Development
Who We Are/ What We Do
As part of the SMTD Office of Advancement, our Development team inspires, cultivates, and stewards a diverse set of communities to strengthen our position as a top-tier performing arts institution through brand stewardship, relationship development, and revenue generation. We are committed to enabling inclusive educational and artistic opportunities for the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance (SMTD).
Depositing/ Handling Gifts
SMTD development staff will determine if a gift is acceptable to the University. Please notify our team immediately if you receive anything deemed as a gift (cash, check, buckslip, football tickets, or other goods and services). If you receive any sort of monetary gift, the University requires that the gift be processed the same day if at all possible, please notify our team immediately at: [email protected]
Gifts in Kind
The SMTD Office of Advancement manages the university’s required gift processing for donations, including gifts-in-kind (GIK). GIK includes donated instruments, equipment, scores, or other tangible items. Please fill out this Gift In Kind form completely so our office can process the necessary paperwork with the University. Please DO NOT ACCEPT a Gift In Kind, please fill out this Gift in Kind form to start the process and our office will facilitate the donation. Please DO NOT send this form to donors, this is an internal processing form so our office can process gifts-in-kind (GIK).
What Faculty Need to Know:
- All gift-in-kind (GIK) processing must go through our office, please DO NOT accept a gift. By filling out this form you are communicating to our office that a donor has approached you directly. Once you have filled out this form our office will communicate with the donor about the possibility of accepting their gift.
- If you believe an item may be of value to the Stearns Collection, please DO NOT accept on their behalf, all requests should be routed to Joseph Gascho ([email protected]) and Katie Sucha ([email protected]).
- Once all correct documentation is received, the processing typically takes a few weeks and the donor will receive a receipt from the University.
- Please note, we are not allowed to give tax advice to donors, they may claim their donation on their taxes or not, our job is to record the donation to the best of our ability, the donor will record and have to submit their own documentation and estimates to the IRS if they chose to claim it on their taxes.
Please reach out to Alison Bur (SMTD’s Development Generalist) with any questions at [email protected] or by phone at 734-998-6087. Thank you!
A Donor Reached Out To Me
Please share the donor’s name, contact information, and a brief summary of their question to [email protected].
Development Representation
If you’d like development representation at an event please reach out to our team at [email protected].
Donations to the Stearns Collection
If you believe an item may be of value to the Stearns Collection, please DO NOT accept on their behalf, all requests should be routed to Joseph Gascho ([email protected]) and Katie Sucha ([email protected]). If Katie and Joe decide to accept the gift they will work with our team to complete the necessary paperwork.
Piano Donations
If you believe an item may be of value to the piano department please DO NOT accept on their behalf, all requests should be routed to Randy Bibri, Director of Piano Technology, Office: 734-764-6207 / Shop: 734-764-4567 or [email protected]. If Randy decides to accept the gift he will work with our team to complete the necessary paperwork.
The SMTD Student’s Journey, Now and into the Future
The University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance brings together talented students from around the world into a vibrant, creative community of performers, scholars, creators, and educators.
Prospective students say “yes” to SMTD thanks to the bountiful options and the atmosphere of unwavering support from faculty and staff, from a robust network of donors, and from each other. Immersed in this world of possibility, our exceptional students challenge and encourage each other every single day. Gifted performers, creators, and scholars, these young artists are dedicated to the notion of art as a catalyst to inspire, to provoke, to bring joy, and to create change. They are deeply engaged in the world around them, intellectually curious, passionate, and driven.
Explore SMTD’s Campaign Priorities
Student Support
Scholarships open doors for the next generation of performers, creators, scholars, and educators, making it possible for them to revitalize and reinvent the performing arts.
Staged Productions
Staged productions are a vital part of what makes SMTD extraordinary. Funding for SMTD productions is essential to maintaining our excellence while enabling us to invest in the future.
Creative Spaces
The construction of a new building and upgrades to our existing facilities will provide spaces that foster inclusive opportunities, inspire creativity, and facilitate connection and collaboration.
Career Impact
The career-building resources SMTD offers to students add a critical component to their training, giving them the entrepreneurial and leadership skills necessary to forge their own success.
SMTD Friends Groups
One of the most popular ways to show support for our students is by joining one of our Friends groups. Our Friends are devoted fans, with a passionate interest in our production disciplines. The support provided by our Friends via an annual gift of any amount helps provide vital scholarships; allows us to invite visiting artists and industry insiders (like Kristin Chenoweth, Billy Porter, Joey Slotnick, Phylicia Rashad, and so many more) to teach and work with students; and create exciting performance opportunities for students.
Plus, Friends enjoy wonderful benefits, including priority ticket purchasing to all SMTD productions, behind-the-scenes opportunities to meet with students and faculty, invitations to special events, recognition in production programs, and email updates on exciting happenings in the Friends area of your choice.
Connect With Us
SMTD Office of Advancement
Phone: 734-647-2035
2005 Baits Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2075
The University of Michigan has 501(c)(3) non-profit tax exempt status. Our federal tax ID number is 38-6006309.
- Ericka Bigelow, Chief Advancement Officer
- Megan Anderson Cook, Major Gifts Officer Intermediate
- Kimberly Baumgartner, Director of Development, Marching & Athletic Bands
- Tamara Rosinski, Development and Alumni Engagement Coordinator, Marching & Athletic Bands
- Alison Bur, Development Generalist
- Gretchen Pleuss, Manager of Annual Giving Programs
- Jessica Woodman, Assistant Director of Development, Stewardship