As a nonprofit cinema, we are able to bring amazing films, conversations, and special experiences to our screens year-round thanks to donor support.

(Photo credit: Sergio Herrera)

In this edition, we are highlighting the many ways supporters can help sustain the Ambler Theater’s future. From preserving the magic of 35mm film to investing in essential digital projection upgrades, your generosity helps ensure that our theater continues to thrive for years to come.

Certain giving methods outside of traditional methods (writing a check or making a contribution online) have been growing in recent years, but not everyone is aware that they can give through these alternatives.

Did you know you can support our theater through a Donor-Advised Fund? You may even already have one and not realize it. Donor-Advised Funds, sometimes called Charitable Giving Accounts, are philanthropic accounts often managed through financial institutions like Fidelity Charitable, DAFGiving 360 (formerly Schwab Charitable), National Philanthropic Trust, or Vanguard Charitable to name a few.

Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) allows you to set aside money specifically for charitable giving. Each contribution to your fund is tax-deductible through the fund the year it is made. Contributions to the account can be invested to grow potentially tax-free, and you can recommend grants to nonprofit organizations like our theater at any time. Many donors appreciate DAFs because they make supporting the causes you care about simple, flexible, and organized all in one place.

If you already have a Donor-Advised Fund, recommending a gift to the theater is often as easy as logging into your fund provider’s online portal, searching for our organization, and recommending a grant in just a few clicks! DAF giving is an easy and flexible way to sustain the arts year-round while supporting the films, education programs, special events, and community experiences that help our theater thrive.

Please note that, under IRS guidelines, Donor-Advised Fund grants must be fully tax-deductible and therefore cannot be used for goods or benefits with a non-tax-deductible value, including those included with our Benefactor and VIP-level memberships. As a result, DAF gifts may only be applied to the tax-deductible portion of these memberships and cannot be used toward member benefits or other non-deductible perks.

In addition to Donor-Advised Funds, some supporters may also choose to make gifts through an IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD). Like DAFs, IRA QCDs are another thoughtful, tax-advantaged option for supporting the theater.

A QCD allows individuals aged 70½ or older to direct funds—up to annual IRS limits—directly from their IRA to a qualified nonprofit like our theater. These gifts can count toward required minimum distributions (RMDs) while excluding the donated amount from taxable income, making them a particularly tax-efficient way to give.

Another potential way to give is through a giving fund with a local Community Foundation, which is similar to a DAF. These organizations are typically focused on a specific geographic area and help connect donors to needs in their area.

As you think about your charitable giving this summer, we encourage you to check whether you already have access to a Donor-Advised Fund through your financial advisor, employer, or investment accounts. For any questions about making a gift through a Donor-Advised Fund or IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution in support of the Ambler Theater, please contact our Development Director, Lauren Nonini, at lnonini@amblertheater.org.

Ambler Theater, Inc is our legally registered name and our tax identification number (EIN) is 23-3077859.

As you consider supporting the theater, we also want to share a glimpse of what your gift can help make possible in the year ahead to keep the theater vibrant, accessible, and thriving.

At the Ambler Theater, one key priority is continued support for 35mm programming. Your support helps us bring more 35mm film screenings and ensures that our annual 35mm Film Festival can continue to grow and thrive, preserving the unique experience of analog cinema for our community. 35mm programming comes with additional costs, including film rental and shipping fees and specially-trained staff projectionists.

Our crew of 35mm projectionists (Photo credit: Sergio Herrera)

The crowd at our 2026 35mm Festival (Photo credit: Sergio Herrera)

We are also preparing for a major investment in our future. In 2013, theaters nationwide made the transition to digital projection. Our current 2K projectors, originally expected to last about ten years, are now over twelve years old. To continue presenting new releases and beautifully restored classics at the highest quality, it is essential that we begin replacing this aging equipment.

We are currently in discussions with our projection equipment vendor to prioritize everything that needs to be ordered now, made possible thanks to the funds raised during our year-end campaign. Those contributions will address the most critical upgrades, while allowing us to plan ahead and begin raising the funds for new 4K digital projectors to ensure long-term sustainability. We will continue fundraising in the months ahead to fully support this important multi-phase investment in our projection equipment. Thanks to generous donor support, we are on our way to raising the $250,000 needed for the new projectors.

Beyond equipment, donor support also sustains the heart of what we do every day: presenting great films, hosting guest speakers, producing special events like Hollywood Summer Nights, and deepening our community and youth engagement through programs like Film Camp and Cinema Studies. Thank you to all of our members and donors who make the Ambler Theater a community staple.

Special Guests TCM’s Hannah Jack and Alicia Malone attending 35mm Fest (Photo credit: Sergio Herrera)