Houston Grand Opera Holds #GivingTuesday Fundraiser Today

Houston, November 7, 2014-Houston Grand Opera (HGO) will hold a special fundraising day today, December 2, as part of#GivingTuesday, an international movement to create a day of giving at the start of the annual holiday season. The program celebrates and encourages charitable activities that support nonprofit organizations. It was launched in 2012 by the 92nd Street Y in New York and the United Nations Foundation, and has been adopted by organizations around the globe. HGO is one of the first performing arts groups in the U.S. to hold its own #GivingTuesday campaign.

"#GivingTuesday is a great opportunity to remind Houstonians how world-class opera has helped make our city the exciting place it is to live and work," says Greg Robertson, chief advancement officer at HGO. "It is a day when both new friends and supporters who are already close to us can step up and make a special commitment to something that truly enhances the quality of life of this region."

"Participating in this important international fundraising initiative is one more way that Houston Grand Opera is taking the lead in our art form along with producing world-renowned, innovative work," adds HGO Managing Director Perryn Leech. "We invite anyone who cares about opera, or about Houston, to take a few minutes online and learn more about HGO and our #GivingTuesday efforts."

HGO's #GivingTuesday campaign, which launches November 7, will emphasize online and social media components, while also incorporating more traditional fundraising elements such as email and print materials. Titled #ALLINFORHGO, the online component will include special video messages from performing artists, polls, and incentives including matching gifts and backstage tours. HGO is working with agencies Kimbia and Social Factor to design and execute the campaign. Both organizations have worked with universities, community foundations, and other nonprofits on previous #GivingTuesday campaigns. #GivingTuesday arrives as HGO wraps up a seven-year comprehensive fundraising campaign called Inspiring Performance. The largest campaign in the history of Houston performing arts, it is on track to raise at least $165 million by December 31, 2014.

About Houston Grand Opera

Since its inception in 1955, Houston Grand Opera has grown from a small regional organization into an internationally renowned opera company. HGO enjoys a reputation for commissioning and producing new works, including 54 world premieres and seven American premieres since 1973. In addition to producing and performing world-class opera, HGO contributes to the cultural enrichment of Houston and the nation through a diverse and innovative program of performances, community events, and education projects that reaches the widest possible public. HGO has toured extensively, including trips to Europe and Asia, and has won a Tony, two Grammy awards, and two Emmy awards-the only opera company to have won all three awards.

Through HGOco, Houston Grand Opera creates opportunities for Houstonians of all ages and backgrounds to observe, participate in, and create art. Its Song of Houston project is an ongoing initiative to create and share work based on stories that define the unique character of our city and its diverse cultures. Since 2007, HGOco has commissioned 16 new works along with countless innovative community projects, reaching more than one million people in the greater Houston metropolitan area. The NEXUS Initiative is HGO's multi-year ticket underwriting program that allows Houstonians of all ages and backgrounds to enjoy world-class opera without the barrier of price. Since 2007 NEXUS has enabled more than 175,000 Houstonians to experience first-quality opera through discounted single tickets and subscriptions, subsidized student performances, and free productions.

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