Yesterday, the Trump administration proposed eliminating the National Endowment for the Arts. This U.S. government agency has provided vital funding for the arts as well as cultural organizations in this country for more than fifty years. For decades this has included the Film Society of Lincoln Center; in fact, since 1984 we have received a total of nearly $1.7 million from the NEA. It is an essential source for us.

Today, we are in the midst of a crucial fundraising campaign. Our annual Chaplin Award Gala—this year honoring Robert De Niro on Monday May 8th—provides significant financial support for our organization. It is our biggest annual fundraiser and it protects our many year-round programs, so many of which are essential to promoting inclusivity and diversity in the arts, including artist and industry initiatives, screening retrospectives, our education program, Film Comment magazine, and more.

We hope that today you’ll consider buying a ticket, table, or dinner seat for this year’s Chaplin Gala to express your support for the work of the Film Society of Lincoln Center. Like many other nonprofit cultural organizations in this country, we need that support now more than ever.

Thank you so much for considering this request. For more information on buying tables and tickets, visit the gala page on our website.

Sincerely,
Lesli Klainberg                                  Eugene Hernandez
Executive Director                             Deputy Director