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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-605-E-Arts Commission-Sisters' Voices-Rent Support for Sisters' Voices Rehearsals, Programs, and PerformGRASSROOTS ARTS PROGRAM / ARTIST PROJECT GRANT 2024-25 Grantee Name Authorizing Official Name Email Project Title Award Grant Category ☐Grassroots Arts Program ☐Artist Project Grant Program Funding Source ☐North Carolina Arts Council ☐Orange County Grant project period July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025 As Authorizing Official, I acknowledge the following terms and understand if they are not met, I jeopardize future funding opportunities from the Orange County Arts Commission. I understand a Compliance Score is issued for future grants based on my adherence to the following terms: OCAC Report Due Monday, July 14, 2025 Multicultural Spending Grantee must spend $ on the hiring of multicultural artists as specified in the grant application. Crediting and logo usage All grantees 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. If funding source is listed as N.C. Arts Council above, grantee must also properly credit the N.C. Arts Council using the proper logos and N.C. Arts Council credit line on all publicity materials for funded program. Download logos on the OCAC website at https://artsorange.org/grants/grantee-resources. Calendar Listing Grantee 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. Sisters' Voices Leandra Strope, Artistic Director leandra@sistersvoices.org Rent Support for Sisters' Voices Rehearsals, Programs, and Performances $3,750.00 4 4 Docusign Envelope ID: 5E6F8E2E-FE2C-436D-A06C-2B31BCD96BED 1 Revised August 2022 ORANGE COUNTY ARTS COMMISSION 2024-25 GRANT AGREEMENT THIS AGREEMENT, entered into this 6 day of September, 2024, by and between Orange County ("County"), by and through the Orange County Arts Commission ("Arts Commission") and ("Grant Recipient"). WHEREAS, the Arts Commission is a countywide arts agency that ensures the growth of local arts experiences by providing funding and support for diverse high quality programs and projects. WHEREAS, the Arts Commission administers the annual Grants Program to provide economic opportunities to Orange County artists and non-profit organizations coordinating arts projects benefiting the citizens of Orange County. WHEREAS, the annual Arts Grants Program is supported by Arts Commission with funds from the Grassroots Arts Program of the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, a state agency. WHEREAS, the Grant Recipient was selected by the Arts Commission to receive the annual Arts Grant through the procedures duly adopted by the Arts Commission; and WHEREAS, both parties wish to promote and maintain the integrity and clarity of the Grant Recipient's ideas and statements and delineate the Grant Recipient’s obligations to the County; NOW, THEREFORE, the County and the Grant Recipient, for the consideration and under the conditions hereinafter set forth, agree as follows: 1.Approved Grant Project. Grant funds are provided under this Agreement for the project (“Project”) described in the Grant Recipient’s Grant Application, attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit A. 2.Grant Award. Grant funds in an amount not to exceed ($ ) 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 Sisters' Voices three thousand seven hundred fifty dollars 3,750.00 Docusign Envelope ID: 5E6F8E2E-FE2C-436D-A06C-2B31BCD96BED 2 Revised August 2022 A.Implementation. The Project implementation shall take place between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025. 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 14, 2025. 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 3,750.00 Docusign Envelope ID: 5E6F8E2E-FE2C-436D-A06C-2B31BCD96BED 3 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. 4 Docusign Envelope ID: 5E6F8E2E-FE2C-436D-A06C-2B31BCD96BED 4 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 Docusign Envelope ID: 5E6F8E2E-FE2C-436D-A06C-2B31BCD96BED 5 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 Travis Myren, County Manager Date Leandra Strope, Artistic Director Docusign Envelope ID: 5E6F8E2E-FE2C-436D-A06C-2B31BCD96BED 9/29/2024 10/10/2024 Revised 01/24 1 ORANGE COUNTY—INTERNAL USE ONLY ______________________________________________________________________________ Finance Information Vendor Name: Sisters' Voices Vendor Contact Person: Leandra Strope Phone: 919-619-3438 Address: 407 Tinkerbell Road City Chapel Hill State: NC Zip: 27517 Department: Manager’s Office/Arts Commission Amount: $ 3,7500.00 Purpose: 2024-25 Arts Grants Budget Code(s): 37290050-630000 Vendor # 66735 Vendor Status with NCSOS: Vendor is a BOCC consultant: Yes No Contract Details Contract Type: New Amendment (Original Contract: ) (Most Recent Amendment ) Effective Date End Date Notice Date (Notice Purpose ) Award Approved by Board (Agenda Date: ); Made or Administered by Signature Authority - BOCC Express Delegation (Agenda Date: ) - Policy 9.4: Under $5,000; Service Under $90,000; Construction Under $250,000 - Budget Policy Section XV (Capital Improvement Project: ) Bidding Informal Bidding ($30k-$90k); Formal RFP ($90k+); Other (<$30k); Exception(# ) Department Affirmation This agreement is approved as to technical form and content and I as Department Director affirmatively state work on this project has not been initiated prior to execution of the agreement. This agreement is approved as to technical form and content. Services related to this agreement have already begun or been completed. Description of the nature of the emergency condition that was addressed: Department Director’s Signature ________________________________________ Date: ________ Information Technologies This agreement has been reviewed and is approved as to information technology content and specifications: Office of the Chief Information Officer___________________________________ Date: ________ Inapplicable because no hardware/software purchases or related services 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 All Docusign contracts must be copied to the Clerk upon completion: occlerkdocs@orangecountync.gov The following signature block is for hard copies only and is not required for Docusign contracts: Received for record retention: Office of the Clerk to the Board __________________________________________Date:_________ Docusign Envelope ID: 5E6F8E2E-FE2C-436D-A06C-2B31BCD96BED 9/20/2024 9/30/2024 10/1/2024 10/10/2024 Orange County Arts Commission Powered by Submittable Title Si sters' Voi ces by Kristin Trangsrud in 2024-25 Grassroots Arts Program Grant Application 407 Tinkerbell Road Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27517 United States (919) 619-3438 kristin@sistersvoices.org 06/30/2024 id. 46892289 Original Submission 06/30/2024 Score n/a APPLICANT INFORMATION Please tell us about your organization. Applicant Organization Name Sisters' Voices Is the Applicant Organization serving as a fiscal agent for an unincorporated group? No Mailing Address of Organization 407 Tinkerbell Road Chapel Hill NC 27517 US 35.93591 -79.01165 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 Docusign Envelope ID: 5E6F8E2E-FE2C-436D-A06C-2B31BCD96BED Organization Description Sisters’ Voices (SV) is a choral community of girls founded by Leandra Strope in 2008. Initially supported by private funding and volunteer time, it has evolved into a Chapel Hill based community of six ensembles, camps, and paid staff, which this year has served about 70 girls and gender expansive youth in grades K-10. W hile the SV choral program is top-notch, the heart of its mission is to lift up and encourage our singers to find their unique voice to thrive and be leaders in our community. The SV curriculum begins with SV-One (K-1) which explores singing and musical concepts through games and folk repertoire. As students move up in grades, they progress to ensembles (SV-Two, SV-Three, SV-Four, SV- Five and Chamber) that teach more complex music skills, sing more difficult repertoire including songs in different languages, require more time commitment, and give more frequent performances, including a small opera/theatrical performance. The older singers also have programming on leadership and social issues. Each summer we offer a variety of camps. This summer it includes a professional audio and videotaping project with SV-Four and SV-Five, a choral camp for 3rd to 5th graders and a leadership camp for the older singers. Our plan for the summer of 2025 is to offer a Musical Theater W orkshop for middle schoolers, a choral festival in Cincinnati, Ohio for the high schoolers and a choral camp for the younger singers. Typically, SV performs winter and spring concerts and a musical theater performance, each with an audience of about 200. Last October, SV singers performed at the Youth Choral Festival during the NC American Choral Directors Association conference. In November, SV sang at the OCAC Holiday Bazaar and during the Triangle Vocal Project Concert. SV has also performed at the Carrboro Music Festival, ClydeFest, and OCAC First Fridays at the Mill. SV has sung the national anthem for Girls on the Run events and the 2018 Harlem Globetrotters visit, and has collaborated with artists, musicians and the Paperhand Puppet Intervention at the Carrboro ArtsCenter. W hile our singers are racially diverse, we are working to attract a socio- economically diverse group by building diversity in our leadership through staff and our BOD, which will help us reach communities that may not be aware of SV. W e also have a scholarship program and our tuition is built on a sliding scale. W e never turn singers away because of inability to pay. Our staff consists of Artistic Director, Leandra Strope, with 30+ years of conducting experience, and Financial Director, Jenny W alters, who also works in the CHCCS system. In addition, we have Outreach Director, Matte Cottrell, an SV alum who identifies as a queer, non-binary person. In October, we hired Makayla Graybeal, a young African American woman to be our Community Coordinator, a new position funded with support from the Strowd Roses Foundation. Our accompanist is Kristin Trangsrud. The Board of Directors consists of six women, including a native Spanish speaker who is connected to the local Latinx community. Docusign Envelope ID: 5E6F8E2E-FE2C-436D-A06C-2B31BCD96BED How many Orange County residents does the organization serve? SV serves about 70 youth in grades K through high school. About 200 individuals typically attend our Chapel Hill based winter, spring and musical theater performances. W e estimate 200 or more enjoy SV's music at other events in Orange County. 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. One of the priorities of the Board of Directors has been to educate ourselves about systemic racism and to make SV more accessible and inclusive. During the spring of 2023, three of our staff members and three of our Board members attended the OCAC DEIA training with Aisha Adams. In 2020, supported by a grant from W omen in Bio, Leandra and one of the board members attended The Racial Equity Institute workshop Phase 1. Leandra went on to attend Phase 2 which focused on organizational structure. In addition, all staff and board members have been encouraged to read the book “Caste” by Isabel W ilkerson and to listen to the podcast “Seeing W hite” from Scene on Radio produced by John Biewen at the Center for Documentary Studies. Sisters' Voices is a member of Chorus America, and Leandra is a member of The American Choral Directors Association. Both of these organizations have resources regarding Inclusion, Accessibility, Diversity, and Equity, on which we rely. W e continue to seek other resources and to work to strengthen the diversity of our board and staff to increase our understanding and ability to offer equitable and accessible programming for our community. The training with Adams has been an excellent addition to the foundation course offered by the REI. Adams provided very clear and practical information about how to do the work of "advancing social change" in our organization with a task force and external audit that lead to prioritizing, planning, tracking and measuring. During FY24-25, will your organization receive operational support funding from the North Carolina Arts Council or the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources? W e are awaiting a funding decision Organization's EIN 273186007.0 Organization W ebsite www.sistersvoices.org Authorizing Official's Name Leandra Strope Authorizing Official's Title Artistic Director Docusign Envelope ID: 5E6F8E2E-FE2C-436D-A06C-2B31BCD96BED Authorizing Official's Phone 919-619-3438 Authorizing Official's Email leandra@sistersvoices.org Applicant Race W hite Financial Overview FinancialOv erv iew_Submittable.xlsx Organizational Financial Statements Sisters_Voices_Statement_of_Activ ity_FY22-23.pdf Sisters_Voices_Projected_Statement_of_Activ ity_FY23-24.pdf Sisters_Voices_Budget_FY24-25.pdf Sisters_Voices_2022_Form_990_tax_return-filed.pdf Sisters_Voices_Statement_of_Financial_Position.pdf Deficit/Surplus For FY22-23, we did not have as many singers register for our 2023 summer camps as we had budgeted for. In addition, Sisters' Voices creates our budgets with the projection of all singers paying the full amount of tuition. However, in reality, many of our singers request some amount of financial assistance. W hile we have a scholarship fund, we have not yet received enough donations to cover the amount of scholarships we give. Therefore, we ended FY22-23 with a deficit of just over $19,000. For FY23-24, we were able to make up that deficit with the help of a successful Giving Tuesday campaign, generous community donations, and our first corporate donor. Not yet knowing what our enrollment will be for the coming year, we have budgeted a surplus of just over $20,000 for FY24-25 knowing that we will probably not receive the full tuition that we have budgeted for. If the current or next year budget represents a 30% or more change from the year prior, please explain why. Our current FY23-24 budget represents a greater than 30% change due to greater than usual community giving. In addition, we added an ensemble (SV5) in FY23-24 and another ensemble (SV-Stepping In) in FY24-25. SV- Five is our High School level ensemble, and our new Stepping In ensemble will help us address singers in Middle and High School who want to sing with us but are just beginning; we have found that new singers are not ready to rehearse or perform at the level of the singers who have been singing for years. The addition of these ensembles increases our real and projected income numbers. 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 Docusign Envelope ID: 5E6F8E2E-FE2C-436D-A06C-2B31BCD96BED Title of Grant Request Rent Support for Sisters' Voices Rehearsals, Programs, and Performances Grant Amount Requested $5,000 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) Request Summary For the coming 2024-25 season, SV plans to continue renting a room for rehearsals at Binkley Church in Chapel Hill. A long term goal is to eventually move into a more permanent space that will allow us to grow more in both numbers of singers and programming, we have found that both the space and the location of Binkley Church has worked very well for us. In addition to rehearsal space, when we have concerts, camps, recording projects and other special programs, Binkley Church has performance space and other rooms available to rent for these purposes, making it efficient and logistically simple for these events. This past year, we budgeted $10,720.00 for space which included $10,000 for the rehearsal room. Docusign Envelope ID: 5E6F8E2E-FE2C-436D-A06C-2B31BCD96BED Organizational Goals In terms of programming goals, Sisters’ Voices has a fierce commitment to offer a diverse and rich multicultural program of music for our singers to learn, master and perform for our audiences. W e have singers who come from or whose parents come from many different countries and cultures around the world including Uganda, Mexico, Guatemala, Venezuela, Brazil, Uraguay, China, Korea, India, Germany, France, Lebanon, Israel, Hungary, and Uzbekistan. Our Artistic Director strives to find music that reflects this diversity and exposes other cultures to our singers and audiences. This past year, SV sang songs that reflected the traditional sounds, percussion and languages of South Africa, Venezuela, China, Malaysia, Norway, India, Hawaii, and African American roots music. During the process of learning the music, our Artistic Director consults with native speakers, has the singers listen to recordings and uses other resources to bring an authenticity and competency to the sounds, vocabulary, rhythms and harmony that may be new and different to the singers. Another goal is to increase our enrollment. During the 2023-24 year, we added a high school ensemble (SV-Five) and a small Chamber group of four highly dedicated and experienced singers to our roster. For the 2024- 25 year, we plan to grow our younger ensembles and to add a SV-Stepping In group for new middle school and high school students who want to sing with Sisters’ Voices but don’t yet have the musical skills, technique and stamina to sing in the older ensembles. In terms of organizational goals, our priorities this coming year include: 1. Increasing donations toward our Scholarship fund by 50%. 2. Building our Board of Directors by adding two or more individuals. W e are especially interested in bringing in people of color and someone who has interest or experience in fundraising and soliciting corporate donations. 3. W e have added three ensembles since we last adjusted our Artistic/Executive Director's salary, and as we grow we are working to increase her salary in a way that is both fair and achievable for our organization. W e are in the process of a salary study to understand how other organizations compensate their directors. 4. W e now have three part time Administrative staff including a Community Coordinator, an Outreach Director, and a Financial Director. W e are building the capacity to hire an Executive Director who could take over some of these responsibilities and support the work of our Artistic Director so she can focus on programming and providing quality music and leadership education for the singers. 5. A long term goal is to eventually move into a more permanent space that will allow us to grow more in both numbers of singers and programming. W e were grateful to receive funding from OCAC last year to help cover much of our rental fee. Operational support from OCAC again this year would allow SV to continue to offset much of our costs as we continue to recover from Covid, build our high school program, and grow the size of all of our ensembles. Docusign Envelope ID: 5E6F8E2E-FE2C-436D-A06C-2B31BCD96BED How will you evaluate whether or not your goals have been met? In terms of programming goals, SV has many ways to observe and document its impact and efficacy. The most obvious indicator is that our older ensembles are comprised primarily of returning singers. The singers and their parents tell us they are excited to return each year and progress to the older groups. There have also been numerous singers who have cycled back to SV while in high school or college to volunteer at camp or help out with a project or event. Currently, two members of our staff are SV alums. In addition, our Artistic Director witnesses the impact of the music skill training as singers learn to decipher and sing more complex music. They learn to take more risks singing songs in parts and singing solos. They learn how to assess their own musical development and articulate what they have learned. They learn how to give positive and constructive feedback to each other. As we've expanded the programming, participants are willing to make a bigger time commitment. In order to help the singers recognize and measure their own progress and success, SV developed a bead earning program. W hen the kids join an ensemble, they are given a chain and they begin to earn beads based on developing specific skills, participating in projects or meeting specific goals. Singers who continue with SV through the years end up with a beautiful and colorful bead chain that reminds them of their commitment, effort and progress within the program. Enrollment numbers for the coming year will be compared to past years. In terms of stated organizational goals, 1. W e'll compare this coming year's donations to last year's. 2. W e are currently speaking with several parents and community members about the possibility of serving on our board. W e will continue to work at this until our goal of adding two new board members has been met. 3. Our continuing salary study will help us understand how to compensate our Artistic/Executive Director. In light of this information, and taking into account what is within our grasp for this year, we will make adjustments in her salary. 4. W e anticipate that these three staff members will be working with us for another year, so we are looking into 2025 as we assess our needs and the kind of skills that will be needed to help us achieve our work. 5. W e anticipate that we'll rehearse at Binkley for the coming year. W e continue to look for alternative spaces that might be a good fit for us as we grow beyond 2025. Docusign Envelope ID: 5E6F8E2E-FE2C-436D-A06C-2B31BCD96BED How do you promote and publicize the work of your organization? In addition to our website, we advertise our programs and performances using Facebook, Instagram, PeachJar, and the OCAC calendar of events. Three years ago, with starter funding through a Strowd Roses grant, we hired a social media staff person who is committed to making sure SV has an active presence on these platforms. W e also have a promotional video that contains testimonials from SV singers, alumnae, parents and the Artistic Director, that lives on our website and is sent out to folks who wish to learn more about the SV mission and organization. Our seasonal e- newsletters are a vehicle with which we engage in the community and with our donors both past and present (our mailing list contains 600+ names). W e also post signs around Chapel Hill/Carrboro a few times each year and have sent letters to area schools' music teachers. W ord-of-mouth among families remains our most effective means of attracting new singers. W e realize that word-of-mouth limits us regarding attracting a diverse group of participants, therefore, a board project that we are currently undertaking as we recruit for coming years is being intentional to use "planned word of mouth." How do we describe SV? How can we help the singers and their parents/guardians express the mission and goals of SV to folks who are interested in learning more? How do we promote SV through our established network of other music directors, choruses, and children's organizations? W e are also working to develop our board's diversity because we believe that having diversity on our board, staff and interns helps SV welcome and retain families and singers with diverse backgrounds as we continue to strive to be more accessible and inclusive. Please describe efforts by your organization to generate revenue. Revenue for Sisters' Voices is generated primarily through membership fees for the choral groups and summer camps. W e also receive donations around our winter and spring concerts, and we have a small number of donors who give monthly through our Sostenuto program. For several years we have carried out successful Giving Tuesday campaigns during which we receive generous support from the community. This year we also conducted a May Celebration campaign to broaden our donor pool. Part of our developing business plan is learning how to engage with corporate donors, and we had our first corporate donor this year. Resumes of artists/administrators Leandra_Merea_Strope_Resume_updated_2024.pdf Board of Directors List Board_and_Staff_2024.pdf IRS Tax Exemption Sisters_Voices_IRS_Tax_Exemption.pdf W ork Samples Ikan_Kekek_clip_for_Grant_Applications.mp4 Title of work Ikan Kekek (Malaysian Children's Song), Tracy W ong Artist's name Sisters' Voices, Ensembles 4 & 5 (Middle and High School singers); Leandra Merea Strope, conductor Year created 2024 Docusign Envelope ID: 5E6F8E2E-FE2C-436D-A06C-2B31BCD96BED W ild_Mountain_Thyme_clip_for_Grant_Applications.mp4 Title of work W ild Mountain Thyme (English Folk Song), arr. Leandra Strope Artist's name Sisters' Voices, K-10th grade singers; Leandra Merea Strope, conductor Year created 2024 Bring_Me_Little_W ater_Silv y_clip_for_Grant_Applications.mp4 Title of work Bring Me Little W ater, Silvy, Huddle Ledbetter (Lead Belly), arr. Moira Smiley Artist's name Sisters' Voices, Ensembles 4 & 5 (Middle and High School singers); Leandra Merea Strope, conductor Canto_de_Pilón_for_Grant_Applications.mp4 Title of work Canto de Pilón (Venezuelan Folk Song), arr. Cristian Grases Artist's name Sisters' Voices, Ensemble 3 (4th and 5th graders), Leandra Merea Strope, conductor Year created 2024 SV_spring_concert_program_2024.pdf Title of work Spring Concert Program, 2024 Artist's name Sisters' Voices Year created 2024 Video Sample: External Link 1 Video Sample: External Link 2 Video Sample: External Link 3 Letters of support (optional) Docusign Envelope ID: 5E6F8E2E-FE2C-436D-A06C-2B31BCD96BED