New London Council Approves Garde Gift

Kathleen Edgecomb,TheDay.com - The city makes one time gift to the Garde of $25,000.

Nov 18, 2009 2:11 PM - New London - The city Council has approved a $25,000 donation to the Garde Arts Center to help maintain the 25-year-old regional theater.

Members of the Garde's Board of Directors asked the city in October for help with its $1.7 million budget. It was the first time the Garde had requested city funding.

The one-time donation, approved by the council Monday, will come from the Capital Reserve Account.
The request is part of the theater's larger push to raise $250,000 from sponsorship, individual, corporate and government donations.

Last year, the Garde's budget was about $2.3 million. Seventy-five percent of revenues are from ticket sales, educational program grants and tuitions and theater rentals. Twenty-five percent comes from donations from corporations, individuals and government grants. That 25 percent has decreased since 2006, from $700,000 to $421,000.