Project Grant - Round 3

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$1,984
Fund Source
Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund
Recipient
Youth Chorale of Central Minnesota
Recipient Type
Non-Profit Business/Entity
Status
Completed
Start Date
May 2013
End Date
May 2013
Activity Type
Grants/Contracts
Counties Affected
Stearns
Benton
Sherburne
Wright
Stearns
Benton
Sherburne
Wright
Project Overview
Youth Sing Out
Project Details
The Youth Chorale of Central Minnesota proposes a collaborative choral concert featuring over 250+ Central Minnesota youth singers representing the Youth Chorale of Central Minnesota Mixed and Women’s Chorale, Saint John's Boys' Choir Junior Varsity and Concert Choir, and Cantabile Choristers and Girls’ Choir.
Competitive Grant Making Body
Board Members and Qualifications
Chris Rasmussen: art teacher for 35 years at Foley Senior High (retired), Minnesota Citizens for the Arts Board Member and College of Saint Benedict's/Saint John's University Fine Arts Programming Advisory Council Member; Mike Carlson: Foley High School Art Teacher, potter; Peter Veljkovich: realtor (retired), member of the Little Fine Arts Committee, county representative for the South Suburban Arts Committee, photographer, Disc Jockey; Leslie Hanlon: Director of Fundraising and Marketing for the College of Saint Benedict's/Saint John's University Fine Arts Series; John Stander: Executive Director of Elk River Arts Alliance, career school administrator; Janice Courtney: arts advisor/Assistant Director of Saint Cloud State University Program Board; P.J. Fanberg: Executive Director of Land Of Lakes Choirboys of Minnesota, management, fundraising, Human Resources, mission-guided organizational planner.
Advisory Group Members and Qualifications
Chris Rasmussen: art teacher for 35 years at Foley Senior High (retired), Minnesota Citizens for the Arts Board Member and College of Saint Benedict's/Saint John's University Fine Arts Programming Advisory Council Member; Mike Carlson: Foley High School Art Teacher, potter; Peter Veljkovich: realtor (retired), member of the Little Fine Arts Committee, county representative for the South Suburban Arts Committee, photographer, Disc Jockey; Leslie Hanlon: Director of Fundraising and Marketing for the College of Saint Benedict's/Saint John's University Fine Arts Series; John Stander: Executive Director of Elk River Arts Alliance, career school administrator; Janice Courtney: arts advisor/Assistant Director of Saint Cloud State University Program Board; P.J. Fanberg: Executive Director of Land Of Lakes Choirboys of Minnesota, management, fundraising, Human Resources, mission-guided organizational planner.
Conflict of Interest Disclosed
No
Legal Citation / Subdivision
Laws of Minnesota 2011, First Special Session, chapter 6, article 4, section 2, subdivision 3
Appropriation Language

ACHF Arts Access ACHF Arts Education

2013 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$1,984
Other Funds Leveraged
$3,100
Direct expenses
$5,084
Administration costs
$1,984
Number of full time equivalents funded
0
Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)

A primary criterion for success would be an equal or greater audience size compared to last season’s Youth Sing Out collaborative concert. Positive survey feedback is another factor in determining the success of the event. We will be looking for a favorable audience reaction – verbal and non-verbal (e.g. standing ovation). One more indication of success is increased activity on our social media profiles.Counting ticket sales is one of the evaluation methods that we will use to determine if our marketing and promotional materials were effective. An observed increase in audience size over last year would indicate success. Surveys will be used to determine how we can serve our audiences better at this and future concerts. A paper survey will be inserted into each Youth Sing Out concert program, while the online survey will appear as a link in the program, along with the website address and a QR Code for those patrons who use smartphones. Both the paper and online results will be tabulated into a spreadsheet and read amongst the staff of Youth Chorale of Central Minnesota and its Board of Directors. We will be looking for 90% of 4’s and 5’s (5 = Excellent) on the feedback responses and roughly 10% (or more) total response from our audience. Audience reactions will be observed during and after the concert and in the weeks to come, new verbal reactions will help us determine whether anything different needs to be done in preparation for next year’s collaborative concert. A non-verbal standing ovation at the close of the concert will signify favorable audience reaction. An increase in activity on our social media profiles will point to the success of the event and to the awareness of the choir(s) in general. We will count the number of Facebook “likes” and Twitter “follows” on our sites. We anticipate over 400 views post-concert on our Facebook page, and all post-concert status update replies will be read.

Measurable Outcome(s)

The audience size for Youth Sing Out this year was fairly comparable to last year’s audience. We were hoping for greater numbers, seeing as the venue was increasingly larger, but the number of tickets sold was fairly close to last year. We are, however, seeing growth as we continue to present this concert, so we consider that a success. This year, we opted to do a survey to determine how we can serve our audiences better at this and future concerts. Each survey was inserted into the concert program and a public verbal announcement was made before the start of the concert which also directed patrons with smartphones to scan the QR code on the back of the program and be taken directly to the website if that is how they preferred to fill out the survey. The outcome of the survey was exactly what we were hoping for – 4’s and 5’s (Excellent). Positive survey feedback demonstrates not only a successful concert, but it means that Youth Chorale of Central Minnesota is meeting a need in the community with the Youth Sing Out concert. Audience reactions were observed during and following the concert. A standing ovation after the closing song indicated that this concert was met with favor and the Central Minnesota community was impressed with the caliber of singing from its local youth. We saw an increase in the number of “likes” on the Youth Chorale Facebook page, as well as an increase in the number of people who saw our posts leading up to the concert, the day of, as well as the day after. Our original grant proposed over 400 views on the Facebook page, and we saw 856 views! All replies to the posts were extremely favorable, which indicates success.

Description of Funds
Source of Additional Funds

Other, local or private

Recipient Board Members
James Wiant, Joann Weber, Mary Jo Bot, Chad Armstrong, Jennifer Butkowski, Karen Cash, David Tilstra, David Paulson, Susan Heysse, Andrew Walesch, Ethan Wittrock
Project Manager
First Name
Paula
Last Name
Heydman
Organization Name
Youth Chorale of Central Minnesota
Street Address
913 St Germain St W
City
St Cloud
State
MN
Zip Code
56301
Phone
(320) 281-9226
Email
pheydman@youthchorale.org
Administered By
Administered by
Location

Griggs Midway Building, Suite 304,
540 Fairview Avenue North,
St. Paul, MN 55104

Phone
(651) 539-2650 or toll-free (800) 866-2787
Email the Agency
Location

P.O. Box 458
220 4th Ave North 
Foley, MN 56329

Phone
Project Manager: Leslie LeCuyer
320-968-4290x 3