HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-430-E-Arts Commission-Voices the Chapel Hill Chorus-2022-23 Arts grantsGRASSROOTS ARTS PROGRAM / ARTIST PROJECT GRANT 2022-23
Grantee Name
Authorizing Official
Project Title
Award
Grant Category ☐Artist Project Grant Program
Funding Source
Date
End Date
OCAC Report Due
☐Grassroots Arts Program
☐North Carolina Arts Council ☐Orange County
July 1, 2022
June 30, 2023
Monday, July 10, 2023
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
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Voices the Chapel Hill Chorus
Tamara Sheldon Board Member, Grants and Development
Salary Support for Artistic Director, Accompanist, and Local Musicians Hired for Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 concerts
$5,557.00
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4
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Revised August 2022
ORANGE COUNTY ARTS
COMMISSION 2022-23 GRANT
AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT, entered into this 24 day of August, 2022, by and between Orange County
("County"), by and through the Orange County Arts Commission ("Arts Commission") and
("Grant Recipient").
WHEREAS, the Arts Commission is a countywide arts agency that ensures the growth of
local arts experiences by providing funding and support for diverse high quality programs
and projects.
WHEREAS, the Arts Commission administers the annual Grants Program to
provide economic opportunities to Orange County artists and non-profit organizations
coordinating arts projects benefiting the citizens of Orange County.
WHEREAS, the annual Arts Grants Program is supported by Arts Commission with
funds from the Grassroots Arts Program of the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of
the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, a state agency.
WHEREAS, the Grant Recipient was selected by the Arts Commission to receive
the annual Arts Grant through the procedures duly adopted by the Arts Commission; and
WHEREAS, both parties wish to promote and maintain the integrity and clarity of
the Grant Recipient's ideas and statements and delineate the Grant Recipient’s obligations to
the County;
NOW, THEREFORE, the County and the Grant Recipient, for the consideration
and under the conditions hereinafter set forth, agree as follows:
1.Approved Grant Project. Grant funds are provided under this Agreement for the project
(“Project”) described in the Grant Recipient’s Grant Application, attached hereto and
incorporated herein as Exhibit A.
2.Grant Award. Grant funds in an amount not to exceed ($ )
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 the Chapel Hill Chorus
five thousand five hundred fifty-seven dollars $5,557.00
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Revised August 2022
A.Implementation. The Project implementation shall take place between July 1,
2022 and June 30, 2023. 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 10, 2023. 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
$5,557.00
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Revised August 2022
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.
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Revised August 2022
(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
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Revised August 2022
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
Tamara Sheldon Board Member, Grants and Development
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4B2B49D2-B4B4-4397-AE2C-5AA9D33F13C3
9/2/2022
9/5/2022
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Revised August 2022
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: 2022-23 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
No Date 8-31-2022 Approved by Board Yes 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 Laura Jensen upon completion @ ljensen@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 the Chapel Hill Chorus Tamara Sheldon 6266441520
P.O. Box 3011 Chapel Hill 27515 $5,557.00
51428
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9/4/2022
9/4/2022
9/5/2022
Orange County Arts Commission Powered by Submittable
Title Voices the Chapel Hil l Chorus
by Tamara Sheldon in 2022-23 Grassroots Arts Program Grant Application
P.O. Box 3011
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
27515
US-0-NC
United States
6266441520
tamara.sheldon@voiceschapelhill.org
06/10/2022
id. 26929817
Original Submission 06/10/2022
APPLICANT INFORMATION Please tell us about your organization.
Organization Name Voices the Chapel Hill Chorus
Mailing Address of
Organization
P.O. Box 3011
Chapel Hill, NC 27515
How did you hear about our
grant program?
OCAC Enews
Did you or a representative
of your orgnanization attend
one of our grants training
sessions?
Yes
Nature of Organization Arts Organization
Organization Description Voices is one of the Triangle’s largest choral groups with a tradition stretching back 41 years. Our mission is to
foster, sustain, and share the art and joy of choral music, and to enrich the community through the performance
of music from diverse cultures and historical periods.
Voices has an all-v olunteer Board of Directors that currently has eight members. Directors' terms are limited to
three years to ensure that the Board stays fresh with new ideas and represents the full chorus. Voices employs
two professionals: Dr. Stephen Futrell, DMA and Associate Professor of Music at Elon Univ ersity, joined as Artistic
Director in 2018; and Shoko Abe, DMA, joined in 2018 as Accompanist.
Voices is an umbrella organization that encompasses a large auditioned chorus of the same name, Cantari, an
ensemble group of about 30 singers, and the biennial Summer Voices. Historically the large chorus has included
up to 150 singers although that number has been significantly impacted by Cov id and now stands at 87 singers.
The large chorus performs Holiday and Spring concerts that employ approximately 50-60 local symphonic artists.
Frequently Voices collaborates with local choral groups for combined concerts. In our Spring 2023 concert we will
collaborate with Raleigh Boys Choir in presenting ‘Carmina Burana’.
Just prior to Cov id, the Board made the decision to fold Cantari into the larger symphonic chorus as a cost-
sav ing measure. Cantari remains an identified group within Voices and we hope to reintroduce separate concerts
for the group in the future.
W e are delighted to resume Summer Voices in 2022 for the first time since Cov id, welcoming anybody who wants
to experience the joy of singing in a chorus. Historically Summer Voices has attracted around 60 singers
consisting of both Voices members and members of the public joining in just for fun. In the off years when the
biennial Summer Voices does not assemble, Voices frequently takes a tour abroad. If circumstances permit,
Voices will be touring France in the summer of 2023 to perform Faure’s ‘Requiem’.
Approximately 80% of Voices’ membership liv es with in Orange County. In age we range from the twenties to the
eighties with a skew (50%) toward our older members. We typically hav e about 10% students and 4-5% people of
color.
Ov er the past sev eral years Voices has mastered a remarkably div erse repertoire. In the abruptly cancelled
concert in May 2020, Cantari was to sing Brazilian folk songs with Brazilian artist Caique Vidal. Voices was to sing
a program titled “Music of the Americas” featuring selections from South and Central America, Canada, and
Aaron Copeland’s ‘Old American Songs.’ For Voices May 2022 concert, celebrating our 40th anniversary, Voices
commissioned an original work from local composer Dr. Todd Coleman. For our next two upcoming seasons
Voices will be intentionally piv oting back to classic fav orites in a bid to recov er our pre-Cov id audience. Our
Spring 2023 program will feature Orff’s ‘Carmina Burana’, and in Spring 2024 we will present Mozart’s ‘Requiem.’
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4B2B49D2-B4B4-4397-AE2C-5AA9D33F13C3
Has your organization
undergone any Diversity,
Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
training? If so, please
explain. If not, please explain
any barriers that have
prevented you from receiving
this training.
Yes. Our President, Emily Shuman, our Director for Membership, Becca McDaniel, and our W ebmaster, Adam
Jacks, hav e all receiv ed DEI training through their workplaces. That's three out of our current eight-member
Board. Training for the whole Board has been a topic of interest for sev eral years. In 2019 Voices applied for a
project grant from the Mary Duke Biddle foundation for funding to hire a DEI professional to conduct training for
Voices' Board. Unfortunately, the grant was denied and Cov id suspended further efforts. The expense of DEI
professional training has been the barrier keeping the the Voices Board from formal training. As a result of my
attendance at the webinar hosted by Katie Murray to discuss this grant, I learned from Katie of free DEI resources
av ailable for informal training and that is the av enue we are now pursuing.
Voices' entire Board has receiv ed the following materials for indiv idual rev iew:
1) Article: Guide to Achiev ing Div ersity and Inclusion in the W orkplace
https://www.tsne.org/div ersity-and-inclusion-initiative-step-step-guide
2) Webinar: How to Change Your DEI Culture in One Month (North
Carolina Center for Nonprofits)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v =ec8uxHGH--U
3) Article: A Guide Toward Div ersity, Equity, and Inclusion in Data Collection
https://www.schusterman.org/sites/default/files/More%20than%20Numbers-
%20A%20Guide%20Toward%20Div ersity%2C%20Equity%20and%20Inclusion%20%28DEI%29%20in%20Data%20Collection.pdf
4) Ov erv iew of DEIA and implementing it into internal organizational systems:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v =NwimgfEyihM&list=PLwVmpbcpMU9Op3ZDJupxN_ErbJZJ17eqw&index=1
5) Incorporating DEIA Externally through Community and Program Engagement:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v =-hmtXxkHKzs&list=PLwVmpbcpMU9Op3ZDJupxN_ErbJZJ17eqw&index=2
Voices' Board has a retreat coming up in mid-June at which we will discuss these resources and how we can apply
them to our organization.
During FY22-23, will your
organization receive
operational support funding
from the North Carolina Arts
Council or the North Carolina
Department of Natural and
Cultural Resources?
Yes
Organization's EIN 581450444.0
Organization Website https://www.v oiceschapelhill.org
Authorizing Official's Name Tamara Sheldon
Authorizing Official's Title Board Member, Grants and Dev elopment
Authorizing Official's Phone 6266441520
Authorizing Official's Email tamara.sheldon@v oiceschapelhill.org
Applicant Race W hite
Financial Overview
FinancialOv erv iew_Submittable.xlsx
Organizational Financial Statements
FY21_Profit_and_Loss.pdf
Budget_2021-2022.pdf
VOICESChapel_Hill_FY2021_Form_990EZ_-_Rev.pdf
FY23_Budget_Draft.pdf
Deficit/Surplus Voices is grateful to hav e only a minor deficit this fiscal year ending on July 31, 2022, following a record surplus of
$27,121 for our prior fiscal year. These results are due to fundraising efforts on the part of Voices Board. Knowing
that Covid would affect both concert income and income from membership, the Board made a concerted effort to
increase grant income. Grant income has trended from $2,276 (FY2020) to $17,776 (FY2021) and $19,130
(FY2022E). Likewise, the Board stepped up efforts to solicit donations from our membership, supporters, and
corporations. Donations hav e trended from $16,474 (FY2020) to $22,446 (FY2021) and $22,446 (FY2022E). (That's
not a typo. Donations were equal in FY2021 and FY2022.) During that same period concert income bounced from
$11,324 to $0 and $8,583(E) this fiscal year, and membership dues from $24,816, to $12,905, $23,817 this fiscal
year.
Our financial results this fiscal year are also impacted by increased spending in the celebration of our 40th
anniversary season (originally planned for FY 2021 and postponed to FY2022 due to Cov id.) Voices paid Dr. Todd
Coleman $10,000 for his commissioned piece 'Hav ing Seen Afar Off' written to celebrate our 40th anniversary,
paid approximately $5,000 extra to rent premium concert space (UNC's Memorial Hall), and also increased
advertising to promote the concert.
In summary, Voices' Board is grateful to hav e come through the past few tumultuous years in good financial
shape. We don't expect the extraordinary donations from the last two years to continue at this pace in the future
because two of our most generous donors hav e left the community. We expect that we will hav e to work to rebuild
both our membership and audiences.
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4B2B49D2-B4B4-4397-AE2C-5AA9D33F13C3
Are you an entity of UNC-
Chapel Hill or another unit of
state government?
No
PROJECT/PROGRAM
INFORMATION
Tell us about your project or program
Title of Grant Request Salary Support for Artistic Director, Accompanist, and Local Musicians Hired for Fall 2022 and Spring 2023
concerts
Grant Amount Requested $8,000
Is the person in charge of
this program or project
different from the Authorizing
Official?
Yes
Project Director Name Tamara Sheldon
Project Director Title Board Member, Grants and Dev elopment
Project Director Street
Address
3301 Arthur Minnis Road, Hillsborough, NC 27278
Project Director Phone 6266441520
Project Director Email tamara.sheldon@v oiceschapelhill.org
What are you requesting
funding for?
Operational expense (arts organizations ONLY)
Request Summary Voices requests $8,000 to support the salary of our Artistic Director Dr. Stephen Futrell, Accompanist Dr. Shoko
Abe, and to pay for the appearances of local musicians at both our Holiday 2022 and Spring 2023 concerts. If our
request is granted, grant funds will be matched one for one with money from Voices' operating funds in FY2023.
Dr. Futrell is Voices' fifth artistic director and joined the chorus in 2018. He is an Associate Professor of Music at
Elon Univ ersity and holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting, Univ ersity of Missouri-Kansas City
Conservatory of Music. Dr. Futrell is the creativ e force behind Voices and has expanded our repertoire widely
introducing works from many cultures around the world. He often introduces v ocal techniques and music theory
concepts during practice that nurture and enhance the choir's skillset, dev eloping stronger musicians over time.
Dr. Abe holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Collaborative Piano (April 2018, Univ ersity of North Texas), and degrees
earned with high honors in piano performance from Fukushima Univ ersity and Showa Univ ersity in Japan. She
often leads sectionals (a subset of the chorus practicing separate parts) aiding the Chorus as both teacher and
accompanist.
For Voices' Holiday Concert, Voices will hire a string quartet to accompany the the large, combined chorus in
performing holiday music from sev eral traditions and locations around the world. In Spring 2023 Voices will
present 'Carmina Burana' accompanied by two pianos and a percussion ensemble. All musicians hired will be
local, professional players.
Organizational Goals Ev ery year Voices goals are to: prov ide an opportunity for members of our community to experience the joy of
choral singing in a welcoming organization that striv es for excellence, and; to offer the opportunity to our
community to come enjoy the fruits of our efforts at beautifully organized and performed concerts.
In FY 23 Voices' has two particular goals: to grow membership and increase our audience particularly from
underrepresented and/or under-resourced populations, and 2) to reincorporate our select ensemble group Cantari
into programming both within the larger chorus and perhaps stand-alone concerts as financial considerations
allow.
As discussed earlier, Voices' repertoire for the last few performance years before and after Cov id hav e offered a
breadth of selections from other cultures, countries, and ev en new music as represented by our commissioned
piece performed at our May 2022 concert. Fiscal 2022 is our first full performance year since Cov id, and in both
the Spring and Fall seasons we hav e had a reduced membership and smaller audiences at concerts. Membership
in 2022 was 87 singers while our historical range is 120 to 150 singers. The audience for our Fall and Spring
concerts numbered approximately 300 and 250 respectiv ely, while historically we hav e expected to attract 500+
total to our two Fall concerts, and 300+ to our Spring concert. W e attribute this to a Covid hangov er and
continuing uncertainty as the v irus takes new forms. Part of Voices' effort to counter these trends is to bring back
a repertoire in 2023 made up of old fav orites to entice both singers and listeners out of Covid lethargy and back
into our chorus and audience. W e are very encouraged by the turnout for Summer Voices that started late May
2022. Historically our Summer Voices choir has averaged around sixty singers but this year we hav e attracted 82.
Summer Voices concerts in the past hav e attracted 150+ audience members.
Two underrepresented and under-resourced populations that Voices is well-equipped to serv e are seniors and
youth. Our membership and audience consist in large part of indiv iduals aged 55-70+, and prov iding cultural
enrichment for seniors is an important way that we provide v alue to the arts community. Our history of joint
concerts with local youth choirs allows us to share meaningful choral music experiences with young singers in the
Triangle. Prior to the pandemic, Voices arranged to distribute free tickets to our 40th anniv ersary concert to
residents of Orange County Senior Centers and students of East Chapel Hill
High School. As the board considers div ersification and inclusion strategies, we plan to rev iv e efforts like these
that strengthen Voices’ relationships with underserv ed groups.
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4B2B49D2-B4B4-4397-AE2C-5AA9D33F13C3
How will you evaluate
whether or not your goals
have been met?
W e can ev aluate how well we're doing meeting our goal of bringing the joy of choral music to our members and
audiences by monitoring membership growth/retention, and the size of our audience. Positive trends in these
metrics will accurately reflect how enthusiastic both groups are. We will gather further information on audience
satisfaction by noting the number of v iews and written feedback on YouTube and Facebook, and from the
immediate reaction of the audience at the concert as well as feedback heard by our chorus members. In the past
we hav e receiv ed rev iews of our performances on CVNC.org. Our Artistic Director also routinely rev iews liv e
recordings of our performances.
During the pandemic Voices continued to practice with procedures in place to protect our membership. Most of
the membership practiced remotely with a rotating group of two singers per part in-house. A high-quality audio
and v ideo feed was provided to our remote members creating a practice experience as close as possible to the
chorus being together. At the end of each season, in lieu of concerts, Voices produced v ideo recordings, five of
which (those we could get copyright permissions for) we then posted on YouTube as a free offering to the public
to enjoy hearing new choral music within the parameters of the pandemic lockdown. The fiv e v ideo recordings
posted hav e each receiv ed between 600 and 1,200 views each, which we v iew as a remarkable success in
deliv ering to the public the joy of choral music within restrictiv e conditions.
How well we meet our goal of including under-resourced and underrepresented populations in the chorus can be
measured by rev iewing the chorus roster. In FY2023 we will ask our v olunteers helping at the front door of our
concerts (giv ing out programs, and selling tickets and merchandise) to take note of the composition of the
audience. This method will, of course, only give an approximation but it will prov ide the Board with information
without intruding into our audiences' concert experience.
W e hav e only to look back at our performance calendar for FY2023 to measure how well we have done at
repositioning Cantari as it's own performance group as well as being a part of the larger chorus. The Board feels it
is especially important in our current env ironment to remain flexible and responsiv e as we see how the year
unfolds financially and with regard to public health. We hope to hav e one Cantari concert in addition to the Fall
and Spring concerts featuring the whole chorus.
How do you promote and
publicize the work of your
organization?
A large part of Voices' concert audiences is made up of family and friends of our members. Therefore, word-of-
mouth is important to marketing our concerts as friends of Voices tend to invite other friends, etc. W e maintain an
email list of "Friends of Voices" that has grown to more than 1,300 subscribers over the years from people signing
up on our website, or at other events such as Chapel Hill's Festifall Arts Festiv al. An email goes out to that list to
advertise concerts, invite people to join our chorus, and on other appropriate occasions. W e promote our
concerts on Voices' Facebook page and encourage members and friends to "like" the promotion thereby helping
it spread through the Facebook community. To date Voices' Facebook page has 416 "likes". The Triangle Sings
website is also a valuable tool for getting the news out about our concerts, and opportunities to audition. We pay
to be included in Triangle Sings ev ent calendar, and for Triangle sings to send out an email exclusiv ely about our
concert to their email list of music lov ers in the area about a week prior to each concert.
For our 40th anniv ersary concert in May 2022, Voices purchased an email list from Ev v nt.com of 7,000 Chapel Hill
residents who opted-in to receiv e news of local music ev ents. We routinely adv ertise in the News of Orange and
Chatham County News + Record, and local web sites such as Chapelboro.com, INDY W eek and the Chapel
Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau. W e send notices to retirement communities such as Fearrington Village for
inclusion in their community newsletters. And we attract radio listeners through interv iews giv en by our Artistic
Director on local radio station such as W UNC and W CPE a few weeks before concerts.
Voices' longstanding practice of giving joint concerts with other community v ocal groups also serv es as a way to
introduce Voices to the friends and family, and other faithful audience members, of the group we are coordinating
with, and thereby encouraging them to join on our "Friends of Voices" email list. On 4/13/2022, the town of Chapel
Hill honored Voices with a special proclamation recognizing our contributions to the cultural enrichment of the arts
locally and globally. Voices will include reference to the proclamation in future concert brochures and advertising
to further raise recognition of the Chorus within the greater Chapel Hill/Carrboro community.
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Please describe efforts by
your organization to generate
revenue.
Voices generates rev enue from member dues, donations, grants, ticket sales, program adv ertisement sales,
fundraisers, sponsorships, endowments, and miscellaneous efforts such as Amazon Smile and selling Voices
merchandise. Voices' members are an important revenue source because of the dues they pay, donations they
give, concert program ads they sell, and the fundraisers they participate in. We fully recognize that the
organization is dependent upon our membership in multiple ways and keep people inv olv ed and enthusiastic
through season opening and closing parties, and by keeping practices fun and musically educational.
The past two years hav e been rev enue-challenging as ticket and program advertisements sales disappeared, and
the size of the chorus decreased. Fortunately, donations from both individuals (within and without the chorus) and
corporations were on an upward
trend. In late FY20, the Board, recognizing the challenges ahead, stepped up efforts to obtain grants. In FY20
grant income was less than $3,000. That increased to $18,000 in FY21 and a projected $19,000 in FY22. We hav e
come through the Cov id upheav al in good financial shape primarily due to donation and grant income and are
grateful for it. We are keeping our grant efforts up as times are uncertain, and unfortunately hav e reason to
believ e our remarkable success with donations may decline as two of our most generous donors hav e left the
community.
Historically Voices' fundraisers hav e met with success. Every holiday season, members sell local pecans and
pecans candies to the public generating approximately $5,000 for the Chorus. In FY2019 we had a successful
$5,000 GoFundMe campaign. This past Spring we sold specialized coffee and coffee products and generated
close to $1,000. We plan to continue to selling pecans in the Fall, and try new fundraisers in Spring. Ticket sales
normally generate ov er $20k for the Chorus although this fiscal year 2022 we hav e seen that number cut in half.
W e expect our audiences will return although the pandemic makes timing uncertain. Likewise with our decreased
membership although we are v ery excited by the high turnout for Summer Voices this year (82 v s. an av erage of
60.)
Sponsorships to date are small but add up to about $4,000 per year. Ev ery season members hav e the opportunity
to "Sponsor A Singer" by paying a set amount in addition to their own dues. For Summer Voices the v oluntary
sponsorship paid by members is $35 and two singers hav e used those sponsorships to join our roster this
Summer. We also usually find a sponsor to buy t-shirts for our Summer Voices concert wear, often a member or
friend of the Chorus.
Voices is the beneficiary of two small endowments. The Joel J. and Eleanor Cely Carter endowment is intended to
showcase new composers and support commissions of new choral works and totals $45,000. In 2018 an
endowment was raised in honor of Sue Klausmeyer who was retiring after 18 years as Voices Artistic Director. This
fund supports instrumentalists, organists, soloists and other enrichment needs for the Chorus and currently
totals $19,500.
Resumes of artists/administrators
Stephen_Futrell_resume.docx.pdf
Shoko_Abe_resume.docx.pdf
Shuman_Emily_resume.docx
Board of Directors List
Board_of_Directors_June_2022.pdf
IRS Tax Exemption
1996_04_22_CHCC_IRS_nonprofit_status.pdf
Publicity Samples
Awakenings_of_the_Soul_Poster.pdf
Work Samples n/a
Video Sample: External Link
1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v =IqzwCSoVXV8
Video Sample: External Link
2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v =wxUTTaKcXW0
Video Sample: External Link
3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v =4zix3LXae3w
Letters of support (optional)n/a
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4B2B49D2-B4B4-4397-AE2C-5AA9D33F13C3