Operating Support Grant
Operating Support Grant
Mesabi Community Orchestra will develop a strategy to expand fundraising to cover the new executive director's salary.
Tara Makinen: executive director of Itasca Orchestra and Strings, musician; Moira Villiard: visual artist, cultural programming coordinator at American Indian Community Housing Organization; Amber Burns: choreographer, dancer, actor, middle school art teacher; Margaret Holmes: visual artist, poet, and former Children's Theatre employee; Tammy Mattonen: visual artists, co-founder of Crescendo Youth Orchestra; Kayla Aubid: Native American craft artist, writer, employee at MacRostie Art Center; Ariana Daniel: mixed media artist, arts instructor; Kathy Neff: musician, Director, Fine Arts Academy at the University of Minnesota Duluth; Ron Piercy: jeweler, gallery owner; Emily Swanson: arts administrator at Oldenburg Arts and Cultural Community; Christina Nohre: writer and arts advocate.
Tara Makinen: executive director of Itasca Orchestra and Strings, musician; Margaret Holmes: visual artist, poet, and former Children's Theatre employee; Kayla Aubid: Native American craft artist, writer, employee at MacRostie Art Center; Ariana Daniel: mixed media artist, arts instructor; Kathy Neff: musician, director, Fine Arts Academy at the University of Minnesota Duluth; Ron Piercy: jeweler, gallery owner.
ACHF Arts Access ACHF Arts Education ACHF Cultural Heritage
The purpose of this project is to strengthen the leadership of Mesabi Symphony Orchestra by effectively integrating the new executive director into the organizational structure, resulting in increased fundraising, streamlined board operations, and enhanced public visibility. Measurable outcomes include: Creation of a new annual fundraising plan, including creation of a donor pyramid. Successful transition of job duties from volunteers to the executive director. Growing audiences for orchestra performances. A greater number of public appearances by the orchestra, pops orchestra, chamber orchestra, and affiliated ensembles. Expanded outreach to schools and the general public in unconventional places. Our first order is integrating Mesabi Community Orchestra's (MSO) executive director. To do so she will take on serious professional development as it pertains to budget analysis and leadership, standardized progress reporting, and will seek to develop her working relationship with the artistic director. MSO will measure these outcomes by conducting four annual professional reviews of the executive director, tracking her progress in professional development, and assessing her regular reports. Increased fundraising is objectively measurable by the increase in available monies, and outcomes will be measured in developments in donor relationships and the creation of a donor pyramid. Board operations will be streamlined through continuing the annual board retreat, and affiliated surveys to gauge where the board sees areas for improvement. Enhanced public visibility will be measured by the following outcomes: significantly smaller MSO or MSO-hosted performances, enhanced social media campaigning, and streamlining of the overall marketing and outreach plans. Success will be evaluated through web analytics, assessment of ticket sales, regular participant surveys at all MSO events, and periodic focus groups of patrons to discuss how they would like to market to and what they would like from their community orchestra. In order to retain players MSO will conduct annual surveys for anonymous feedback, host regular focus groups for our musicians, and continue outreach to recruit local players.
"Measurable outcomes:
1. Creation of a new annual fundraising plan, including creation of a donor pyramid
2. Successful transition of job duties from volunteers to the ED
3. Growing audiences for orchestra performances
4. A greater number of public appearances by the orchestra, pops orchestra, chamber ensemble, and affiliated ensembles
5. Expanded outreach to schools and the general public in unconventional places
These outcomes were not met. By early 2019, it was becoming clear that our financial support had declined and was no longer sufficient to support the orchestra at its previous level or maintain the executive director position. These conclusions were reached on the basis of finances alone, and did not involve an evaluation process. The executive director submitted her resignation, and the board reluctantly reduced the number of concerts for the 2019-2020 season. "
Other,local or private