A Novel Approach to Fundraising by a Nonprofit Ballet Organization

The Maryland Youth Ballet, a nonprofit arts institution that provides pre-professional dance training to more than 900 children and 700 adults, has lost more than $10,000 in revenue in recent weeks because of performance and class cancellations from early winter storms. Hoping to generate a surge of publicity that will translate into a surge of gift-giving, it has invited three dignitaries who have shown support for the organization to participate in its 2013 performances of "The Nutcracker."