As We See It

A local foundation is down to the last of its cash

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The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation’s most notable contributions in the Silver State were to the Smith Center (hence Reynolds Hall) and UNR’s Reynolds School of Journalism.

The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation recently doled out major gifts to two Valley performing arts institutions: a $500,000 matching grant to Super Summer Theater and $250,000 for UNLV’s Nevada Conservatory Theatre.

Since its founding in 1954, the Reynolds Foundation has funded a number of organizations and businesses throughout Nevada, Arkansas and Oklahoma. Its most notable contributions in the Silver State were to the Smith Center for the Performing Arts (hence Reynolds Hall) and UNR’s Reynolds School of Journalism and Center for Advanced Media Studies.

While the amount of the gifts to SST and NCT themselves are significant, their timing is even more meaningful: DWRF President Steve Anderson says the Foundation is in the “sunset state” of its funding. “We have about three and a half years left,” Anderson says. “We developed a strategic plan about six or seven years ago, and we’ve been implementing that plan year by year.”

Anderson says the Foundation had $160 million at the end of 2013, adding that a portion of that has already been committed. While Anderson says most of the Foundation’s grant recipients were decided long ago, he adds, “There is some wiggle room.”

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