Theatre Communications Group Announces Partnership With BiddingForGood

(Press release, Nov. 18, 2014) — Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, is pleased to announce a partnership with BiddingForGood, the leader in online charity auctions and the industry's first cause-related e-commerce company. This partnership will make available BiddingForGood's charitable commerce platform at a special discounted rate to the almost 500 TCG Member Theatres, taking advantage of the field-wide rise in individual donors and fundraising events.

According to Theatre Fact 2013, TCG's annual report on the financial health of the professional not-for-profit theatre field, contributed income from trustees, other individuals and fundraising events rose significantly from 2009 to 2013. Looking at the Trend Theatres — those theatres that completed TCG's annual Fiscal Survey in each of the past five years — average contributed income from theatre trustees and other individuals rose an inflation-adjusted 13.3 percent and 13.8 percent respectively. Average contributed income from fundraising events also increased at the inflation-adjusted rate of 18.8 percent over the same five-year period. These increases helped offset declines in every other source of contributed income, including foundation and government support.

"At a time when individual and trustee giving are the dominant sources of contributed income for theatres, this partnership with BiddingForGood has the potential to be transformative for the field," said Teresa Eyring, executive director of TCG. "BiddingForGood's impressive track record at leveraging the fun and excitement of online auctions to support charitable giving will empower our Member Theatres to strengthen their fundraising events."

Credited with creating a new category of shopping called Charitable Commerce^TM, BiddingForGood connects consumers and marketers to thousands of charitable auctions, which increasingly have moved from the physical to the online world in an effort to attract and reach more bidders. The company provides a way for fundraisers to extend auctions to a greater community of charitable supporters who might otherwise not have the time or opportunity to attend traditional events and give to new causes. BiddingForGood recently became the first charitable commerce marketplace to pass the milestone of $250 million in funds raised. The company is also offering its donation management platform, AIRS, to TCG Member Theatres at a discount.

"By melding technology innovations with traditional fundraising auctions, we have dramatically changed the world of charitable events," said Jon Carson, CEO of BiddingForGood. "We look forward to partnering with TCG to help participating theatres engage more donors in their fundraising events through the fun and accessibility of online charity auctions."