| Some of you first walked through our doors as kids on a school trip. Some of you have a Mill playbill from your wedding weekend still tucked in a drawer. Some of you were in the audience this spring for the final performances of Pump Boys and Dinettes and The Shoemaker and the Elves — nights that turned out to be more bittersweet than anyone expected.We’re writing to tell you plainly where things stand: The Mill can only reopen if this community decides, with its support, that it should. That decision gets made on August 24. Between now and then, we have real work to do — and real bills to pay — to give the Board something solid to say yes to. Where We Are: A Three-Phase Plan When we announced the operational pause in April, we committed to a three-phase plan so that every dollar raised has a clear, honest purpose. Phase 1 — Operational Pause (April – June) This phase was about closing responsibly, not abruptly — making sure the people and community who depend on The Mill weren’t left holding the cost of our pause. Final payroll for our staff and the casts of Pump Boys and Dinettes and The Shoemaker and the Elves Severance for eligible employees Insurance, utilities, and aging payables The first wave of refunds, including those to camp families Recruiting volunteers for committees and focus groups, and launching our Community Survey Goal: $250,000 Raised so far: $100,000 — in addition to cash gifts in-kind donations (ticket donations among the leading gifts), and the vintage clothing sale have allowed us to move to phase 2 — thank you to everyone who has already given Phase 2 — Research & Development: A Bridge to the Future (Now – August) This is where we are today, and it’s the phase that matters most for August 24. Our committees are hard at work on a new business plan. At the same time, we’re meeting the obligations that let us walk into that decision with a clean slate: Continued refunds to season and single ticket holders, and gift certificate holders Minimal staffing, facility upkeep, insurance, and necessary repairs Building a reserve to support a potential reopening Paying down our remaining debt — in full — before decision time That last item deserves its own word. The Mill carries debt from the strain of recent seasons — the kind many small theaters have quietly carried for years. We’re not asking you to erase our past; we’re asking you to help us walk into August 24 without it. A Board voting on whether to reopen an organization needs to see a clean financial foundation, not a hole to climb out of first. Every dollar that retires this debt is a dollar that lets the conversation be about the future of The Mill, not its past. Goal: $250,000 Raised so far: $5,600 — This is the phase where we need you most, right now Phase 3 — Runway to Reopening If the Board votes yes on August 24, this is what gets us back on stage: Hiring administrative and artistic staff for a stronger organization Production supplies and materials, at today’s higher costs Food & beverage supplies The many other costs of live performance Goal: $300,000 Raised so far: — — Begins only if Phase 2 succeeds What Your Gift Makes Possible We understand it’s hard to give to something that isn’t a sure thing yet. But we want to be just as honest about the alternative: if we don’t raise what Phase 2 needs, there’s very little chance the Board will have a reopening to vote on at all. Your gift right now isn’t a bet on a guarantee — it’s the thing that makes a guarantee possible.$50 helps cover a week of utilities, keeping our building safe and ready$250 helps refund a season ticket holder or a camp family in full$1,000 helps retire a meaningful piece of our remaining debt$5,000+ helps us walk into August 24 debt-free, with a real case for yesAnd thanks to recent changes in tax law, your gift is tax-deductible again this year — whether you itemize or take the standard deduction. How to Give You can give online by hitting the button below or by mail to: Swift Creek Mill Theatre PO Box 41 South Chesterfield, VA 23834 We’re glad to help however is easiest for you. We’ll also be sharing details soon on upcoming fundraising and informational events where you can hear more and meet the people doing this work. Thank you for everything The Mill has already meant to you, and for considering what it can mean again. We would love nothing more than to see you back in these seats. HELP FILL THE MILL A bridge campaign to carry us through the pause — and back to opening night Donate Now |