.S. President Donald Trump reacts as he speaks to members of the media on board Air Force One en route from Scotland, Britain, to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., July 29, 2025. REUTERS Evelyn Hockstein
Politico reports rank incompetence and infighting have cratered fundraising efforts for the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts thanks to its development chief, a former TV host and Kari Lake ally Lisa Dale.
Six sources anonymously told Politico that Dale has little experience in fundraising and development, and her lack of skill shows.
“She often exaggerates financial commitments, has blown off meetings with top potential donors and even pooh-poohed the addition of the Trump name to the Kennedy Center,” reports Politico.
Sources say Dale doesn’t have many connections to major donors that could help the Kennedy Center, with her list contacts largely limited to Arizona, where she still spends nearly half her time, according to three current and two former employees.
While some major companies like Amazon, Booz Allen Hamilton and defense giant RTX have donated in the last year, sources say Dale has exaggerated donor commitments and pledges, resulting in high-profile red carpet premieres and other events “happening without sponsorships fully secured or with funds moved from unrelated donor commitments to cover the shortfalls.”
Dale has also allegedly claimed to colleagues that she’s nabbed numerous private equity firms to commit to a range of program sponsorships, but none have come through with concrete financial commitments. Her use of outside fundraisers to help also frequently fails to generate much cash, according to employees. Dale’s claim that there was a sponsor for the upcoming Vienna Philharmonic gala celebration proved incorrect when funding fell through, resulting in the cancellation of the gala.
Sources say Dale has also failed to show for meetings with companies the Kennedy Center was courting, including Fortune 100 companies, according to two of the current employees. She has also repeatedly told colleagues multiple times in the last two weeks that the Kennedy Center should not have changed its name to the Trump-Kennedy Center because it hurts her donor base, according to two of the current employees who have heard the comments.
“We’re poking donors in the eye,” Dale said, per Politico's sources.
Politico reports three current and two former Kennedy Center staffers also say they are concerned about the frequent promotionof Lakeon official Kennedy Center social media channels. Sources claim they’ve heard Dale tell colleagues that a number of VIPs are coming, but that VP often turns out to be Lake. Employees even joke that Dale and Lake’s former staffers are positioning Lake as a future Kennedy Center president.
The money was looking so bad one year in that Trump intervened in January to install longtime supporter Meredith O’Rourke “to stabilize the Kennedy Center’s fundraising operation, in a move that effectively sidelined” Dale, according to three current and one former employee.
According to many of those same sources, Grenell and Dale don’t have a good working relationship.