Lights, camera, action - NIDA receives $2 million bequest
The National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) has received the largest bequest in its 50 year history. Rochelle Nolan reports.
A strong supporter of the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) during her lifetime, the late Dawn O'Donnell left a $2 million bequest to benefit students studying technical and production disciplines.
In 2002 O'Donnell established a scholarship fund dedicated to technical and production students, fulfilling her desire to fund students who were integral to any production but possibly didn't receive as much profile.
Determined this scholarship continue after her death in 2007, O'Donnell left close to $2 million in cash and artworks, to establish the Dawn O'Donnell Scholarships. The funds from the bequest have recently been realised, and Andrew Banks, chairman of the NIDA Foundation Trust said, "This bequest is the largest in NIDA's history, and demonstrates the power and importance of legacy giving to the ongoing vitality of any organisation."
The interest earned from this bequest will fund a number of scholarships for technical and production students and provide assistance for young female directors in their developing careers.
The bequest has just funded an opportunity for three of NIDA's female graduate directors (2009) to take their plays to the Adelaide Fringe Festival - the second largest Fringe Festival in the world. The plays are largely supported by a female technical crew. NIDA says that without the funding support of Dawn's bequest, the institute wouldn't be in a position to allow directing graduates the opportunity to take their shows to a wider national audience.
Rochelle Nolan is a journalist with Fundraising and Philanthropy Magazine.
F&P edition: Agenda E-bulletin - March 2010
Written by Rochelle Nolan
