Devon, PA – December 19, 2014 – Strengthened by record revenue earnings, the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair experienced historical results in 2014, making it a “banner” year according to President and CEO, Sarah Coxe Lange.
“By all measures, we were hugely successful across the board,” Lange noted. “The results we experienced this year are a testament to all of our volunteers, board members, staff, exhibitors and our faithful spectators who join us each Show.”
From the organization’s bottom line, to the annual philanthropic effort benefitting the Bryn Mawr Hospital, Lange noted several highlights during her first term as President.
During the year, the group reorganized its operating guidelines by developing a progressive new set of By-Laws and Board structures for both Devon Horse Show and Country Fair, Inc. and the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair Foundation.
“Our organization is now more efficient, allowing for a further seamless operation and nimbler approach in establishing critical policy,” Lange said.
In 2014, Devon gained record levels of sponsorship income from a wide range of individuals. The Foundation recorded an 11 percent increase in donations.
Lange forecasts that 2015 sponsorship revenue will increase, primarily from the corporate end with the recent addition of Devon’s first-ever Chief Marketing Officer, Christopher P. Wightman.
Strategically, the group built out a wide range of world-class platforms this year, headlined by the expansion the Horse Show Committee, which now includes the largest group ever of passionate volunteers.
“Our team also made meaningful progress on the continuation of the history initiative to celebrate and protect Devon’s past,” said Lange.
The Bryn Mawr Hospital recently received Devon’s donation of $425,000 — the first installment of a $2 million pledge in support of the hospital’s modernization project, which will include an intensive care unit to be named in honor of the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair. Notably, Devon’s continued volunteer work was recognized as the 2014 Outstanding Volunteer Fundraising Group by the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).
Of several accomplishments, Lange sees the newly-created DevInvest, a nonprofit foundation for permanent capital to benefit the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair, as another concrete step in ensuring the legacy of Devon will continue for future generations.
“Moreover, I am most proud to report our plans to protect our land through an easement to ensure that the Horse Show remains at its current location,” she said.
About the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair
Steeped in rich heritage dating back to 1896, the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair continues its glorious tradition as the oldest and largest outdoor multi-breed competition in the United States. With the grandeur of Philadelphia’s prestigious Main Line setting the stage, the event features a world-class field that annually ranks among the most prominent internationally.
The Devon Horse Show and Country fair is a nonprofit institution that has donated approximately $47 million in today’s dollars since 1919 for the benefit of its charitable partner, the Bryn Mawr Hospital.
Media Contact
Christopher P. Wightman
Devon Horse Show & Country Fair
P.O. Box 865, Devon, PA 19333
(O) 610 964 0550
(C) 917 226 6553