San Francisco Conservatory of Music Reaches $50 Million Fundraising Mark

San Francisco Conservatory of Music Reaches $50 Million Fundraising Mark

Seven Major Challenge Grants Help Conservatory Narrow in on Campaign Goal; New $80 Million Civic Center Facility on Schedule to Open in Fall 2006

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- The San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) today announced that it has passed the $50 million mark in its $65 million fundraising goal for its new teaching, performance, rehearsal and practice facility in San Francisco's Civic Center.

Construction for the $80 million project is on schedule and on budget for the beginning of classes in fall semester, 2006.

Indicative of the broad support received from donors throughout the Bay Area, the Campaign for the New San Francisco Conservatory of Music at Civic Center was launched in 2000 with an anonymous $10 million challenge. Subsequent challenges were made by the late Mrs. Phyllis Wattis, the Bernard Osher Foundation, The Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation. In addition, the $3.5 million challenge by Mr. and Mrs. William K. Bowes, Mr. & Mrs. Jean Deleage, and Mr. and Mrs. Michael R.V. Whitman has been met. Significant grants from several private foundations, as well as other individual gifts of more than $1 million, were pivotal in helping the Conservatory reach this $50 million milestone.

"We are deeply grateful that so many individuals and foundations have supported this project," said SFCM President Colin Murdoch. "Their extraordinary generosity as well as the vision of the Board of Trustees have made possible an even greater future for the Conservatory as we strive to serve our students, the Bay Area, and the world of music at large."

Major donors to the Conservatory campaign to date include the following:

Challenges Anonymous $10 million Mrs. Phyllis Wattis $3.5 million The Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation $3.5 million The Bernard Osher Foundation $3 million Mr. and Mrs. William K. Bowes, Jr. $3 million Mr. and Mrs. Jean Deleage $2 million Mr. and Mrs. Michael R. V. Whitman $1 million

Foundations Anonymous $1 million The Bernard Osher Jewish Philanthropies Foundation $1 million Herbst Foundation $750,000 Koret Foundation $500,000 Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund $500,000 The David B. Gold Foundation $500,000 The James Irvine Foundation $500,000 The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation $500,000 Walter and Elise Haas Fund $300,000 Eldorado Foundation $120,000 Columbia Foundation $105,000 C.M. Capital Foundation $100,000 The Bothin Foundation $100,000 The Stanley S. Langendorf Foundation $100,000 Wells Fargo Foundation $100,000 Northern California Community Loan Fund $100,000

The Conservatory plans to launch the public phase of its capital campaign in early 2006. Recognized as one of the leading music schools in the world, each year the Conservatory serves more than 600 students through its Collegiate, Preparatory, and Adult Extension Divisions and its summer programs. Its students and faculty also present more than 1,500 public performances -- most of them free -- to more than 100,000 Bay Area residents and visitors annually. For more information, please call 415-759-3465 or visit www.sfcm.edu.

Source: San Francisco Conservatory of Music

CONTACT: Lisa Petrie of San Francisco Conservatory of Music, +1-415-759-3465, or lep@sfcm.edu; or Kathryn Pellegrini, kpellegrini@mackenziesf.com, or Cindy MacKenzie, both of MacKenzie Communications, +1-415-403-0800, for The San Francisco Conservatory of Music

Web site: http://www.sfcm.edu/

------- Profile: Ent