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Where Vision Meets Action, and Voices Move the World.Invest in the Village Square

Invest in the Village Square

The Day of Orature is Central New York’s first dedicated public celebration of the living tradition of Orature. Your investment — at any level — directly funds a free, community-anchored event that places young voices at center stage and lays the foundation for a program with national ambitions.

Why Partner With Us

The Case for Investment

The Mĩcere Gĩthae Mũgo Foundation is not a conventional arts organization. It is a transformative platform where the past inspires possibility — where communities rediscover the power of their own stories. Sponsoring The Day of Orature means standing, publicly and tangibly, on the side of culture, equity, and youth.

Visibility at a Landmark First

Prominent recognition across all event signage, printed materials, digital platforms, and live ceremony at a first-of-its-kind public event in Central New York — with strong community, media, and academic interest anticipated.

Direct Civic Impact

Your sponsorship directly funds cash awards distributed into the hands of young people in Central New York — up to $5,625 awarded on the day of the event, across four age tiers and five performance categories.

Founding Legacy Recognition

Sponsors are recognized as founding partners of both this inaugural event and the Prize for Orature — a program with national and international ambitions, seeded right here in Syracuse. The legacy grows as the program does.

DEI, Arts & Community Alignment

Alignment with DEI, arts education, youth development, and community enrichment priorities — grounded in the African humanist philosophy of Utu and in the lasting legacy of Professor Mĩcere Gĩthae Mũgo, who served Syracuse University for three decades.
Corporate & Institutional Sponsors

Sponsorship Tiers

All sponsorship contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. The Mĩcere Gĩthae Mũgo Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization (EIN 99-3653269).

Foundational Sponsor

$10,000 and above

Limited to 3 sponsors
  • Top-billed logo placement on the main stage banner, festival entry archway, and step-and-repeat backdrop
  • Named association with the event (e.g., “Prize for Orature, presented in partnership with [Sponsor]”, where appropriate)
  • Premium full-page acknowledgment in the festival and competition program
  • On-stage recognition by the festival host during opening and closing remarks
  • Year-round logo placement on the Foundation website with a dedicated sponsor page link
  • Inclusion in all press materials, media interviews, and sponsor announcements
  • Reserved VIP hospitality area for up to ten (10) guests
  • Custom CSR/ESG impact report following the festival, including audience, participation, and media metrics

Community Champion

$5,000 – $9,999

Limited to 5 sponsors
  • Named association with a major program stream (e.g., the Youth Orature Performance Competition, the Children’s Storytelling Pavilion, or the Main Stage)
  • Prominent logo placement on the main stage backdrop and festival signage
  • Half-page acknowledgment in the festival program
  • On-stage recognition during program-stream segments
  • Logo placement on the Foundation website for the festival cycle
  • Inclusion in sponsor press releases and social media announcements
  • Reserved hospitality seating for up to six (6) guests
  • Post-event impact summary with key metrics

Supporting Sponsor

$2,500 – $4,999

  • Logo placement on festival signage and in the festival program guide
  • Quarter-page acknowledgment in the program
  • Listed recognition on the Foundation website for the festival cycle
  • Inclusion in sponsor social media announcements
  • Reserved seating for up to four (4) guests
  • Post-event thank-you letter with festival highlights

Friend of Orature

$500 – $2,499

  • Listed recognition in the festival program guide and on the on-site community sponsors board
  • Listed recognition on the Foundation website
  • Acknowledgment in a Foundation newsletter following the festival
  • Post-event thank-you letter.

In-Kind & Service Partnerships

The Foundation welcomes contributions of goods and services in support of the event. In-kind partners receive recognition commensurate with the value of their contribution — including listing in printed event materials and acknowledgment from the stage. We are actively seeking in-kind support in the following areas:
  • Venue / Infrastructure
  • Audio-Visual & Stage Production
  • Food & Beverage
  • Printing & Signage
  • Photography & Videography
  • Transportation

To discuss in-kind partnership, contact info@miceregithaemugofoundation.org

How To Give

The Foundation accepts sponsorship contributions through three convenient methods. To ensure prompt acknowledgment and accurate gift recording, we kindly ask that all sponsors notify the Foundation by email once a contribution is initiated

Pay By Check

Payable to:
Mĩcere Gĩthae Mũgo Foundation, Inc.

Mail to:
225 Sherbourne Road, Syracuse, NY 13224

Credit Card & Bank Transfer

Please use the DONATE button below, or scan the QR code below.
Alternatively, Call: 315-278-2818 for secure, attended Credit Card processing.

Stewardship, Tracking & Acknowledgment

The Mĩcere Gĩthae Mũgo Foundation maintains gift-receipting and stewardship practices consistent with industry standards for cultural and arts nonprofits. Every contribution is logged in the Foundation’s donor-management records under the sponsor’s designated name and assigned a unique reference number at the point of receipt.

  • Acknowledgment letter: A formal acknowledgment letter—signed by Foundation leadership and bearing the Foundation’s EIN—will be issued within ten (10) business days of receipt of funds.
  • Tax receipt: A written, IRS-compliant contemporaneous gift receipt suitable for tax purposes will be provided.
  • Restricted use: Sponsorship funds are tracked against the Day of Orature event budget. Sponsors at the Foundational and Community Champion tiers receive a post-event sponsor report summarizing audience and program metrics.
  • Confidentiality: Sponsor financial information is treated with strict confidentiality and is shared only with Foundation officers and the Foundation’s appointed financial professionals as required for accurate accounting and reporting.

Tax-Deductible Status

The Mĩcere Gĩthae Mũgo Foundation is a New York charitable, nonprofit, tax-exempt organizationregistered under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Tax ID (EIN): 99-3653269.Contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Goods-and-services disclosure:
Where sponsorship benefits include hospitality, tickets, or other tangible benefits
with quantifiable fair-market value, the deductible portion of the contribution will be calculated and disclosed on the sponsor’s acknowledgment letter in accordance with IRS guidance. Sponsors are advised to consult their own tax professionals regarding the deductibility of any specific contribution.

Closing Word

To sponsor The Day of Orature is to put your institution’s name in celebration of memory, youth, and the public square.

We invite your institution to stand with the Mĩcere Gĩthae Mũgo Foundation in honoring a remarkable legacy, in nurturing a new generation of orators, and in placing Syracuse on the map as a city that gathers, listens, and remembers together. We would be glad to discuss a partnership tailored to your institution’s priorities and reporting requirements.