Summer Gala
The 2025 National Writers Series Summer Gala
Please join us and our very special guest of honor, Robin Wall Kimmerer. As an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and a distinguished professor of environmental biology, she interweaves Indigenous wisdom and Western science to teach us more deeply about the relationship between humans and the Earth.
Robin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Serviceberry and Braiding Sweetgrass, both beloved books for naturalists worldwide. She is a mother, scientist, decorated professor at the State University of New York, and the founder and director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment. She lives on an old farm in upstate New York, cultivating wild and cultivated gardens.
In that spirit, we have partnered with the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, the Mindimooyenh Healing Circle, and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians to bring Robin to Traverse City, with the additional support of the Herrington-Fitch Family Foundation and Clark and Karen Bunting, who underwrite NWS’s “Natural Wonders” Author Series.
NWS Gala Sponsorship Opportunities
If you love the National Writers Series, please become a gala sponsor. All wallet sizes are welcome! Sponsors will receive LOTS of recognition, free tickets, and the joy that comes with supporting a small but mighty nonprofit that brings so much to the region.
BRONZE SPONSOR – $1,250
- 2 tickets to the NWS Summer Gala (face value $400)
- 1/4-page ad in the gala program
- Your name featured in the pre-event slideshow
- Social media acknowledgment
- A copy of “The Serviceberry” by Robin Wall Kimmerer
SILVER SPONSOR – $2,500
- 4 tickets to the NWS Summer Gala (face value $800)
- Quarter-page ad in the gala program and fall season program guide
- Your name featured in the pre-event slideshow
- Social media and e-newsletter acknowledgment
- A copy of “The Serviceberry” by Robin Wall Kimmerer
GOLD SPONSOR – $5,000
- 4 tickets to the NWS Summer Gala and 4 tickets to the August 9th Robin Wall Kimmerer City Opera House event (face value $1,000)
- Half-page ad in the gala program and fall season program guide
- Recognition from the stage during the gala
- Your name featured in the pre-event slideshow
- Your business logo on the gala event poster
- Inclusion in social media and e-newsletter promotions
- A copy of “The Serviceberry” by Robin Wall Kimmerer
PRESENTING SPONSOR – $10,000
- A reserved table for 8 guests at the August 10th NWS Summer Gala and 8 tickets to the August 9th event with Robin Wall Kimmerer at the City Opera House (face value $2,000)
- Full-page ad in both the gala program and fall season program guide
- Premier recognition as the Presenting Sponsor in all gala promotional materials
- Podium recognition at the gala during opening remarks
- Lead feature in pre-event slideshow
- Your name or business logo on the gala event poster and signage
- Your name or business logo featured across social media and e-newsletter promotions
Your donation is tax-deductible, less the value of “The Serviceberry” hardcover ($20), if applicable, and dinner cost ($100 per person).
The National Writers Series is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Tax ID #: EIN: 27-2470925
Events Details
August 10, 2025 5:30-9 pm
The McMullen Family Conservation Center at the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy.
2846 N. Three Mile Rd.
Traverse City, MI 49686
Dressy casual attire
$200 tickets include:
- Hors d’oeurves and dinner catered by Island Thyme
- An open bar and live music
- Student reading and a short video of our 15 years of both raising and hosting writers
$250 premium tickets also include:
- A ticket to the Robin Wall Kimmerer author event, August 9, at the City Opera House.
- An NWS signature tote bag with a signed copy of The Serviceberry