The Quincy Symphony Orchestra Association recently recognized 10 generous individuals and families at a ceremony at Quincy Country Club. These newest members of the Key Holder Club donated $165,000 to the organization’s endowment fund.
For over 75 years, the QSOA has been a pillar of the region’s performing arts community, providing concerts and education while enhancing the quality of life in the region. The Key Holder Club was established in 2022 to boost the non-profit’s charitable trust fund, ensuring performances for generations to come.
Consisting of Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Ruby Keys, the campaign has receivedover $500,000 in pledges toward its $1 million goal.
The event celebrated four completed Bronze Keys: The “Teresa & Kent Adams Key,” the “Lori Kruse Family Key,” the “Tim & Julie O’Connor Family Key,” and the “Harold Schmalfeld Key.” Three celebrants from 2024 advanced from Bronze to Silver levels: The “In Loving Memory of Carolyn Eakle Kirk Key,” the “Gerry & Loree Korb Family Key,” and the “Scott & Robin Walden Family Key.” The “Lee Paige Lindsay Silver Key” was also recognized. Two fully-funded Gold Keys were celebrated: The “Dr. Michael & Shu-hsing Shih Family Key” and the “Virginia Heintz Weinberg Key.” Donors received a limited edition pin, memento key, and keepsake box.
Robin Walden explains why her family endowed a key, “the QSOA and its member organizations have been a part of our family’s lives for more than 40 years, so it made sense to give back to the organization that has given so much to us. I have played in the Symphony for more than 35 years, our daughters played in the Youth Orchestra, and I was a volunteer in Encore! for many years. My husband Scott attended more performances than any of us can count and the audience, of course, is why the ensembles exist in the first place. For all of these reasons, we are deeply grateful for the QSOA and all it has meant to our family and are very happy to support it in this meaningful way.”
The QSOA Board of Directors invites the public’s participation in this ongoing effort to ensure a bright future for the non-profit organization. Donors are invited to join the Key Holder Club for themselves or to honor a loved one. Their Keys will be recognized on displays and in concert programs in perpetuity.
A Key Holder quest begins with as little as $1000. Participants have up to five years to build their Keys. Bronze Keys are fully endowed at $10,000, Silver Keys at $20,000, Gold Keys at $30,000, and Ruby Keys at $50,000 and beyond. Estate gifts over $10,000 are named with a Key designated at their level. Keys may be named to honor a family, individual, or business. Others may donate to meet a Key Holder goal or increase a Key to the next level.
Key Holders are building a secure base of assets in the Standing Room Only (SRO) Endowment Fund, a trust established in 1974 to provide perpetual income to the QSOA. Donations are tax-deductible and build the principal of the fund. A portion of the earnings is distributed annually to the QSOA. The principal and undistributed earnings are retained to protect the long-term investment of the fund.
“The goal of the Key Campaign is to double the endowment while offering a way to honor supporters who love the organization. Many families have come to concerts for generations and want to ensure the symphony’s future,” said Key Campaign founder Loree Korb. “The endowment serves as a springboard for building a sustainable tomorrow. It’s a legacy that impacts countless generations.”
Contributions may be one-time, recurring monthly, or yearly pledges toward a Key goal. Legacy planning is a meaningful way to support the QSOA and includes bequests in a will, gifts of assets from tax-deferred retirement plans such as IRAs and 401(k)s, or gifts of stocks, securities, or life insurance.
The Quincy Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1947 by George M. Irwin, Together with the Symphony Chorus (1972), Quincy Area Youth Orchestra (1988), Quincy Area Youth Chorus (1995), and Encore! Symphony Volunteer Council (1954), five groups form the QSOA. Their mission is to bring fine symphonic music to the people of the Quincy area, to provide organizations for local musicians to perform such music, and to create and support programs that encourage young musicians to foster their interest and skills in symphonic and choral music.
To join the Key Holder Club call the QSOA Office at 217-222-2856 or visit www.qsoa.org and click on Support Us / Legacy Giving.
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