satisfy or supplement membership dues. To find out if your company has a matching gift policy, please visit the Matching Gift page and enter your employer's name in the search box. When filling out any forms for matching gifts with your company, please use our legal name, "New York Shakespeare Festival (d/b/a The Public Theater)."
  • If you need assistance, please contact the Supporters Desk or Partners Desk.

CONTACT US:

The Supporters Desk Email: supporters@publictheater.org

Phone: 212.539.8650

The Partners Desk Email: partners@publictheater.org

Phone: 212.539.8734

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