As a nonprofit cinema, we are able to bring amazing films, conversations, and special experiences to our screens year-round thanks to donor support.

In this edition, we are highlighting the many ways supporters can help sustain the CountyTheater’s future. From expanded educational programming to curated series and live events, your generosity plays a vital role in sustaining everything that makes The County theater such a vibrant and meaningful part of our community.

Certain giving methods outside of traditional methods (writing a check or making a contribution online) have been growing in recent years, but not everyone is aware that they can give through these alternatives.

Did you know you can support our theater through a Donor-Advised Fund? You may even already have one and not realize it. Donor-Advised Funds, sometimes called Charitable Giving Accounts, are philanthropic accounts often managed through financial institutions like Fidelity Charitable, DAFGiving 360 (formerly Schwab Charitable), National Philanthropic Trust, or Vanguard Charitable to name a few.

Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) allows you to set aside money specifically for charitable giving. Each contribution to your fund is tax-deductible through the fund the year it is made. Contributions to the account can be invested to grow potentially tax-free, and you can recommend grants to nonprofit organizations like our theaters at any time. Many donors appreciate DAFs because they make supporting the causes you care about simple, flexible, and organized all in one place.

If you already have a Donor-Advised Fund, recommending a gift to the theater is often as easy as logging into your fund provider’s online portal, searching for our organization, and recommending a grant in just a few clicks! DAF giving is an easy and flexible way to sustain the arts year-round while supporting the films, education programs, special events, and community experiences that help our theaters thrive.

Please note that, under IRS guidelines, Donor-Advised Fund grants must be fully tax-deductible and therefore cannot be used for goods or benefits with a non-tax-deductible value, including those included with our Benefactor and VIP-level memberships. As a result, DAF gifts may only be applied to the tax-deductible portion of these memberships and cannot be used toward member benefits or other non-deductible perks.

In addition to Donor-Advised Funds, some supporters may also choose to make gifts through an IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD). Like DAFs, IRA QCDs are another thoughtful, tax-advantaged option for supporting the theater.

A QCD allows individuals aged 70½ or older to direct funds—up to annual IRS limits—directly from their IRA to a qualified nonprofit like our theaters. These gifts can count toward required minimum distributions (RMDs) while excluding the donated amount from taxable income, making them a particularly tax-efficient way to give.

Another potential way to give is through a giving fund with a local Community Foundation, which is similar to a DAF. These organizations are typically focused on a specific geographic area and help connect donors to needs in their area.

As you think about your charitable giving this summer, we encourage you to check whether you already have access to a Donor-Advised Fund through your financial advisor, employer, or investment accounts. For any questions about making a gift through a Donor-Advised Fund or IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution in support of the County Theater, please contact our Development Director, Lauren Nonini, at lnonini@countytheater.org.

County Theater, Inc is our legally registered name and our tax identification number (EIN) is 23-2230422.

As you consider supporting the theater, we also want to share a glimpse of what your gift can help make possible in the year ahead to keep the theater vibrant, accessible, and thriving.

At the County Theater, we are currently seeking programming support to help sustain and expand the wide range of special events, curated series, community events, and educational offerings that define our year-round programming.

Donor support plays a vital role in bringing these experiences to life—from one-time special screenings to entire film series. It also helps us continue building new initiatives, including our expanding Cinema Studies program.

Cinema Studies introduces audiences of all ages to deeper ways of understanding and engaging with film as both art and cultural history. Each session features a guided screening led by an experienced instructor, offering a pre-film lecture and post-film discussion that encourages thoughtful exploration of key films, filmmakers, and themes. Whether you are a lifelong film lover or just beginning to explore cinema more deeply, the program is designed to offer a richer, more engaging way to experience movies at the theater. Each enrollment includes a film ticket, access to the lecture and discussion, and concessions, with new sessions offered quarterly.

TCM’s Hannah Jack introducing last year’s Hollywood Summer Night screening of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

Our programming also highlights and celebrates a wide range of cinematic experiences, including films by local filmmakers with post-screening Q&As for the community and special presentations of Art on Screen and the National Theatre Live series, which bring both art and world-class stage productions to the big screen.

We also continue to expand our signature and themed series programming, including Hollywood Summer Nights, bringing classic films back to the big screen from Memorial Day through Labor Day; Reel Rebels, a year-long series of international and independent films celebrating creative risk-takers; After Dark, a monthly late-night series of cult classics and genre-bending favorites; and our new SNL Fest, a special event celebrating Saturday Night Live with sketches, trivia, audience activities and an SNL-related film. Our first SNL Fest will feature the 1980 classic Blues Brothers.

Enthusiastic patrons ready for our screening of Ghostbusters

In all of these efforts, donor support is what makes it possible to keep the experience dynamic, accessible, and meaningful for our audiences and community.

Whether through personal donations, Donor-Advised Fund gifts, or IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions, your support helps ensure that these programs, films, and community offerings continue to grow and evolve for years to come. Thank you to all of our members and donors who make the County Theater a community staple.