I. CHESTER COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION GRANT PROPOSAL SUMMARY SHEET Date: 4 October 2014 Contact Information: Organization Name: Chester County Choral Society Contact Name: Beverly Holmes Address: P.O. Box 3466, West Chester, PA 19380 Contact Title: VP of Development Contact E-mail: sasha9bh@gmail.com Phone: 610-695-0324 Fax: None Website: www.chestercountychoralsociety.org Year Incorporated: 1993 Has your nonprofit ever applied to the Community Foundation? Yes _x_ No Not Sure Has your nonprofit ever received funding from the Community Foundation? Yes _x_ No Not Sure Donor Advised Fund(s) Fund for Chester County _x_don t know/not sure Field/s of Interest: x_ Arts, Culture & Humanities Environment/Animal Welfare Education Health Human Services Religion Organization Information: Geographic Area Served (If not all of Chester County, specify primary Chester County regions served): Chester County Choral Society (CCCS) serves the greater Chester County region. Describe Population Served and Annual Number of People Served: Concert attendees, 80+ CCCS members, app. 30 collaborating professional musicians per season. Annual audience averages 1000, outreach audience serves 1500, CCCS Chamber Ensemble reaches 1000. Mission: CCCS is an avocational adult chorale dedicated to excellence in performing diverse choral music in order to enrich the cultural life of its members, audiences and community. Proposal Summary: To support its mission, CCCS seeks an operating grant of $3,000 to underwrite its on-going costs of printing materials necessary to broaden its audience base and expand its funding sources, such as concert program booklets, rack cards, flyers, Annual Fund solicitation return envelopes, and letterhead. If Capacity Building Proposal: Mission, Vision & Strategy Governance & Leadership Strategic Relationships Fundraising & Development Operations Other: Annual Budget $61,778.00 2 Part-Time Paid Staff (No Full-Time Equivalent) 76.3 % of budget for program expenses 14 # of Board Volunteers 10.2 % of budget for administrative expenses 70 # of Active Non-Board Volunteers
13.5 % of budget for fundraising expenses Countless! # of Volunteer Hours 100 % total Top 3-5 funding sources: Annual Fund contributions, Dinner and Song Gala fundraiser, ticket sales, member dues Grant Amount Requested from CCCF: $3,000.00 Chester County Community Foundation Grant Proposal Narrative 1. Organization s history, goals, key achievements, distinctiveness: Mission Statement The Chester County Choral Society (CCCS) is an avocational chorale dedicated to excellence in performing diverse choral music in order to enrich the cultural life of its members, audiences and community. History, Key Achievements and Distinctiveness CCCS, a non-profit community chorus of over eighty auditioned volunteer singers, was founded in 1973. For the past fifteen years, the expertise of Artistic Director Gary P. Garletts, with assistance from accompanist Ann Marie Ellis, has brought CCCS to an impressive level of vocal and performance quality. Members hail from Chester, Montgomery, Delaware, Lancaster, and Bucks counties; CCCS rehearses weekly at West Chester s Bayard Rustin High School. The chorus presents two or three principal concerts each season, generally with two performances of each. CCCS also performs at Chester County s Naturalization Ceremonies, Longwood Gardens, community holiday celebrations such as West Chester s Old Fashioned Christmas, and regional retirement communities where we touch the lives of roughly 1000 seniors unable to attend concerts, and presents an annual Dinner and Song fund- and friend-raiser. The Society collaborates periodically with other choirs, soloists, conductors and orchestras, including the Kennett Symphony of Chester County, Ocean City Pops Orchestra, Immaculata Symphony, Westminster Brass Quintet and now the Newark Symphony (DE). CCCS has toured twice in Europe and by invitation has sung at Bruton Parish Church (colonial Williamsburg) and at the National Cathedral. CCCS has performed numerous choral masterworks including Bach's Magnificat, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Brahms' Liebeslieder Walzer, Handel's Messiah, Mendelssohn's Elijah, Orff s Carmina Burana, Saint-Saëns' Christmas Oratorio, Thompson's The Testament of Freedom, and Vivaldi's Gloria. The Society is equally at home with shorter works and lighter fare including A Gershwin Portrait, A Sentimental Journey Through the 40's, Cinemagic!, Happy Together, and arrangements of musical theatre, popular tunes, folksongs and holiday favorites. CCCS has presented two world premieres by Chester County composers: David Bennett Thomas By the Brandywine and Valerie Showers Crescenz Mass of Peace. In 2011 the CCCS Chamber Ensemble of some 24 more rigorously auditioned singers was created to focus on advanced repertoire. The Chamber Ensemble sings independent concerts, portions of full chorus concerts, and substitutes for vacationing choirs at regional houses of worship during the summer months. The Chamber Ensemble will sing independent
performances this fall in Lewes, DE (September 28 th ); Lititz, PA (October 5 th ); and Harleysville, PA (October 11 th ). The regional appearances of the Chamber Ensemble are helping CCCS expand its presence into a wider geographic region. Since 1993, through its annual Excellence in Vocal Performance Competition, CCCS identifies and celebrates talented high school senior vocalists who either reside, attend school, or study voice in Chester County. Over the past 21 years CCCS has recognized scores of talented singers, awarded over $15,000 in prizes, and enjoyed their participation in its concerts. The competition will next be held on February 7 th, 2015. Goals To present choral programs that enrich the cultural life of the residents of the greater Chester County area, making CCCS stand out as one of the finest performing arts organizations in the region To present outreach concerts to those residents of Chester County unable to attend concert performances To enhance performance quality through collaboration with professional guest soloists, conductors, instrumentalists, composers, and other choirs To educate its audiences and members To provide opportunities for singers to improve their musicianship To identify, inspire, and nurture vocal talent among the youth of Chester County To expand funding sources and broaden the audience base 2. Funding request: CCCS seeks a $3,000 Field of Interest Funds or Donor Advised Funds grant to help underwrite its operating costs of printing. Description of key initiatives o In November 2014 the full chorus will increase its visibility by joining the Newark Symphony Orchestra (DE) in the Symphony s performance of opera choruses under the direction of Maestro Simeone Tartaglione. o CCCS will present concerts featuring Franz Schubert s Magnificat and Marc- Antoine Charpentier s Midnight Mass for Christmas as well as other holiday works in Avondale, PA and Paoli, PA in December. o In May 2015 the chorus will present a Civil War 150 th Anniversary Retrospective concert at Bayard Rustin High School in West Chester in collaboration with the 20 member Becks Philadelphia Brigade Brass Band (at the cost of $2,000), providing the chorus and its audience an opportunity to learn about and experience music of or about the Civil War era. The band plays on period instruments while clad in uniforms of the time. This historically significant concert will feature Stephen Sondheim s The Ballad of Booth arranged by former Philadelphian and one of America s great choral conductors, Robert Page, and Bruce Montgomery s musical interpretation of Abraham Lincoln s immortal Gettysburg Address. CCCS intends to market heavily for this concert to history teachers, historical organizations, and Civil War re-enactors. Specific needs and issues to be addressed:
An operating grant of $3,000 will help underwrite CCCS s ongoing printing costs for program booklets, Annual Fund solicitation return envelopes, rack cards, flyers, and letterhead. Further budgetary needs include funding the salaries of CCCS s artistic director and accompanist, guest artists, venue and rehearsal space, music, library storage, recording engineers, costs of holding the Excellence in Vocal Performance Competitions and Dinner and Song fundraising galas, marketing, insurance, postage, upgrading web services, and costs for outreach concerts in retirement communities, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes. Organizational impact if initiative is undertaken CCCS would be greatly assisted in realizing its goals of presenting quality programming and performance to the residents of greater Chester County. o How will grant enhance organization s capacity? A supportive operating grant will enable CCCS to focus on increased advertising via its website, print and broadcast media; contract more frequently with professional instrumentalists; hire an assistant conductor; increase the awards for its Excellence in Vocal Performance Competition; and expand its number of community outreach concerts thus gaining visibility and broadening its audience base. o How will increase in organizational capacity be measured? CCCS will measure its success through audience attendance, audience surveys, and monitoring amounts of revenue raised through contributions. Activities to implement initiative - describe expected activities, timetable, costs CCCS expects to raise revenue via its on-going 2014-15 Annual Fund Drive (printing and postage costs close to $2,000), holding its Dinner and Song fund-raising gala and silent auction in February at West Chester s Penn Oaks Country Club (expected costs $7,500), applications to grantors and corporations, and participation in retail store programs (such as Boscov s Friends Helping Friends in October and Barnes and Noble s Bookfair Fundraiser in December) that aid non-profit organizations. Why it is important to fund now CCCS is currently in full preparation for its 42 nd performance season with its accompanying costs. Federal, state, and municipal arts funding is at an all-time low in the United States. Nevertheless, it is crucial for the chorus to have the fiscal resources necessary to meet its budget and move forward with its season goals. This application for funding through the Chester County Community Foundation provides a unique and valuable opportunity for a philanthropist to help strengthen the performing arts in the greater Chester County region. 3. How impact and results will be demonstrated? Impact will be demonstrated by presenting concerts that are relevant and accessible to an appreciative audience. CCCS regularly evaluates its performances through audience surveys. It
analyses audience diversity and the effectiveness of media coverage. Strong financial management lies at the heart of its efforts year round.