Tickets for Kids® to Merge New York's Seats of Dreams Into Its Operations
Expanded entity will enhance national impact
PITTSBURGH, Dec. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Pittsburgh-based nonprofit Tickets for Kids® (TFK) announced today that it will merge the operations of New York-based nonprofit Seats of Dreams into its national network.
Founded in Pittsburgh in 1994, TFK provides opportunities for low-income and at-risk kids to access the cultural, arts, sports and entertainment venues of their communities through partnership with social service agencies and ticket donors. Since its inception, TFK has distributed more than 2.8 million tickets across all 50 states, valued at more than $58 million.
Founded in 2011, Seats of Dreams launched its vision to fill empty seats in New York City with kids who would not normally have access to professional sports games and live entertainment. Since then, the organization has provided more than 150,000 opportunities for children in 41 states to be inspired by the sense of community and excitement associated with these experiences. With the goal of continuing to enhance the organization's impact, its leadership looked to peer organizations with which it could exchange best practices, leading to a partnership with TFK.
Leaders of both organizations agreed that they could continue to scale their impact while improving efficiencies by joining the two organizations. Effective January 1, 2019, the network of partners from Seats of Dreams will be integrated into Tickets for Kids.
"This merger will not only result in a stronger organization, but it will enhance our ability to impact the lives of more kids who haven't had access to these kinds of experiences," said TFK Executive Director Jason J. Riley. "Our two organizations share the same mission and vision, and we have no doubt that we will accomplish more together."
"This endeavor will allow us to elevate our mission across the country," said Seats of Dreams co-founder David Bieber. Co-founder Clint Greenbaum continued, "This next step in our evolution will help us to realize the kind of national growth that we had envisioned."
"These opportunities are more than just a ticket. We receive hundreds of letters a week from kids who share how an experience allowed them to view the world a little differently, and think in new ways about what their place in that world could be. It really is about providing access to inspiration, education, and a sense of inclusion," said Riley. "For our ticket donors, ninety percent of whom are the theaters, museums, tour promoters and ballparks themselves, we provide a turn-key solution that helps meet their goals for inclusion and audience-building."
TFK relies on the support of generous financial donors to support its operations and grow the organization's impact.
Media Contact:
Meryl Hellring
Phone: 412-745-5510
Email: [email protected]
Related Files
2018.12.17 Merger News Release - Pittsburgh.pdf
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