TCG Partners With BiddingForGood; TCG Member Theatres Get Special Rate

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% and 13.8% respectively. Average contributed income from fundraising events also increased at the inflation-adjusted rate of 18.8% over the same five-year period. These increases helped off-set 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, 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."

For more information on TCG's Member Theatres: http://www.tcg.org/about/membership/member_list.cfm.

For more information on TCG's research and Theatre Facts 2013: http://www.tcg.org/tools/facts.

For more information on TCG's partnership with BiddingForGood: http://www.biddingforgood.com/online-auction-services.

Founded in 2003, BiddingForGood is a charitable e-commerce company that connects fundraisers, cause-conscious shoppers, and socially responsible businesses. Its unique platform allows nonprofits, consumers, and businesses to converge to create dynamic and exciting fundraising events that result in higher levels of funds raised. Over 8,000 customers ranging in size from large national organizations to small, local nonprofits and schools, and 460,000+ shoppers make up the BiddingForGood Community and create a new category of shopping -- Charitable Commerce. For more information, visit www.biddingforgood.com. Follow on Twitter @BiddingForGood or on Facebook.

For over 50 years, Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre, has existed to strengthen, nurture and promote the professional not-for-profit American theatre. TCG's constituency has grown from a handful of groundbreaking theatres to nearly 700 Member Theatres and Affiliate organizations and more than 12,000 individuals nationwide. TCG offers its members networking and knowledge-building opportunities through conferences, events, research and communications; awards grants, approximately $2 million per year, to theatre companies and individual artists; advocates on the federal level; and serves as the U.S. Center of the International Theatre Institute, connecting its constituents to the global theatre community. TCG is North America's largest independent publisher of dramatic literature, with 13 Pulitzer Prizes for Best Play on the TCG booklist. It also publishes the award-winning American Theatre magazine and ARTSEARCH, the essential source for a career in the arts. In all of its endeavors, TCG seeks to increase the organizational efficiency of its member theatres, cultivate and celebrate the artistic talent and achievements of the field and promote a larger public understanding of, and appreciation for, the theatre. For more information visit www.tcg.org.