Money Woes For NYC Gay Men's Chorus

New York City's Gay Men's Chorus may have to disband unless its financial situation turns around quickly.

Like so many nonprofit arts organizations in this economic downturn, we are hurting,” said Rick Clodfelter, Chairman of the Board of Big Apple Performing Arts, Inc., the umbrella organization for the NYCGMC. “Decreasing donations, limited resources and the rising costs of production make it more difficult than ever for a community arts organization to survive. Our goal is to raise $500,000 to enable us to retire debt, proceed with our 30th season and ensure we are better positioned to advocate for equality in the future.”

In addition to reaching out to elected officials for help and holding community wide fundraising campaigns, individual members of the choir have reached out to supporters through social networking sites. “We are not going down without a fight. We have drastically reduced operating expenses and embarked on a no-holds barred fundraising campaign,” said the choir’s executive director Peter Criswell. “We have remained a grassroots organization with many generous individuals and a few loyal corporate sponsors supporting us. In a better economy, that kept us afloat. However, with today’s economic downturn and rising costs, we will not be able to begin our 30th anniversary season without an influx of funds.”

Visit the Chorus' site for information on how to help.