Your Community’s TheatreThe Lobero is home to many of Santa Barbara’s best local performing arts, including the Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra, Music Academy of the West, Sings Like Hell, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Santa Barbara Choral Society and more. The Lobero Theatre Foundation is committed to ensuring that the theatre has state of the art equipment and a professional and efficient stage crew, ensuring that local organizations receive outstanding service and can focus on making great art. Rental dates, both local and touring, make up approximately 85% of the theatre’s activity and 41% of our annual budget.

Lobero LIVEAnother 15% of the theatre’s activity is our Lobero LIVE series, world-class touring artists presented by the Lobero Theatre Foundation. With 20-25 performances per year, we bring the best of music, dance, comedy and family entertainment to the Lobero stage. We are especially focused on jazz and American roots music. We have more than 15 years of jazz presenting under our belt, and have been named 5 times as one of Downbeat Magazine’s top jazz venues in the world. From jazz legends like Dave Brubeck, Pat Metheny and Charles Lloyd to the next generation of greats like Esperanza Spalding, the Bad Plus and Julian Lage, the Lobero has become a true performance destination for artists from around the world.

The mission of the Lobero Theatre Foundation is to operate and maintain the historic Lobero Theatre as a performing arts center and cultural asset to the community, and to present the highest quality productions in music, dance and theatre.

The Board and staff of the Lobero believe that the arts can be a catalyst for positive change, and should be accessible to the entire community. We reach out to local students, families and senior citizens with free programs that offer music education and live performance experiences. These are opportunities for children to learn new talents and gain valuable self-esteem; for families to share an afternoon of bonding; for seniors to get out and socialize with their broader community.

The arts are more than just window dressing. Participation in these programs gives children necessary tools for future success in all aspects of life: creativity and problem solving, confidence, greater focus and dedication, and the ability to collaborate with and learn from their peers. It also inspires children to continue pursuing the arts throughout their education, and in some cases throughout their careers. Experiencing a live performance, sharing that energy with hundreds of other individuals inspires and lifts up the spirit. It is an opportunity that all of our citizens should be able to enjoy.

Our programs include:

• After-school residencies by Santa Barbara Vocal Jazz Foundation, culminating in a performance on the Lobero stage

• Performance subsidies for youth arts education organizations like Santa Barbara Youth Symphony, Santa Barbara Youth Ensemble Theatre, Gustafson Dance, Jensen’s Rock Camp and New Noise’s Battle of the Bands

• 200 tickets for children and their families to attend It’s Magic!, complete with a pizza and ice cream social

• Community ticketing for a wide variety of Lobero LIVE events distributed through senior living communities, social service agencies and high school/college music programs

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What Does the Lobero Theatre Foundation Do?

The Lobero’s Youth Programs are made possible through the generosity of the following donors: Montecito Bank & Trust, Union Bank, Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation Education Outreach Committee, and the Lobero Theatre Associates.

SBVJF’s residencies are funded in part by the Community Arts Grant program, using funds provided by the City of Santa Barbara in partnership with the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission.

ASSOCIATESLOB E RO

Youth and Community Outreach

Resources and Management

The Lobero Theatre Foundation has a track record of earning approximately 60% of our annual income, and nearly 15 years of balanced budgets. The Board has a strategic plan to build on this foundation of fiscal stability to ensure the theatre is a resource for Santa Barbara in perpetuity. Those strategies include a strong cash reserve for years when the economy

presents unforeseen challenges, a robust endowment focused on sustaining all of the performance genres on the Lobero stage, and a staff retention and succession plan to provide the leadership needed to ensure that artists and local arts organizations experience artistic success.

IncomeRental Operations: $963,017 (41%)

Individual donors: $507,499 (22%)

Programs & Presentations: $412,480 (18%)

Foundations/Government: $136,500 (6%)

Board of Directors: $102,490 (5%)

Corporate sponsors: $98,222 (4%)

Endowment interest: $37,839 (2%)

Lobero Theatre Associates: $41,210 (2%)

Expenses

Rental Operations: $980,295 (43%)

Programs & Presentations: $580,256 (25%)

Fundraising: $457,719 (20%)

Management & General: $265,441 (12%)

The Lobero Theatre Foundation was established as a 501c3 non-profit organization in 1938 to act as stewards for, and to raise funds to maintain and operate an important historic institution. We are responsible managers of that trust, and make up our budget with nearly 60% earned income. For the other 40%, we ask for your partnership. Those who love the theatre, attend its performances, and care about preserving its unique history are our best resource for ensuring that the Lobero Theatre remains a vibrant center for performing arts.

Please consider making a commitment to the Lobero Theatre Foundation today. Here’s how you can help:

• If you’re passionate about jazz and American roots music, make a contribution to the Brubeck Circle to support outstanding performances and ongoing jazz music education in local schools.

• To make sure the Lobero remains an accessible stage and venue for young artists and low-income individuals, designate your gift to Youth & Community Outreach.

• A gift to our Lobero Fund supports all the great work that happens at the theatre, from outreach to performances to preservation of an important historic building.

• Consider naming the Lobero in your Estate Plan. A Legacy gift can be designated to one of our performance pillars (American Roots, Dance, Theatre, Classical Music or Youth Performances), or to the ongoing preservation of the iconic Lobero Theatre. We are happy to provide recognition during your lifetime with notification of your irrevocable planned gift.

How you can help

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President’s MessageI am now beginning my last year of a three-year term as Lobero Board President. It has been a remarkable time for the Lobero. Last year we completed nearly 20 years’ worth of capital improvements and upgrades to prepare the theatre for decades of live performances to come. A recent capital reserve study will ensure that future technical and maintenance issues are addressed early in order to keep the theatre looking and functioning at its best. This is the community’s stage, and the Board is committed to ensuring that it remains a cornerstone for Santa Barbara’s performing arts.

As we reflect on the accomplishments of the past year, we are proud to share with you in this Annual Report the ways in which the Lobero serves our Santa Barbara community. It is a community stage in every sense of the word, home to local arts organizations and the first stage for hundreds of our youth.

I believe the most critical step taken in the past two years was a strategic plan focusing on securing the long-term financial stability of the Lobero. The best way that we can accomplish this goal is through a strong and growing endowment. At present, the Lobero receives only about two percent of its annual operating budget from our endowment, placing considerable emphasis on annual fundraising. We know our community has the capacity to help build the endowment and we plan to focus on outreach to our donor base to build it through planned giving. I hope as you read this report, you will remember what the Lobero has meant to you and your family, and that you will continue your support of this historic community asset.

Sincerely,

Jeff DeVineLobero Board President

“The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.” – Nelson Henderson

Josie and Jeff DeVine