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Home My WebLink About2020-742-E-Arts Commission-VOICES Chapel HillGRASSROOTS ARTS PROGRAM / ARTIST PROJECT GRANT 2020‐21 Grantee Name Authorizing Official Project Title Award Grant Category ☐Grassroots Arts Program ☐Artist Project Grant Program Funding Source ☐North Carolina Arts Council ☐Orange County Date July 1, 2020 End Date June 30, 2021 OCAC Report Due Monday, July 12, 2021 Stipulations ☐Grantee must spend $ on the hiring of multicultural artists specified in the grant application. ☐Grantee must properly credit the Orange County Arts Commission using the proper logo on all publicity materials for the funded program. Recipients of operations‐related grants must include the OCAC logo with link to www.artsorange.org on grantee’s website. Download logos on the OCAC website at https://artsorange.org/grants/grantee‐resources ☐Grantee must properly credit the Orange County Arts Commission and the N.C. Arts Council using the proper logos and N.C. Arts Council credit line on all publicity materials for funded program. Recipients of operations‐related grants must include the OCAC logo with link to www.artsorange.org and N.C. Arts Council logo, credit line, and link to www.ncarts.org on grantee’s website. Download logos and view proper credit line language on the OCAC website at https://artsorange.org/grants/grantee‐resources ☒The Grant Recipient must enter all events, exhibits, and performances (virtual or in‐ person) open to the public and related to this grant award on the Orange County Arts Commission website at www.artsorange.org/events. In addition, the Grant Recipient must add a link to www.artsorange.org (Orange County Arts Commission logo preferred) to their main webpage. Staff Contact Katie Murray, Director (919)245‐2335 | kmurray@orangecountync.gov VOICES Chapel Hill Susan Brunssen Development Director Salary Support $1,401 4 4 4 DocuSign Envelope ID: 9F1C561B-832A-4222-87B0-7A0980362B9B 1 Revised July 2018 ORANGE COUNTY ARTS COMMISSION 2020-21 GRANT AGREEMENT THIS AGREEMENT, entered into this 12 day of October, 2020, by and between Orange County ("County"), by and through the Orange County Arts Commission ("Arts Commission") and ("Grant Recipient"). WHEREAS, the Arts Commission is a countywide arts agency that ensures the growth of local arts experiences by providing funding and support for diverse high quality programs and projects. WHEREAS, the Arts Commission administers the annual Grants Program to provide economic opportunities to Orange County artists and non-profit organizations coordinating arts projects benefiting the citizens of Orange County. WHEREAS, the annual Arts Grants Program is supported by Arts Commission with funds from the Grassroots Arts Program of the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, a state agency. WHEREAS, the Grant Recipient was selected by the Arts Commission to receive the annual Arts Grant through the procedures duly adopted by the Arts Commission; and WHEREAS, both parties wish to promote and maintain the integrity and clarity of the Grant Recipient's ideas and statements and delineate the Grant Recipient’s obligations to the County; NOW, THEREFORE, the County and the Grant Recipient, for the consideration and under the conditions hereinafter set forth, agree as follows: 1.Approved Grant Project. Grant funds are provided under this Agreement for the project (“Project”) described in the Grant Recipient’s Grant Application, attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit A. 2.Grant Award. Grant funds in an amount not to exceed ($ ) have been awarded by the Arts Commission to the Grant Recipient for the approved Project. The Recipient shall be required to match funds at least dollar-for-dollar with cash from the Grant Recipient’s funds not derived from either Orange County appropriations or the North Carolina Arts Council, as outlined in the attached Exhibit A. 3.Contingency. This grant is contingent on North Carolina Arts Council Grassroots Program funding to the Arts Commission. Final decisions on Grassroots Program funds to the North Carolina Arts Council are subject to approval by the North Carolina General Assembly. 4.Responsibilities of the Grant Recipient VOICES Chapel Hill one thousand four hundred one dollars $1,401 DocuSign Envelope ID: 9F1C561B-832A-4222-87B0-7A0980362B9B 2 Revised July 2018 A. Implementation. The Project implementation shall take place between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021. The Project shall be implemented in the manner described in Exhibit A. Time is of the essence in the implementation of the Project. B. Modifications to project. Grant Recipient shall present major changes to the original proposal, including but not limited to changes in design, implementation schedule and increase in Project budget by more than 10%, in writing to the Arts Commission for approval. Arts Commission shall approve or disapprove Grant Recipient’s request for modifications within seven (7) days of receipt thereof. Consent to project modifications shall not be unreasonably withheld. Arts Commission’s decisions shall be in writing. In the event the Arts Commission fails to approve or disapprove the requested modifications within the time stated herein, the modifications shall be deemed approved. C. Non–assignment. The grant cannot be assigned or transferred to a different project or artist without prior written approval of the Arts Commission. D. Records. Grant Recipient must maintain records and other evidence pertaining to costs incurred and revenues acquired during the Project implementation. Grant Recipient shall maintain financial records pertaining to the Project for three (3) years from the date of this Agreement, in case of audit. E. Use of Funds. Grant Recipient shall not use the grant funds to repay outstanding taxes or other debts of any nature. The grants shall be utilized solely for the purpose described in the attached Exhibit A. F. Final Report. Grant Recipient shall submit to the Arts Commission a Final Report on July 12, 2021. The Final Report shall be in the format required by the North Carolina Arts Council. Failure to submit the Final Report or late submission of the Final Report, for any reason, shall be grounds for denial and/or cancellation of grant funds for the Project and future grant proposals. 5.Responsibilities of the Arts Commission A.Payment. The Arts Commission shall release the grant funds in the amount of $ to the Grant Recipient. 6.Publicity A.Acknowledgement. Credit must be given to the Orange County Arts Commission and/or the North Carolina Arts Council using the proper logo(s) and credit line in brochures, news releases, programs, and all other printed and online publications. Copies of such printed materials must accompany the evaluation report. Official Orange County Arts Commission and North Carolina Arts Council logos may be downloaded at www.artsorange.org/grantee-resources and may not be altered in any way. When no printed information is used, verbal $1,401 DocuSign Envelope ID: 9F1C561B-832A-4222-87B0-7A0980362B9B 3 Revised July 2018 credit shall be given. In addition, all print and promotional material must include the following credit line and logo(s) (check all that apply): i.County Funds Only. Orange County Arts Commission logo required. Credit line required for audio projects: “This program is supported by the Orange County Arts Commission.” ii.North Carolina Arts Council Funding. The Orange County Arts Commission and the North Carolina Arts Council logos are required. Credit line: “This program is supported by the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.” B. The Grant Recipient must enter all events, exhibits, and performances open to the public and related to this grant award on the Orange County Arts Commission website at www.artsorange.org/events. In addition, the Grant Recipient must add a link to www.artsorange.org (Orange County Arts Commission logo preferred) to their main webpage. 7.Indemnity. The Grant Recipient agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the County, the Arts Commission and the North Carolina Arts Council and their officers and employees from any and all claims or actual injury, damage or loss to a person, or real or personal property that results from or is in any way connected to the use of the grant funds. 8.Independent Contractor. The Grant Recipient is an independent contractor and not an employee, agent or other representative of the County and/or the Arts Commission. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed to create the relationship of principal and agent, or employer and employee, between Grant Recipient and Arts Commission or Orange County Government. Grant Recipient understands and agrees that he/she is not authorized to incur any expenses or any liability whatsoever on behalf of the County or the Arts Commission and has no authority, expressed or implied, to obligate or make representations on behalf of the County or the Arts Commission. In addition, Grant Recipient agrees to maintain his or her own worker's compensation insurance for himself/herself and his or her employees for the duration of the art work's installation. 9.Termination A.In the event of any of the circumstances set forth below (hereinafter referred to as “default”), the Arts Commission may immediately terminate this Agreement: (i) Any fraudulent representation in any verification required to obtain payment under this Agreement or other dishonesty on a material matter relating to the performance of services under this Agreement. (ii) Nonperformance, incomplete service or performance, or failure to satisfactorily perform any part of the Project or to comply with any provision of this Agreement, as determined by the Arts Commission in its sole discretion. 4 DocuSign Envelope ID: 9F1C561B-832A-4222-87B0-7A0980362B9B 4 Revised July 2018 (iii) Failure to adhere to the terms of applicable county, state or federal laws, regulations, or stated public policy. B. In the event of default by the Grant Recipient, the Arts Commission has the discretion to elect to terminate this Agreement, in whole or in part and/or require the Grant Recipient to repay the grant funds within seven (7) from written notice of default or allow the grant recipient the opportunity to cure the default. This clause shall not be interpreted to limit the County’s or the Arts Commission’s remedies in law or in equity. 10.Miscellaneous. A. Entire Agreement. This Agreement and the attachments contain the final and entire understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement. All modifications and amendments to this Agreement shall be in writing. This Agreement shall be binding upon the parties, their heirs, successors and assigns. B. Governing Law. Governing Law and Priority: Both parties agree that this Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of North Carolina and Orange County. Grant Recipient shall at all times remain in compliance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws, rules, and regulations including but not limited to all state and federal anti-discrimination laws, policies, rules, and regulations and the Orange County Non-Discrimination Policy and Orange County Living Wage Policy (each policy is incorporated herein by reference and may be viewed at http://www.orangecountync.gov/departments/purchasing_division/contracts.php.). Any violation of this requirement is a breach of this Agreement and Arts Commission may immediately terminate this Agreement without further obligation on the part of the Arts Commission. This paragraph is not intended to limit and does not limit the definition of breach to discrimination. By executing this Agreement the Grant Recipient certifies that they has not been identified, and has not utilized the services of any agent or subcontractor identified, on the list created by the State Treasurer pursuant to G.S. 147-86.58. By executing this Agreement the Grant Recipient certifies that they has not been identified, and has not utilized the services of any agent or subcontractor identified, on the list created by the State Treasurer pursuant to G.S. 147-86.81. By executing this Agreement Grant Recipient affirms they are and shall remain in compliance with Article 2 of Chapter 64 of the North Carolina General Statutes. In determining the basic services to be provided, should any documents be referenced in or attached to this Agreement, the terms herein shall have priority in any conflict between the terms of referenced documents and the terms of this Agreement. C. Dispute Resolution: Neither party may initiate binding arbitration. Any disputes shall be resolved by nonbinding mediation. If such mediation fails either party may initiate litigation to resolve the dispute. Should either party initiate litigation to settle any dispute involving the terms of this Agreement such litigation shall be DocuSign Envelope ID: 9F1C561B-832A-4222-87B0-7A0980362B9B 5 Revised July 2018 initiated in the General Court of Justice of North Carolina seated in Orange County, North Carolina. D. Signatures. This Agreement together with any amendments or modifications may be executed electronically. All electronic signatures affixed hereto evidence the intent of the Parties to comply with Article 11A and Article 40 of North Carolina General Statute Chapter 66. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Orange County and the Grant Recipient have signed this Grant Agreement, effective on the last date this Agreement is signed by both parties as indicated by the dates set forth under signatures below. For and on behalf of the Grant Recipient Date For and on behalf of Orange County Government Bonnie Hammersley, County Manager Date Susan Brunssen Development Director DocuSign Envelope ID: 9F1C561B-832A-4222-87B0-7A0980362B9B 10/16/2020 10/21/2020 6 Revised July 2018 ORANGE COUNTY—DEPARTMENT USE ONLY Department Party/Vendor Name: Party/Vendor Contact Person: Contact Phone: Party/Vendor Address: City State: NC Zip: Department: COUNTYMGR/Arts Commission Amount: Purpose: 2020-21 Arts Grants Budget Code(s): 37601020-683000 Vendor # (N/A if new vendor) Vendor is a BOCC consultant? Yes No Contract Type: (Check one) New Renewal Amendment Effective Date 10-15-2020 Approved by Board Yes No Agenda Date: This agreement is approved as to technical form and content: Department Director’s Signature Date: Information Technologies (Applicable only to hardware/software purchases or related services) This agreement has been reviewed and is approved as to information technology content and specifications: Office of the Chief Information Officer Date: Risk Management This agreement is approved for sufficiency of insurance standards, specifications, and requirements: Office of the Risk Management Officer Date: Financial Services This instrument has been pre-audited in the manner required by the Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control Act: Office of the Chief Financial Officer Date: Legal Services This agreement is approved as to legal form and sufficiency: Office of the County Attorney Date: Clerk to the Board Received for record retention: All Docusign contracts must be copied to Donna Lloyd upon completion @ Dolloyd@orangecountync.gov The following signature block is for hard copies only and is not required for Docusign contracts: Office of the Clerk to the Board _Date:_ VOICES Chapel Hill Susan Brunssen 919-599-4513 PO Box 3011 Chapel Hill 27515 $1,401 51428 DocuSign Envelope ID: 9F1C561B-832A-4222-87B0-7A0980362B9B 10/16/2020 10/17/2020 10/17/2020 10/21/2020 Orange County Arts Commission Powered by Submittable Organization Name VOICESChapel Hi l l by Susan Brunssen in 2020-21 Grassroots Arts Program Grant Application PO Box 3011 Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27515 United States 9195994513 susanbrunssen@gmail.com 08/12/2020 id. 17202696 Original application 08/12/2020 APPLICANT INFORMATION Please tell us about your organization. Mailing Address of Organization PO Box 3011 Chapel Hill, NC 27515 Is this a joint application between multiple organizations or schools? No How did you hear about our grant program? OCAC Enews Did you or a representative of your organization attend our grants training session? Yes Nature of Organization Arts Organization Primary Organization Description Note to reader: In this application, “VOICES” (all caps) denotes the ov erall organization, which encompasses “Voices” the 130-member auditioned symphonic chorus, “Cantari” the 30-member auditioned select ensemble, and “Summer Voices” our non-auditioned 60+ member casual chorus that performs biennially. VOICES celebrates its 40th season in 2020-21. VOICES is Chapel Hill/Carrboro’s only SATB community chorus. Our Mission is “to foster, sustain, and share the art and joy of choral music and to enrich the Triangle community through excellent performances of music from div erse cultures and historical periods.” DocuSign Envelope ID: 9F1C561B-832A-4222-87B0-7A0980362B9B VOICES has a working board comprised of v olunteers from the membership. Paid staff is limited to our Artistic Director and rehearsal accompanist – both part time. Stephen Futrell, DMA (Associate Professor of Music, Elon Univ ersity) became the fifth Artistic Director effectiv e June 2018. Our accompanist and concert pianist, Shoko Abe, DMA, will continue for her fourth year in the 2021 season. VOICES presents four to six unique concert programs ev ery year to collectiv e audiences of approximately 1,500. Programs reflect our mission – in addition to classical choral repertoire, we offer music from div erse cultures and periods that highlight works by contemporary and local composers including new commissions and national or regional premieres. And we frequently collaborate with youth choirs. For example, in December,2019 Voices presented Honneger’s Christmas Cantata with full orchestra in collaboration with the North Carolina Boys and Girls Choirs. Cantari was slated to present an all-Brasilian concert in March 2020, featuring Bahian nativ e Caique Vidal accompanied by his drumming ensemble. VOICES serv es adults (ages 18-87) who can’t imagine life without the joy of singing! Our members liv e in Chapel Hill and Carrboro (68%), Orange County (6%) and Chatham County (6% - primarily retired former residents of Chapel Hill). An additional 15% come from Durham County, with the remaining 5% trav eling from W ake and Alamance. Since 2015, VOICES rosters hav e included nearly 400 unique indiv iduals. Seniors comprise approximately 30% of Voices and 12% of Cantari while graduate students comprise about 10% of each group. Historically, VOICES audience demographics reflect those of the membership. Chapel Hill and Carrboro residents comprised 48% of respondents to audience surv eys collected in December 2017 and March 2018. Seniors made up 60% of Voices and 40% of Cantari attendees (2018-19 data). These data, scheduled to be updated at Spring 2020 concerts, will be gathered as soon as current restrictions on concerts are lifted. Audience engagement activ ities scheduled for next year include increasing accessibility for a more ethnically and economically div erse audience by prov iding free tickets to Seniors at Orange County senior centers and to music and art students at East Chapel Hill High School and a planned composition workshop with instrumental and v ocal students at ECHHS. DocuSign Envelope ID: 9F1C561B-832A-4222-87B0-7A0980362B9B During FY19-20, will your organization receive operational support funding from the North Carolina Arts Council or the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources? No Organization's EIN 581450444 Organization W ebsite www.v oiceschapelhill.org Authorizing Official's Name Susan Brunssen Authorizing Official's Title Dev elopment Director/Grants Coordinator Authorizing Official's Phone 919-599-4513 Authorizing Official's Email susanbrunssen@gmail.com Applicant Race W hite Financial Overview 6a24ff38-fc0c-410f-9e73-772a65fb88c2.xlsx Organizational Financial Statements Voices_Inc-Exp_Detail_2019-20-21.xlsx DocuSign Envelope ID: 9F1C561B-832A-4222-87B0-7A0980362B9B Deficit/Surplus VOICES is a large non-profit community arts organization serv ing Orange County for 40 years. Our av erage operating budget is $80,000 +/- 7,000, as required for the season’s programming. As a mature organization, our current fiscal goals are to begin each season with 6 months of operating funds ($40,000) and to grow our endowment incrementally to at least $100,000 to ensure financial stability. FY18-19 was Stephen Futrell’s first season with VOICES. A v ery cost- effectiv e season was designed that still pushed the artistic env elope. Happily, the artistry of the Fall concerts resulted in critical acclaim (CVNC) and a 20% jump in Spring membership to both choruses. Riding that energy Dr. Futrell offered an unbudgeted Summer Voices concert that was financially successful. The ov erall result was a surplus of $11,558 in FY18-19, yielding end-of-year operating reserv es of $35,000. That was fortuitous. Originally designed to achiev e a small surplus, the FY19-20 season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. All Spring 2020 ticket rev enues and most Spring donations were lost; the majority of music and orchestral costs had been incurred in the Fall; and VOICES paid for remote rehearsals/sing-alongs for the well-being of our members through June. Thus, FY19-20 ended with a $13,496 deficit. As of 8/1/2020 ASSETS totaled $82,928 ($20,179 unrestricted operating funds; $62,749 semi-restricted endowment funds with $5,000 encumbered for a major choral commission). Here VOICES submits two scenarios for FY20-21: The PLANNED budget assumes in-person singing and concerts will be permitted before May, 2021, allowing the premiere of the commissioned work and a CONTINGENT budget if we remain restricted to v irtual choirs. The PLANNED budget predicts a surplus of $4,359; the CONTINGENT a deficit of 4,516. In the latter case, VOICES will draw from its endowment funds as necessary and conduct additional fund-raisers in FY21-22. PROJECT/PROGRAM INFORMATION Tell us about your project or program Title of Grant Request Salary Support for VOICES Chapel Hill Chorus Grant Amount Requested $3,000 Is the person in charge of this program or project different from the Authorizing Official? No W hat are you requesting funding for? Operational expense (arts organizations ONLY) DocuSign Envelope ID: 9F1C561B-832A-4222-87B0-7A0980362B9B Request Summary VOICES again seeks operating funds of $3,000 to support the salary of our rehearsal accompanist, Shoko Abe, DMA. VOICES will prov ide the remainder of her salary from operating rev enue. Dr. Abe, a nativ e of Japan, holds the Doctor of Musical Arts in Collaborativ e Piano (April 2018, Univ ersity of North Texas), following degrees earned with high honors in piano performance from Fukushima Univ ersity and Showa Univ ersity of Music in Japan. (See attached bio and two audio files of her work). Shoko Abe has serv ed as the rehearsal accompanist for both Voices and Cantari for three seasons. She has demonstrated exceptional abilities when leading sectionals, exceling as a collaborativ e pianist. Her capabilities were especially ev ident during rehearsals of "Hallelujah Chorus”. from Jackson's "A Soulful Celebration" (v ideo attached). Dr. Abe also serv es as our concert keyboardist mov ing between piano and electronic keyboard, hosting guest pianists (Kev in Johnson, DMA in December 2018) and working with full orchestra. She was joined for Cantari’s concerts twice by her husband, Robert Buxton, to play four-hand piano accompaniment. In June, 2019, Shoko was featured on Szymko's “A Burst of Song”. “Her performance of this intricate, difficult piece played a key role in the quality of musical expression achiev ed and in highlighting the text---it was not just an accompaniment” -Stephen Futrell. Support from OCAC will enable VOICES choruses to rehearse and perform with a highly skilled accompanist in the 2021 season as we seek to master both v irtual recordings (Fall) and a new commissioned choral work (Spring). Organizational Goals The two primary goals of Voices are first, to prov ide a setting for our members to enjoy singing, and second, to engage the community in the appreciation of cultural heritage embodied in choral music. Voices places a high v alue on offering div erse and challenging repertoire which our members enjoy singing. W e also striv e to introduce new compositions or those infrequently performed in addition to more traditional choral repertoire. A highly skilled accompanist helps us achiev e these goals in limited rehearsal time, and that will be especially true in the current season to prepare singers for precise v irtual recordings as well as the challenging new major choral work commissioned for Spring, to celebrate our 40th anniv ersary. Plans for the 2020-21 season are mov ing forward in this year of uncertainty concerning the status of choral performances. For the Fall, VOICES will record and release a set of 4-5 “Songs of Hope and Thanksgiv ing” on our YouTube channel and other av enues to lift community spirits. VOICES members demonstrated full support for this endeav or on a recent surv ey. Of 130 respondents, 64 stated they DocuSign Envelope ID: 9F1C561B-832A-4222-87B0-7A0980362B9B were willing to participate in on-site liv e-streamed rehearsals of octets while the remaining members rehearse from home. Dr. Futrell has the requisite skills in audio-v ideo production (résumé attached) and access to sophisticated equipment. Required audio equipment for clear on-site rehearsals/recording is specified in the PLANNED budget along with technician time and license/copyright fees. In May 2020, Voices and Cantari will hopefully appear in joint concert for two performances in Hill Hall at UNC-CH. This program will open with works by Ola Gjeilo followed by the world premiere of a major new choral work “Hav ing Seen Afar Off”. This ~30-minute work was commissioned by VOICES to Todd Coleman, DMA and is based on a cycle of 8 poems by Sara Teasdale. Dr. Coleman’s work is known for its complex rhythms and musical motiv es, for which Shoko Abe’s skills are well suited (work samples attached). If in-person concerts are not yet permitted in May 2021, this premiere concert will be postponed to mid-Fall, 2021 and VOICES will again produce v irtual recordings of other repertoire. The CONTINGENT budget includes extra funds for technician time for audio-v ideo mixing and for licenses/copyright fees for Spring. Also as regards our second goal, to engage the community in the appreciation of cultural heritage embodied in choral music, special agreements hav e been established for the upcoming season. VOICES will prov ide free concert tickets for all our concerts to members at the Orange County Senior Centers (OC letter of support). Building on our ongoing relationship with the East Chapel Hill High School (ECHHS) music department VOICES will prov ide a composition workshop for their students with Todd Coleman, our composer. Students who attend the workshop will be giv en 2 free concert tickets each (ECHHS letter of support) This Grass Roots Grant from OCAC in support of our accompanist’s salary will assist VOICES in achiev ing our two major goals during this year of unprecedented restrictions on musical performance. DocuSign Envelope ID: 9F1C561B-832A-4222-87B0-7A0980362B9B How will you evaluate whether or not your goals have been met? VOICES is requesting funding to support our operating budget, specifically the salary of our rehearsal accompanist. Ev aluation will focus on both financial outcomes as well as the quality of the v irtual recordings and/or the Spring concerts and their reception by the audience and our members. Our financial goal in 2021 is to end the season without a substantial loss. W e will gauge audience reception by examining the number of v iews and written feedback on YouTube and our social media platforms of our v irtual performances as well as the immediate reaction and random exit interv iews of audiences if the concert is performed liv e in May 2021. The quality of our performances will be rev iewed from liv e recordings by the Artistic Director. The Board further will ev aluate any published critical rev iews (CVNC), member feedback, and membership trends. The Board also routinely examines trends in ticket sales, rev enue streams, expense lines, and member satisfaction as markers of organizational health. These will be ev aluated as appropriate to the nature of performances (v irtual or in-person) that are possible in 2020-21. Groups performing choral music hav e proliferated in the Triangle in recent years. Voices has a long and proud tradition, but the Board works constantly to ensure a welcoming env ironment and positiv e experience for members, and performances that encourage audiences to come again. How do you promote and publicize the work of your organization? Our promotional activ ities in 2020-2021 will include: Face to face Marketing • Presuming that Chapel Hill will not hold Festifall Arts Festiv al this year, VOICES will miss what has become our best opportunity for increasing v isibility and building new membership (av erages 18-20 serious auditions annually). • W ord of mouth and direct marketing from VOICES singers is the most effectiv e way to sell concert tickets. VOICES encourages direct ticket sales from members and holds challenges/cntests to recognize members that sell the most tickets. Paid Marketing: • Triangle Sings | VOICES purchases a season package to promote our auditions and concerts. Concerts are listed as an ev ent on the Triangle Sings website and promoted through three ads and one eBlast. Triangle Sings website has up to 5,000 unique site v isitors per month and ov er 3,000 email subscribers. • Facebook | Paid adv ertisements are run through Facebook for concerts, linking to our Facebook ev ent page. These ads are targeted towards specific segmaents that are most likely to be interested in liv e choral music performances. For reference, we paid $27 to make 2,288 impressions for our December 2019 Voices concert. • Radio Ads | Voices had budgeted funds to purchase ad packages on W UNC and W CPE in the two weeks ahead of the May 2021 40th DocuSign Envelope ID: 9F1C561B-832A-4222-87B0-7A0980362B9B Anniv ersary concert and world premiere of “Hav ing Seen Afar Off”. Ad Exchanges with other Triangle choral groups Other Triangle choruses will be approached to coordinate an ad exchange for mutual benefit, including W omen’s Voices, Choral Society of Durham, d Durham Community Chorale, Concert Singers of Cary, Cary Community Chorus, North Carolina Master Chorale, Vox Viv orum, and area children’s choruses. Online Calendars Concert notifications will be placed in free online ev ents calendars such as: • CBS17 • CVNC • Carolina Parent • Chapel Hill Magazine • Chapelboro • Indy W eek • News of Orange • Orange County Arts Commission • Orange County Visitors Bureau • Our State • W RAL Email Marketing • Mailchimp | Concerts and ev ents are promoted through our 1,300- subscriber email list with announcements sent for the beginning of the season, for calls for auditions, and one month before and the week of each concert. For the Anniv ersary concert and premiere additional promotions will be sent in January and March. Earned Media Press releases will be written with the support of chorus member Esther Campi, Publicist and sent to: • Newspapers | in the Triangle in March and April. • Radio Stations | including W UNC, W CPE in March, focusing on the workshop and art contest with students at ECHHS. On-air interv iews will be solicited for Director Stephen Futrell and composer Todd Coleman in the week of the concert in May. • Telev ision Stations | including UNC-TV (PBS), Spectrum News, W RAL, W TVD 11, for example. Note: Orange County Arts Commission and North Carolina Arts Council logos and credit line are located on the back cov er of the Voices Season Program (linked below) as well as on Voices home page (www.v oiceschapelhill.org) and all other publicity materials. Please describe efforts by your organization to generate revenue. VOICES raises operating funds through dues, ticket sales, program ad sales, fundraisers, donations from members and external donors, and corporate and foundation sponsorships. VOICES also hosts social ev ents for our larger donors (external and member) annually and prov ides complementary tickets to these supporters. External DocuSign Envelope ID: 9F1C561B-832A-4222-87B0-7A0980362B9B donations are solicited on the website and in ev ery program, including information on legacy giv ing. Realizing that our members are our primary source of rev enue, the Board initiated steps to re-create a culture of organizational ownership in 2018 and 2019. Social ev ents (A Season Opening party and a W rap Party in 2019) were well-receiv ed and helped to increase the culture of social ownership as well as fiscal responsibility. Membership increased ov er the 2019 season, in positiv e response to Stephen Futrell’s style, musicianship, and div erse programming. Additional members increase rev enue from dues, ticket sales, donations, and fundraisers. Members solicit adv ertisements from area merchants and corporations for publication in our program. In v iew of the effect of the pandemic on small businesses and concerts restricted to perhaps only May of 2021, this rev enue will be sev erely reduced. Historically program adv ertising rev enue generates ~8% of the operating funds. Chorus members undertake one major fundraiser in the Fall (pecan sales) which generated about $4,400 in income last year. A new Spring fundraiser was initiated in 2019. The GoFundMe campaign met its’ goal of $5,000 and will be used twice this year. Members also routinely contribute about $4,000 annually in gifts of dues to “sponsor a singer” who cannot otherwise afford to join VOICES (typically graduate students). A program to solicit corporate and foundation sponsorships was launched in the 2019 season. Giv en the pandemic VOICES anticipates pausing this year and re-launching in 2021-22. Members, howev er, will continue to solicit their employers’ matching contributions. VOICES has been activ ated as a non-profit choice on both Amazon Smile and Giv ing Assistant rebate programs. Donations from these sources are relativ ely small but should grow with increasing member awareness. VOICES has been blessed to receiv e an endowment in honor of Joel J. and Eleanor Cely Carter, created by their children. It has steadily grown to a current balance of about $39,700. This fund exists specifically to showcase new composers or support commissions of new choral works. It can also be used to meet unexpected operating needs. VOICES encumbered $5,000 of this fund to support the commissioned work this year. A successful campaign in 2018 funded another small endowment to honor the artistic legacy of our Director of 18 years, Sue Klausmeyer. This fund will ev entually support unique instrumentalists, organists, soloists, and other enrichment needs. High-grade secure inv estment v ehicles hav e been researched and selected, which will prov ide passiv e growth of the principle while future campaigns will activ ely grow these assets. DocuSign Envelope ID: 9F1C561B-832A-4222-87B0-7A0980362B9B NOTE FOR PANELISTS Only requests for program/project funds need to submit a program/project budget. Requests for operating funds should be ev aluated using the organization's financial docs submitted under "Organization Information." Resumes of artists/administrators Shoko_Abe_Bio.docx Stephen_Futrell_Bio.docx J._Birchfield_President.docx Board of Directors List Voices_Board_of_Directors_2020.docx IRS Tax Exemption VOICES_tax_exempt_ltr.pdf Publicity Samples Voices_2019-2020_Press_Release.pdf Voices_2019-2020_Marketing_Materials.pdf Cantari_Fall_2019_Program.pdf Voices_Dec_2019_Program_Insert.pdf VOICES_19-20_Program-compressed.pdf W ork Samples 12_Poulenc_pt1.m4a 9_O_My_Luv es_Like_a_Red_Red_Rose_-_René_Clausen.mp3 Video Sample: External Link 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v =tZnQTxhxSSE Video Sample: External Link 2 n/a Video Sample: External Link 3 n/a Letters of support (optional) ECHHS_Letter_of_Support.pdf OC_Letter_of_Support.pdf DocuSign Envelope ID: 9F1C561B-832A-4222-87B0-7A0980362B9B