Dave Chappelle Headlines Benefit for Theater Endowment at Duke Ellington School of the Arts

Thank you... and the work continues.

The show is over, but the fundraising continues. We're working to add $1 million to the Donal Leace Endowment for the Theater Department—the fund that supports theater instruction, productions, and performance opportunities for the next generation of Ellington artists. We've raised $500K so far.  This campaign runs through the close of our fiscal year on Dec. 31, 2026.

To everyone who filled DAR Constitution Hall on September 25: Thank You! The evening was a tremendous success, and it belongs to you.

We're especially grateful to the donors and sponsors who made the night possible. Your names are on the virtual Ellington Donor Wall, where they belong.

The goal: $1 million by Dec 31, 2026

A Note About The Tickets

Individual tickets to the benefit were sold at face value. Because ticket holders received admission to the show in return, the IRS treats that as a purchase rather than a charitable gift. It won't appear on your taxes, and it won't appear on the donor wall.

Every dollar from the door still goes to the school. But if you were in the room that night and want your support counted, a gift here does both.

How To Give

Click Donate to make a tax-deductible contribution. There's no minimum — give what you can, and your name joins the virtual Ellington Donor Wall, alongside everyone funding the endowment, the studios, and the stages that make an Ellington education possible.

For more than fifty years, DESA has been built on a bold idea: a young artist's talent should never be limited by their circumstances. Our 50th anniversary celebration continues, and you're invited to help us write the next fifty.

Questions?

Ellington Fund Board Chair Priscilla Clarke, priscilla@clarkepr.com

Contact Veronica Martin, Collaborative Projects Manager:
Benefits@ellingtonarts.org | (646) 713-9327 | www.ellingtonarts.org