Crawford Taylor Foundation Gifts $10 Million to Muny Second Century Capital Campaign

ST. LOUIS (April 15, 2019) – The Muny announced today the acquisition of a $10 million gift from the Crawford Taylor Foundation towards its Second Century Capital Campaign. While the entire gift will support The Muny’s Endowment Fund, $5 million will be designated to specifically support The Muny’s education efforts. Going forward, The Muny’s education programs will be consolidated under the new name of The Crawford Taylor Education Initiative in the foundation’s honor.

Currently with eight programs, The Muny’s Crawford Taylor Education Initiative will provide unprecedented, hands-on instruction and mentoring for youth hoping to pursue a career on or offstage in musical theatre. With this gift, the initiative will aid in the development of new arts education opportunities while improving current programs under a single, cohesive framework. The Crawford Taylor Education Initiative will provide a new, dynamic system which will continually identify new areas of educational need and initiate courses of action to launch and sustain identified programs.

The Muny’s Endowment Fund ensures a magnificent outdoor musical theatre experience for centuries to come. This fund supports education and community outreach, artistic innovation, production enhancement, facilities maintenance and improvement, and operational sustainability. With the endowment, The Muny is able to remain accessible to all, regardless of income level. In addition, this fund supports the fundamental core of producing theatre on the grandest scale for St. Louisans, while providing the necessary training and mentorship to the next generation of musical theatre artists and technicians.

“By supporting the endowment, specifically the Education Initiative, the Crawford Taylor Foundation has made a remarkable commitment to the future of this institution and an entire generation of local youth who will have the opportunity to engage with arts entertainment through this initiative,” said Muny Managing Director, Kwofe Coleman. “With education and institutional sustainability at the forefront of The Muny’s Second Century goals, the Taylor and Kindle families have again set a benchmark for philanthropy in this community. We are immensely grateful.”

“The Muny’s mission is very similar to our foundation’s mission: create lasting legacies within our community. With over a century of community commitment, what an incredible legacy they have created,” said President of the Crawford Taylor Foundation, Jo Ann Kindle. “Endowment funding is critical to organizational growth and sustainability. We are elated to continue our long-standing philanthropic relationship with The Muny as they continue to build their endowment and education efforts for the next century of exceptional musical theatre.”

To give, or for more information regarding The Muny’s Second Century Capital Campaign, please visit muny.org/secondcentury.

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The Muny’s mission is to enrich lives by producing exceptional musical theatre, accessible to all, while continuing its remarkable tradition in Forest Park.  As the nation’s largest outdoor musical theatre, we produce seven world-class musicals each year and welcome over 400,000 theatregoers over our nine-week season. Now celebrating 101 seasons in St. Louis, The Muny remains one of the premier institutions in musical theatre.

For more information about The Muny, visit muny.org.