If You’ve Got the Money, They’ve Got the Perks . . .

There is sometimes much more to being a patron of the arts than just the satisfaction of supporting a worthy cause. You can get a lot of fun out of it too. Most organizations offer patrons a variety of titles and perquisites. Here are some of the extras that go to donors to three of L.A.’s major arts organizations. Call the facility of your choice to find out how to give. Whether you fit into a donor category or not, a general rule of thumb is: If you want to give money, they will take it.

Music Center

There are nine echelons of top givers to the Music Center of Los Angeles County, ranging in rank from patron, a donor of $5,000, to benefactor ($150,000 or more) to grand patron of the Music Center ($1 million or more).

Any of them may at intermissions retreat to the clubby privacy of the center’s Founders Room and its silken wall coverings, acres of green velvet upholstery, Venetian glass chandeliers, antique furniture and French paintings on loan from the Norton Simon collection. Grand patrons have their names incised on a granite commemorative tablet on the Music Center Plaza and are invited to a dinner honoring new patrons and the quadrennial Benefactors Ball. Grand patrons also receive a limited-edition handcrafted model of the Music Center, priority seating and free valet parking, among other benefits.

MOCA

The top levels of individual and corporate memberships for the Museum of Contemporary Art begin at $2,500. Individuals, members of the Director’s Forum, receive perks including free admission at MOCA and 17 other major museums. Participating corporations receive 100 one-time complimentary employee admission passes and may designate three executives to receive yearlong complimentary VIP courtesy cards.

Members who donate $5,000 or more get another level of privileges--including personal tours of the museum. They may also request that the gallery be open before or after hours to accommodate friends and family.

LACMA

President’s Circle members ($1,500) and patrons ($5,000) are invited to first-night preview receptions and an annual gala at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The museum also created a list of donor categories for gifts payable over five years, ranging from $10,000 (founder) to $1 million (distinguished benefactor) but is not currently involved in a capital campaign.

The museum also has a Collectors Committee, whose members contribute $5,000 memberships toward the purchase of “distinguished works of art” for the museum’s permanent collections. Members earn the right to vote on which works to buy, as well as a luncheon, private viewing of a noted local collection, plus dinners and dancing.