The mission of Tickets for Kids is as simple as its name.
It provides access to plays, concerts, sporting events and other entertainment for children whose families wouldn’t normally be able to afford such leisure outings.
When COVID-19 in March forced an abrupt halt to live shows and sports, Tickets for Kids found virtual offerings for at-risk children sheltering at home such as Bollywood dance lessons and free performances by Cirque du Soleil. And as lockdown restrictions eased, it planned hikes and outings to Carnegie Science Center and the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium.
But the cost of COVID-19 to the organization with a $1 million annual budget has been steep: Revenues are down 36% for the year because it could not hold major in-person fundraisers, and it laid off 70% of its 10-person staff.
