Friends: Frequently Asked Questions - Purdue Convocations

FRIENDS OF CONVOS

What are priority points? How do I give? What are my benefits? and many more…

Priority Points

What are priority points?

Priority points are a way to acknowledge individual Friends of Convocations for both their loyalty and their financial support. The points are used each year for show seating for any Friend of Convos who purchases tickets during our pre-sale period.

How do I earn priority points?

Earning priority points starts with a gift to Convocations. After you make your first gift, if you keep it current on an annual basis, you will also earn points for consecutive years of membership, PICK5 purchases, and gift points. Watch the short video clip below to learn more!

Can priority points be shared?

Friends of Convocations privileges and priority points may not be shared between households and are only transferable to a surviving spouse. To view how you may request to sit with other Friends, see below.

My giving hasn’t been consistent. What happens to my points if I miss a year?

Loyalty points are earned for consecutive years of giving. Skipping a year of giving means that your loyalty points return to zero and start over. However, the other types of points you have accumulated (giving points, PICK5 points, advisory board points, etc.) stay in our records. Your new gift and new loyalty years’ points will be added onto this baseline total.

Is there a specific time of year I should give to earn priority points?

Points are tallied on an ongoing basis, so giving anytime of year is to your (and our!) benefit. However, if you’ve never given before and you’d like to be included in priority seating for the first time, your gift must be received by the end of our Friends Ticket Pre-Sale period, which usually takes place for two or three weeks following our new season announcement. Also of note, points for payroll deduction gifts are added in fractions throughout the year. If you are a new payroll donor, and concerned about seating, feel free to call us at (765) 494-9712.

Priority Points Accumulation

Joining Bonus

25 points upon joining Friends of Convos

Gift Points

1 point per $50 gift

Loyalty Points

2 points per consecutive year of membership in the Friends of Convos

PICK5 Subscription Bonus

2 points per 5 shows purchased

Friends Advisory Board Bonus

10 point one-time bonus for membership on the Friends Advisory Board

Deferred Gift Bonus

1 point per $500 deferred gift

Seating Assignments

How does priority seating work?

While we call all donors Friends of Convocations, only contributions of $100 annually earn the priority seating benefit. Each year following our Friends of Convocations Pre-sale, we rank Friends in point order, highest to lowest, and fill orders one at a time. Seating is based on donor preference. We will seat you in the best available location that is closest to your preference, at the time your order is filled.

How do you know my seating preference?

Please use your ticket order form to tell us what you prefer. If you order tickets online, you will also have an option to choose preferences as you complete your order. If you’d like to provide detailed instructions or have special needs, please feel free to get in touch.

Can I choose my own seats?

If you would like to have the priority seating option to be seated before the general public, unfortunately not. Your accumulated priority points total plus detailed seating preferences help you move toward your ideal seat over time. Anyone who purchases single tickets after our Friends of Convos and PICK5 Pre-sales have ended have the option to choose their seats, though you may find that your preferred seats have likely already been sold.

Can I have the same seat for every show?

Unfortunately not. Because donors are seated show-by-show in point order, and because no two ticket orders are exactly alike, the seating will vary from show to show. Occasionally, same seats may happen by chance due to your position in the priority point ranking, but we cannot guarantee it.

Is priority seating available for every show?

Priority seating is available for every ticketed, assigned seat show in our regular season. Due to contractual obligations, we cannot guarantee priority seating or typical Friends locations at most Student Concert Committee performances or other commercial shows added after our regular season announcement. Shows that are billed as “general admission” at alternate venues do not have priority seating.

Tax Deductions

Is my gift to Convocations tax deductible?

Yes! Purdue Convocations is a non-profit organization under Purdue University. We do not receive state funds, and ticket sales only cover about 60% of the true programming costs, so your donation helps us make our work possible. After making a gift, you will receive a tax receipt from the University Development Office for 100% of your gift amount.

I’d like to donate a ticket I purchased, but can’t use. Is this tax deductible?

The value of tickets returned as a donation, rather than for a refund, are only tax deductible for the donor if they were purchased as part of a PICK5 package. If the ticket you are donating was purchased as a part of a PICK5 package, it is tax deductible in the amount of its full value.

Giving Options

How can I make an online gift?

Visit convocations.org/donate and follow the prompts. Please enter any special instructions in the “comment” box.

I’d prefer not to give online. What are my other options?

Request a paper giving form by emailing convocations@dev-convocations.pantheonsite.io or by calling (765) 494-9712. Any mailed gifts should be sent to our secure lockbox. This lockbox allows for immediate gift processing and ensures that your gift is as secure as possible. The address is below:
Purdue Foundation
Gift Processing
P.O. Box 772401
Detroit, MI 48277-2401

Can I designate my gift?

Sure! While unrestricted support is the most flexible type of gift to our organization to help us cover the area of greatest need each season, we want you to make the gift that is most meaningful to you. You can specify where you’d like to direct your gift online in the “comments” field or on our paper form. View our special initiatives page for additional ideas of areas to support.

Frequently asked Questions