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Mission

Ten Chimneys Foundation’s Mission

  • Preserve and Share the buildings, furnishings, collections, and grounds of a national treasure – Ten Chimneys, the estate created by Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne.
  • Serve as a continuing resource and powerful inspiration for theatre, the arts, and the art of living.
  • Offer public programs consistent with the Lunts’ varied interests and core values, while maintaining the integrity and intimacy of this extraordinary estate.

Ten Chimneys is a National Historic Landmark, a “Save America’s Treasures” project site, and is listed in the National Registry of Historic Places. Ten Chimneys is owned by the non-profit 501(C)3 organization Ten Chimneys Foundation, Inc.

From the desk of Sean Malone, Ten Chimneys Foundation President

November 2007

Dear Friends,

It has been quite a year for Ten Chimneys Foundation. Ten Chimneys’ reputation for excellence, and for offering truly meaningful and inspirational programs, continues to grow – nationally and internationally.

  • We welcomed our 75,000th Estate Tour Guest.
  • Our 2007 Exhibition on Noël Coward was so well received by the world’s top Coward experts that it is traveling to London to be installed in The Laurence Olivier Gallery of The National Theatre of Britain.
  • Attendance at our collaborative program of Play Readings with the Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s Artistic Internship Program has increased by 71%.
  • Attendance at our “Conversations” lecture series, featuring nationally-renowned speakers like “Turner Classic Movies” Network Host Robert Osborne, has more than tripled.
  • Overall attendance at our Public Programs increased by 98%.
  • Our new publication of Alfred Lunt’s Cookbook is selling twice as quickly as we expected – and just won a national design award from Adobe.

Even with such success – as with any non-profit museum or theatre, admission revenue alone simply can not cover the “cost of the show.” Your support is critical to our continued success and impact.
My Staff, Trustees, and I deeply respect every dollar that donors invest in Ten Chimneys Foundation. Through careful budgeting and efficient operations, we spend 92% of our annual budget on the programs and services that we exist to provide. Only 8% of the total budget is spent on general administration and fundraising. These figures, verified annually by third party auditors, are impressive statistics – significantly better than national averages and benchmarks for non-profit organizations.

Through the enduring generosity of annual donors and the financial success of our Estate Tours and other Public Programs, we are able to cover the vast majority of our $2.6 million annual budget. But I’m sure it will be no surprise to you that the cost of preserving Ten Chimneys has increased over the last few years, as has the scope (and therefore cost) of our important educational and arts programs.
It is critical that we find friends like you, who are willing to contribute to this exciting endeavor – who believe that preserving Ten Chimneys is important, who believe that our programs and mission are meaningful.

This year, we need to raise $25,000 from donors who did not contribute to Ten Chimneys Foundation last year. Those funds are absolutely critical to successfully implementing our programs and activities . . . absolutely critical to preserving Ten Chimneys for future generations.

As we raise this necessary $25,000 for Ten Chimneys, every dollar you give really does make a difference. Here’s how:

  • $14= Ten frosted candelabra bulbs for the historic Main House. (We use one hundred and fifty in a year.)
  • $18= One package (twenty-five pieces) of acid-free tissue paper for archival purposes.
  • $23= One year’s supply of white gloves (fifteen pairs) for one Volunteer Docent.
  • $50= Performance rights for one of our “Play Readings at Ten Chimneys.”
  • $52= One year’s worth of training and educational materials for one Volunteer Docent.
  • $75= Annual tuning of the Noël Coward Piano.
  • $87= One year’s worth of preservation supplies for one Collections Volunteer.
  • $100= One hotel night for a distinguished lecturer in our “Conversations at Ten Chimneys” series.
  • $125= One month of touch-up painting for the entire historic estate.
  • $150= The cost for five area students to participate in the “High School Conservatory Program.”
  • $200= Annual CPR and defibrillator training for the entire staff.
  • $250= Stipends for five professional acting interns at one of our “Play Readings at Ten Chimneys.”
  • $291= One month of maintenance for temperature and humidity control on the historic estate.
  • $300= Annual chimney inspection and cleaning for all ten chimneys on the historic estate.
  • $400= One full year of annual maintenance on all fire extinguishers on the historic estate.
  • $500= Annual maintenance on our permanent exhibition, “The Lunts: A Life on Stage.”
  • $500= The cost of hosting one theatre group for a “Theatre Resource Program” at Ten Chimneys.
  • $520= Four months of maintenance for the handicap-accessible elevator in the historic Main House.
  • $9,976= One full year of electricity for the historic Main House. (I started with light bulbs, I thought I’d finish with a full year of electricity to keep them running.)

Please consider a gift to Ten Chimneys Foundation this year. Your support will have an immediate and direct impact – on our community, on the thousands of guests who are inspired by Ten Chimneys every year, and on the growing legacy of this extraordinary resource for theatre, the arts, and the art of living.

Thank you in advance for supporting the mission and future of Ten Chimneys Foundation.
Yours,

Sean Malone
President, Ten Chimneys Foundation

2007 Annual Giving Opportunities

$50
A “Grand Entrance in the Arrival Hall” Donor
$250
A “Brunch with Helen Hayes on the Garden Terrace” Donor
$500
A “Game of Hearts with Larry Olivier in the Library” Donor
$1,500
A “Chat with Kate Hepburn in the Flirtation Room” Donor
$5,000
A “Song with Noël Coward in the Drawing Room” Donor
$10,000+
A “Dinner with Lynn and Alfred in the Dining Room” Donor

Lasting Relationships Membership

We also encourage you to share Ten Chimneys with friends, and invite you to donate $250 or more to become a Lasting Relationships Member. For one entire tour season, every time you bring friends with you to tour the estate, your admission is free.

Up to 2 members per donor household. Member(s) are free with as many or more paid guests admissions on the same tour. Member(s) must attend the tour. There is no limit on usage during the valid season. Reservations are required. Standard tour policies apply.

Ten Chimneys Foundation, Inc.

PO Box 225, Genesee Depot, WI 53127
(262) 968-4161 phone, (262) 968-4267 fax
501©3 Non-Profit Organization
Tax ID #: 39-1862290

For more information, please contact Mr. Sean Malone at (262) 968-4161 extension 206 or .

Donate Now Through Network for Good

Ten Chimneys Foundation Privacy Policy

Ten Chimneys recognizes all donors in annual recognition materials and/or displays. Donors have the option to give anonymously. If they choose to do so, their name(s) are replaced by the word “anonymous” in all donor recognition.

Ten Chimneys does not sell or exchange lists of donors, their contact information, and/or giving details.

If you have any questions, or would like to add, update, or restrict your personal information, please contact us.

Banner photo credit: Warren O’Brien from the O’Brien Family Collection at WHS.
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Development News

Please consider a gift in support of the work we do.

Nov 09, 2007

An impressive 92% of Ten Chimneys Foundation’s annual budget is spent directly on the important programs and services we exist to provide. Only 8% is spent on general administration and fundraising. These statistics are quite remarkable compared to national averages and benchmarks for non-profits. And only 27% of our budget …

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