At The Heart Of The Arts And Entertainment

Make a Gift Join Now Corporate Sponsorships

Support the Kirby Center!

The F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts is a nonprofit organization that relies on community support from businesses and individuals like you to fulfill our mission. Every year we provide an array of over 80 cultural and educational shows that promote artist quality, accessibility and education for all members of the community and beyond. The Kirby Center is an Award-winning, cultural arts center right in downtown Wilkes-Barre! We are the best venue to see Broadway, comedians, concerts and cultural events that enrich our community.

       Membership

  • When you become an individual or corporate member you are helping us to continue our mission of bringing quality entertainment to downtown Wilkes-Barre.
  • You help us to provide nearly 10,000 children with the opportunity to attend live theater performances through our Young Peoples Theater Series each year. You also help us to offer free Masters Classes that give children the opportunity to interact, perform and learn from traveling artists from national touring companies. 
  • Your membership is also tax-deductible and you get some incredible benefits that come with it.
  • Some of our benefits include the first to know about upcoming shows and the first to buy the best seats in the house. Some levels include exclusive access to the Mohegan Sun Pocono Parlor and drink specials on show nights. We offer a variety of both corporate and individual discounts, allowing you to buy tickets at a discounted rate for yourself, your employees or clients depending on which membership level you choose.

Contact Jordan Steiner at 570-823-4599 ext. 223 or Jordan@kirbycenter.org to find out more about becoming a member. To join membership online go to www.kirbycenter.org/joinnow

      Corporate Sponsorship and Corporate Membership 

  • Get your business in front of thousands of people each year while helping to make an arts education experience possible for thousands of children and also help us to be able to distribute free tickets to our community based nonprofit organizations serving low income residents through our community outreach program.
  • When you become a Kirby Sponsor you not only get the member benefits but you also receive advertising benefits which give you exposure to thousands of patrons.
  • There are many different sponsorship opportunities available and we can customize one that fits your personal business needs.

Contact Joell Yarmel at 570-823-4599 ext. 225 or joell@kirbycenter.org to find out more about Sponsorship Opportunities. View corporate membership and sponsorship options online at www.kirbycenter.org/corporate

Gift

Make a tax-deductible gift to the Kirby Center. Your gift will help to continue providing arts and education programs to children in our community through our Young People’s Theater Program. Your gift will also help to continue offering tickets free of charge through our Community Outreach Program. This program allows those less fortunate in our community to be able to experience the arts that otherwise wouldn’t be able to. To make a gift online click here.

EITC Gift

Your Company can help promote arts education in our region through the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program. By making a contribution to the Kirby Center’s Art in Education program through EITC, your company can receive Pennsylvania State tax credit equal to 75 percent of your contribution. If your company commits to the program for two consecutive years, the credit will be 90 percent of your contribution. To view more information on the EITC Program click here. Or for more information contact Joell Yarmel at 570-823-4599 ext. 225 or Joell@kirbycenter.org

F.M. Kirby Fest – A Night of Pint’s Pinot, and Performing Arts 

The event features beer, wine and food tastings from over 25 different local vendors. It also includes live music, art and a silent auction with signed memorabilia from some of the biggest stars that have graced the Kirby stage! All proceeds from this event go towards children’s programming and our community outreach program. To buy tickets or become a sponsor go to www.kirbycenter.org/kirbyfest. If you are a vendor interested in being a part of Kirby Fest please contact 570-823-4599 ext. 225 or joell@kirbycenter.org

 

Ways to Give:

Cash, Credit Card or Check
Gifts of cash, check or credit card are tax deductible. Gifts will count towards the Kirby Center’s fiscal year which runs July 1-June 30. The Kirby Center accepts Visa, Discover and Mastercard and American Express. Make your gift online here with Visa, Mastercard or Discover or contact us at: (570) 570-823-4599 ext. 223 or jordan@kirbycenter.org. American Express can be processed over the phone but not online.

Checks:  All checks can be made payable to the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts and mailed to:
F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts
71 Public Square
Wilkes Barre, PA 18701

Publicly Traded Stocks or Securities - Much like cash, gifts of stock are tax deductible at full fair market value if held for at least a year. The donor is not taxed on long-term capital appreciation. 

Gifts of appreciated property (such as stocks, bonds, or mutual funds), held for longer than one year, allow you to bypass capital gains tax normally due when you sell the assets and provide you a charitable income tax deduction that reduces the cost of your gift.

Bank accounts and CDs allow you to name the Kirby Center the “payable-on-death beneficiary” of your savings and/or checking accounts or on any certificates of deposit. You own the assets for your lifetime and have them available for your use. Upon your death, the assets pass directly to the Kirby Center without going through probate. Visit your bank to name the Kirby Center as a beneficiary on your accounts or CDs. You can change your beneficiary designation anytime you wish.

Retirement plan assets are plans that are most appropriate for funding are profit sharing plans, 401(k) plans, money purchase plans and IRA’s. Because our tax laws often subject retirement plan assets to the highest combined income and estate taxes, charitable donations of these assets may be your most efficient estate planning option. At the same time, you can pass more tax-favored assets to your family. 

Pledge is a way to pay your gift over an extended period of time. You can make payments monthly, semi-annually or annually to fulfill your pledge. You can place a credit card on file to be charged on a time line that is convenient to you. To set up a pledge payment please contact (570) 570-823-4599 ext. 223 or jordan@kirbycenter.org. 

Matching Gift programs exist within many companies. Check to see if your employer has a matching gift company. If you do send the appropriate matching gift form to the address below. Your matching gift can count toward your membership or sponsorship gift to increase your giving and give you addtional benefits!

The F.M. Kirby Center
71 Public Square
Wilkes Barre, PA 18701

Or email it to jordan@kirbycenter.org.

Planned Giving is a great way to show your support for the arts and the F.M. Kirby Center’s mission for years to come! A planned gift can help you plan for your own personal, financial, estate-planning, and philanthropic goals. With a planned gift, you may actually increase the size of your estate and/or reduce the tax burden on your loved ones. You will know that you have made a meaningful contribution to the arts today and in the future.

Ways to give a Planned Gift:

Bequests are the most popular type of planned gift. A Bequest is making provisions to benefit the Kirby Center guarantees that your personal plans are carried out after death and anything that you leave to the Kirby Center will reduce the size of your taxable estate, while helping a worthy cause. You can leave an outright gift of cash, securities or property, a percentage of your estate or a percentage of the remainder after making provisions for loved ones.

Life Insurance policy that you no longer need to the Kirby Center or name us the beneficiary of a policy. For the gift of a paid-up policy, you will be entitled to an income tax deduction equal to the lesser of the cash value of the policy or the total premiums paid. To qualify for the federal charitable contribution deduction on a gift of an existing policy, you must name the Kirby Center owner and beneficiary. Even if you are still paying premiums on your policy, you can give it away, and future gifts to us to pay the premiums will be tax deductible. To name the Kirby Center the beneficiary of a policy will provide no current tax benefits because the arrangement is not irrevocable; however, it will provide a very generous gift with attractive tax benefits upon your death.

For more information on planned giving contact Joell Yarmel at 570-823-4599 ext. 225 or joell@kirbycenter.org