LEXINGTON SINGERS INC General Information Contact Information nprofit LEXINGTON SINGERS INC Address PO Box 23002 Lexington, KY 40523 Phone (859) 3389888 Email business@lexsing.org Contact Name Whit Whitaker Web and Social Media Website Facebook Twitter Website Facebook Twitter At A Glance IRS Ruling Year 0 1
Other ways to donate, support, or volunteer Donations- Both in-kind and financial donations are warmly accepted! Donations can be mailed to The Singers or made via credit card over the phone and through The Singers' website at www.lexsing.org. In-kind donations such as office supplies and furniture are also gladly accepted. Call 859-338-9888 if you have anything that you are willing to donate. Volunteers- Volunteers are needed to act as ushers at concerts, pass out promotional material and programs, help with grant research and writing, assist with product development and marketing, and to help with resource development. Skilled and non-skilled volunteers alike are welcome at The Lexington Singers! 2
Statements & Search Criteria Statements Mission Statement The Lexington Singers, Inc. is a non-profit corporation formed to provide opportunities for the citizens of Lexington and the surrounding communities to participate in he performance and enjoyment of good choral music, and to further understanding among all peoples through the medium of music. Background Statement The Lexington Signers is one of the longest continuously performing independent community choral groups in America. Based in Lexington, Kentucky, The Singers currently comprises approximately 300 adult and children voices. Since its founding in 1959, the group has entertained hundreds of audiences throughout Kentucky, the United States, and the world. Recent performances have included, among other works, Beethoven s Missa Solemnis, Mozart s Requiem, Brahms German Requieum, Stravinsky s Symphony of Psalms, Prokofiev s Alexander Nevsky, and Verdi s Requiem. There are eight performances in the concert season, including concerts with The Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra, and annual performance of Handel s Messiah, and a very popular Spring Pops concert. Tour concerts have included performances at St. Peter s basilica at the Vatican, St. Mark s basilica in Venice, Vienna s Hofburg Palace, the Cathedral of tre Dame in Paris, and three concerts at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Impact Statement In the past year, The Lexington Singers have seen success in many of our key focus areas our children s outreach, our community outreach, and our commitment to quality choral music. The Lexington Singers Children s Choir serves more than 140 youth, providing enrichment and education opportunities. Scholarship assistance for children in need has more than doubled due to a renewed focus on outreach to underserved youth, and our completely free summer camp. The Lexington Singers has partnered with God s Pantry Food Bank and The Hope Center in order to raise awareness and funds to fight hunger and poverty in Central Kentucky. Both the Lexington Singers Children s Choir and the adult choir have been recognized for their quality musicianship through invitational performances at some of the most prestigious venues in the United States. The Children s Choir was one of only two children s choirs in the nation invited to perform at the American Choral Directors Association Southern Division Convention in Jacksonville, Florida and The Lexington Singers closed their 2014 concert season with a performance at Carnegie Hall. In 2016, The Children's Choir performed at the Choirs of America Nationals at Carnegie Hall and the adult choir is preparing for a summer tour of Spain. 3
Needs Statement The Lexington Singers are in need of sponsors in order to produce each of the scheduled performances. Sponsorship levels are: Concert Sponsor: $4,000 Masestro Level Sponsor: $1,000-$3,999 Overture Level Sponsor: $500-$999 Madrigal Level Sponsor: $200-$499 A Capella Level Sponsor: $100-$199 Allegro Level Sponsor: <$100 All sponsors have their name listed in the programs and are listed on The Lexington Singers website. Concert sponsors receive preferred seats, a public statement of appreciation from The Singers at the concert and inclusion in all program related marketing material, and a full-page program advertisement. The Lexington Singers' Children's Choirs are also in need of sponsors. Children's Choir Angel Scholarships pay for tuition assistance to needy children so that they may participate in one of the choirs. Each Angel scholarship is $120. In-kind donations of services are also extremely needed. Individuals willing to assist with graphic design and marketing may contact Jessi Jump, Business Director to The Singers at 859-338-9888 or business@lexsing.org. Printing and other marketing expenses comprise approximately 23% of the organization's annual budget and businesses willing to assist The Singers with low-cost printing are greatly needed. Service Categories Primary Organization Category Arts,Culture & Humanities / Music Secondary Organization Category Arts,Culture & Humanities / Performing Arts Tertiary Organization Category Youth Development / Geographic Areas Served Areas Kentucky Fayette County While our performances are primarily in Lexington, Kentucky, our patrons come from all over the state to see our performances. Our own membership consists of singers from as near as Georgetown and Nicholasville, and as far as Morehead, Somerset, and Danville. 4
Impact Impact Goals The Lexington Singers maintains a dynamic and active Strategic Plan that determines the focus of the organization. Plan progress is a part of the monthly meetings of the Board of Directors. Current strategies include: Expand outreach and service activities to more segments of the community and enhance the diversity of the audience, membership and Board; Enhance programming opportunities and continue efforts to strengthen the artistic development of the choir; and Develop and implement structures and practices that enhance continuity and increase administrative effectiveness. Strategies Each year, at our leadership retreat, the Board of Directors and staff analyze the strategic plan and develop tactics and activities to help meet the goals. At each month's Board of Director's meeting these activities are discussed. Capabilities 5
Programs Programs Lexington Singers Children's Choirs Description The Lexington Singers Children s Choir (LSCC) was formed to provide opportunities for the children of Lexington and the surrounding communities to participate in a quality choral music education program and to further musical understanding among all peoples regardless of religious, racial, cultural or economic background. LSCC consists of four choirs- Preparatory, Intermediate, Advanced, and Chamber. Budget 48099 Category Arts, Culture & Humanities, General/Other Music Instruction Population Served K-12 (5-19 years),, Program Short Term Success Program Long term Success Program Success Monitored By Examples of Program Success As a result of participation in LSCC, current students learn performance etiquette; concert procedures; singing games; and the basic elements of music such as beat, tempo, and dynamics. As children progress through the four choirs, they learn music theory, singing in parts, sight reading, blending, solfege, and singing in foreign languages. LSCC develops its students as they age, empowering them with leadership skills and selfdiscipline. Through LSCC s music education, children in Lexington that might otherwise have few enrichment opportunities after school are able to learn leadership, self-discipline, and vocal development while simultaneously preparing themselves for academic and social success. The long-term goal of The Lexington Singers Children s Choir (LSCC) is to further musical understanding among all peoples regardless of religious, racial, cultural, or economic background. Program success is monitored by LSCC s current enrollment (number of children served, number of children receiving scholarships, etc.) as well as by following our students successes after they graduate from LSCC. Children that have graduated from our choirs have seen enormous success in their academic and personal lives. Several of our past choir members have gone on to study music professionally and credit LSCC for their early music education. LSCC currently has alumni studying music at Samford University, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, and St. Olaf College. Our alumni have gone on to do vocal performance, music therapy, and education. One of our most recent successes is Catherine Wright, a vocal performance major at UK and recent first place winner of an Alltech Vocal Scholarship. Catherine vied for the scholarship in Alltech s largest ever vocal competition, competing against more than 200 other vocalists for the award. 6
Festival of Choirs Description Festival of Choirs is an annual collaborative concert performed by The Lexington Singers with local African American church choirs. The concert is an intercultural celebration of gospel music that allows each of the choirs to showcase their own local talent. The performance was most recently held at Shiloh Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky on March 9, 2012. This event is offered free to the public and was attended by approximately 600 people. Budget 1500 The Lexington Singers has organized Festival of Choirs for each of the past nine years in an effort to engage diverse members of the Central Kentucky community while also attempting to address improve issues of race and equality in our neighborhoods. The event is both a physical and spiritual coming together of voices, celebrating our common humanity and rejoicing in our love for music and our community. In year s past, the show has featured such choirs as First Baptist Church of Bracktown, Bethsaida Baptist Church, Mount Calvary Baptist Church, Jimtown Baptist Church, Wesley United Methodist Church, Total Grace Baptist, Imani Baptist Church, First African Baptist Church, East Second Street Christian Church, and many others. Over the years, The Singers have partnered with over 20 local African American church choirs for the event. Category Population Served Program Short Term Success Program Long term Success Program Success Monitored By Examples of Program Success Arts, Culture & Humanities, General/Other Music Festivals General/Unspecified, Families, By holding the event at Shiloh Baptist Church, located in a predominantly African American neighborhood, the Festival of Choirs is promoted to and attended by an incredibly diverse audience. As the only free gospel concert publicized to the general population in Lexington, it incorporates a wide variety of participants that vary in age, races, ethnicity, and religious affiliations. The concert provides a unique opportunity for audience members and participants alike to have intercultural communication and interaction that is not possible in any other venue. The Lexington Singers Festival of Choirs is aimed to engage people of all ages, cultures, races, and religions with an emphasis on African-American and gospel style music. The concert s long-term aim is to encourage the enjoyment and diversification of gospel music to members of the general public through collaborations with local gospel music performers.the concert will provide enrichment and education for all cultures and musical interest groups and will allow those that traditionally do not have regular access to live gospel music an opportunity to engage with the genre. Minority groups that have historically been underrepresented in The Singers membership will engage with the organization in a way that encourages future collaboration and partnership. Program success is monitored by concert attendance, sponsorship interest, crowd diversity and informal evaluation by the Lexington Singers' Board of Directors. This year's Festival of Choirs drew a crowd of approximately 600 people to enjoy the free concert. Crowd diversity was higher at this concert than at any other Lexington Singers concert this year. Since starting Festival of Choirs, minority membership in The Lexington Singers has increased substantially. 7
"Classics" Concert Series Description Each season, The Lexington Singers present the best of traditional and modern classics throughout the year. The classics concert series typically includes a fall and spring concert as well as the annual performance of Handel's Messiah. Concerts for the 2014-2015 season include a Jazz concert highlighting the musicianship of Jay Flippin and the expressive artistry of dancers. The Spring concert will include a world premiere of Dr. Rollo Dilworth's work commemorating the 150th anniversary of the ending of the Civil War. The concert will feature both adult and children voices and the commissioned work will take center stage. Budget 42101 Category Arts, Culture & Humanities, General/Other Musical Performances Population Served General/Unspecified,, Program Short Term Success Program Long term Success Program Success Monitored By This year, over 4,700 people were exposed to quality choral music during The Lexington Singers' classics concerts. Audience members developed a new appreciation for pieces not yet known to them or will strengthen their esteem for pieces of which they are familiar. The Singers' Spring Concert was used as a preview performance before The Singers' took the work to New York City to perform it at Carnegie Hall. That concert raised over $3,500 to fight hunger in Central Kentucky. The classic concerts are one of the key ways in which The Singers fulfill its mission of providing quality choral music to further understanding among all peoples through the medium of music. The goal of these concerts is to promote traditional and modern choral music to a broad audience. Through these concerts, the musical landscape of Central Kentucky is enriched and individuals and families in Lexington and surrounding communities are exposed to new works as well as old favorites. Program success is monitored by concert attendance, sponsorship interest, crowd diversity and informal evaluation by The Lexington Singers' Board of Directors. 8
Examples of Program Success In the past several years, The Singers' classics have become well known for their artistic and technical quality. Below are some quotes from recent reviews of our shows: The Messiah season ended in Lexington on Sunday afternoon with the biggest and best performance of all those that have graced our city in the last month. The Lexington Singers, under the expert direction of Jefferson Johnson, filled the Singletary Center for the Arts Concert Hall not only with the beautiful music of this oratorio, but also with an infectious enthusiasm for it. Linsday, T. B. (2011, Dec. 20). Lexington singers Messiah.The Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved from http://www.kentucky.com/2011/12/20/1999743/review-lexingtonsingers-messiah.html By pairing Achambeault s images with Dean s sumptuous arrangement and the musicians sensitive performance, The Lexington Singers have created an iconic Kentucky work that out to be committed to video and packaged as something choral groups around the Commonwealth can present." Copley, R. (2009, v. 22). Lexington singers inspired performance.copious tes. Retrieved from http://copiousnotes.bloginky.com/2009/11/22/review-lexingtonsingers-bluegrass-tapestry/ The Singers sensitivity to the text and music of Papa Haydn s ninth mass was as strong as its precision, making for a highly textured performance. Copley, R. (2007, v. 11). Spectacular, sensitive singing.copious tes. Retrieved from http://copiousnotes.bloginky.com/2007/11/11/spectacular-sensitivesinging/ 9
POPS Description The Lexington Singers' performance of POPS is an annual crowd-pleaser. This performance presents popular music and is performed at the Lexington Opera House. POPS includes both adult and children singers in intergenerational performances. Budget 11050 Category Population Served Program Short Term Success Program Long term Success Program Success Monitored By Examples of Program Success Arts, Culture & Humanities, General/Other Musical Performances General/Unspecified, Families, other major choral group in Lexington dedicates a yearly performance to popular music and, consequently, POPS has become a beloved community event. This year's POPS will highlight the best of Broadway and will include medley's from Kentucky's 2006 "Artist of the Year", Jay Flippin. The program is expected to reach an audience of at least 750. Because of its popular appeal, this concert draws new audience members to The Singers. This will both broaden the base of The Lexington Singers' support and allow new audience members to become exposed to other works performed by The Singers. Program success is monitored by concert attendance, sponsorship interest, crowd diversity and informal evaluation by The Lexington Singers' Board of Directors. Due to its popularity, POPS has traditionally been a source of revenue for THe Singers. In recent years the concert has netted the group between three and four thousand dollars in profits. POPS has also been successful in attracting a broader age range of attendees as the music presented tends to appeal to young and old audiences alike. 10
Leadership & Staff CEO/Executive Director Executive Director Term Start Dec 1997 Email Dr. Jefferson Johnson jeff.johnson@uky.edu Experience Jefferson Johnson is Director of Choral Activities at the University of Kentucky where he conducts the University Chorale and Men's Chorus. He also teaches advanced choral conducting, choral methods and literature, and directs the graduate program (MM and DMA degrees) in choral music. A native of Atlanta, Johnson received the Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Georgia (magna cum laude, 1978), the Master of Music from the University of Tennessee (1981), and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Colorado (1992). While living in Atlanta, Johnson was also a member of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus and Chamber Chorus conducted by Robert Shaw. Dr. Johnson is currently in his 16th year as Music Director of The Lexington Singers. Under his direction The Singers have toured internationally, most recently to Brazil, France, Italy, and Austria. In 2000 the chorus performed Mozart s Requiem with the Vienna Mozart Orchestra in the famous Hofburg Palace and sang the evening mass at the Cathedral of tre Dame in Paris. In 2003 the chorus performed in St. Marks Cathedral in Venice and sang mass at St. Peters Basilica in Vatican City. In 1999 the Lexington Singers celebrated its 40th anniversary with a performance in New York City as Johnson made his Carnegie Hall debut conducting The Singers and orchestra in Faure s Requiem. Staff Full Time Staff 1 Part Time Staff 10 Volunteers 120 Contractors 0 Retention Rate 82% Management Reports to Board? Yes Staff Demographics - Ethnicity African American/Black 0 Asian American/Pacific Islander 0 Caucasian 100 Hispanic/Latino 0 Native American/American Indian 0 Other 0 0 Staff Demographics - Gender Male 55 Female 45 11
Unspecified 0 Senior Staff Dr. Johnie Dean Title Experience/Biography Assistant Accompanist Johnie Dean joined The Lexington Singers during the 2002-2003 season as Assistant Accompanist. Dr. Dean received his Bachelor of Music from Campbellsville College, his Masters in Church Music from Southern Seminary in Louisville, and his Doctorate in Music from the University of Kentucky. He is currently Adjunct Professor of Music theory at the University of Kentucky. A Kentucky native, he has been composing and arranging church music for over 20 years. He has had more than 200 works published in the areas of handbell music, choral and keyboard literature, children's choir works, and instrumental music. Companies publishing his work include Lillenas, Genevox/LiveWay, Hope/Agape, Light of the World, Candela Music, Carol, Doxology, Lorenz, and NextSunday.com. Dr. Lori Hetzl Title Experience/Biography Artistic Director of Children's Choirs Dr. Lori Hetzel started her relationship with The Lexington Singers as the Assistant Director in 1997, and was appointed the Artistic Director of The Lexington Singers Children's Choir and Director of the Children's Chamber Choir in 2003. Dr. Hetzel is the Associate Director of Choral Activities and professor of Choral Music Education at the University of Kentucky where she conducts the Women's Choir and the a cappella group "Paws and Listen." She also teaches graduate and undergraduate secondary methods courses and undergraduate conducting. In conjunction with the undergraduate choral methods courses, she has pioneered a unique partnership program with a local high school. As a result of this program the choral music education students at the University of Kentucky are receiving hands on experience and immediate feedback early in their curriculum. Among her many accomplishments, she was the recipient of the University of Kentucky award "Great Teacher of the Year" in 2000 and has published articles in College Music Symposium and Southeastern Music Education Journal. The UK Women's Choir has been invited to perform at both MENC and ACDA Southern Division Conventions, and in 2003 were featured at the ACDA National Convention in New York City. A native of Wisconsin, Dr. Hetzel received her B.A. degree in Music Education, Summa cum laude, from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. She received her M.M. degree from the University of Missouri - Kansas City Conservatory, where she studied conducting with Eph Ehly. Her D.M.A. degree is in Choral Conducting from Michigan State University with Charles K. Smith. An active clinician and guest conductor, Dr. Hetzel has most recently appeared at music conferences in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Montana, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia. 12
Formal Evaluations CEO Formal Evaluation CEO/Executive Formal Evaluation Frequency Senior Management Formal Evaluation Senior Management Formal Evaluation Frequency nmanagement Formal Evaluation n Management Formal Evaluation Frequency Annually Annually Annually State Information Yes 13
Plans & Collaborations Plans & Policies Organization has a Fundraising Plan? Organization has a Strategic Plan? Yes Yes Years Strategic Plan Considers 3 Date Strategic Plan Adopted July 2013 Management Succession Plan? Organization Policy and Procedures ndiscrimination Policy Whistleblower Policy Document Destruction Policy Collaborations The Singers adult and children s choirs have enjoyed an abundance of collaborations over the past year. Key partnerships over the past year have included performances and programs with the UK Opera Theatre, UK Chorale, UK Symphony Orchestra, Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra, God s Pantry Food Bank, and others. Several of the events of the past year were put on by the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government such as the annual Christmas Tree Lighting and the July 4th Patriotic Concert. Additionally, The Singers coordinated a free gospel music concert called Festival of Choirs in which we partnered with three African American churches hosted the event the program was supported by both Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Kentucky and Dupree Financial Services, Inc. Affiliations Affiliation Year LexArts Agency 2012 Government Licenses Is your organization licensed by the Government? 14
Board & Governance Board Chair Board Chair Ms. Katie Owen Company Affiliation Lexington Catholic High School Term July 2014 to June 2016 Email kton77@aol.com Board Members Name Affiliation Status Mrs. Cathy Anderson Community Volunteer Voting Mr. David Cupps Cupps Creative Consulting Voting Ms. Katie Owen Teacher, Lexington Catholic Voting Mr. Jeff Singer Independent Landscape Contractor Voting Mrs. Deborah Slaughter Retired Voting Mrs. Margie Wilson Retired Voting Board Demographics - Ethnicity African American/Black 23 Asian American/Pacific Islander 0 Caucasian 77 Hispanic/Latino 0 Native American/American Indian 0 Other 0 0 Board Demographics - Gender Male 54 Female 46 Unspecified 0 Governance Board Term Lengths 3 Board Term Limits 2 Board Meeting Attendance % 79% Written Board Selection Criteria? Written Conflict of Interest Policy? Yes Yes Percentage Making Monetary Contributions 100% Percentage Making In-Kind Contributions 100% 15
Constituency Includes Client Representation Yes Number of Full Board Meetings Annually 13 Risk Management Provisions Commercial General Liability Directors and Officers Policy Standing Committees Administration Communications / Promotion / Publicity / Public Relations Development / Fund Development / Fund Raising / Grant Writing / Major Gifts Finance Human Resources / Personnel Marketing Membership 16
Financials Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Start July 01, 2015 Fiscal Year End June 30, 2016 Projected Revenue $209,833.00 Projected Expenses $210,024.00 Endowment Value $0.00 Percentage 0% Detailed Financials Revenue and Expenses Fiscal Year 2016 2015 2014 Total Revenue $189,669 $232,223 $374,138 Total Expenses $221,582 $213,777 $379,748 Revenue Sources Fiscal Year 2016 2015 2014 Foundation and Corporation -- -- -- Contributions Government Contributions $12,863 $13,873 $0 Federal -- -- -- State -- -- -- Local -- -- -- Unspecified $12,863 $13,873 $0 Individual Contributions $45,102 $40,518 $0 Indirect Public Support $0 -- $0 Earned Revenue $72,244 $114,030 $321,693 Investment Income, Net of Losses $3,219 -- $360 Membership Dues $56,241 $59,929 $52,085 Special Events $0 -- $0 Revenue In-Kind $6,000 -- $0 Other $0 -- $0 17
Expense Allocation Fiscal Year 2016 2015 2014 Program Expense $169,319 $182,224 $322,788 Administration Expense $52,263 $31,553 $56,960 Fundraising Expense $0 -- $0 Payments to Affiliates -- -- -- Total Revenue/Total Expenses 0.86 1.09 0.99 Program Expense/Total Expenses 76% 85% 85% Fundraising Expense/Contributed Revenue 0% 0% -- Assets and Liabilities Fiscal Year 2016 2015 2014 Total Assets $111,497 $155,583 $124,584 Current Assets $49,062 $96,802 $72,497 Long-Term Liabilities $0 $19,475 $0 Current Liabilities $5,789 -- $0 Total Net Assets $105,708 $136,108 $124,584 Short Term Solvency Fiscal Year 2016 2015 2014 Current Ratio: Current Assets/Current Liabilities 8.48 -- -- Long Term Solvency Fiscal Year 2016 2015 2014 Long-Term Liabilities/Total Assets 0% 13% 0% Top Funding Sources Fiscal Year 2016 2015 2014 Top Funding Source & Dollar Amount -- -- -- Second Highest Funding Source & Dollar -- -- -- Amount Third Highest Funding Source & Dollar Amount -- -- -- Capital Campaign Currently in a Capital Campaign? Goal $0.00 State Registration State Registration Yes Comments Foundation Staff Comments Expense breakdowns were provided by the organization. 18
Documents Form 990s Form 990 990 990 990 990 990EZ 990EZ 990EZ Audit Documents Audited Financials Audited Financials Audited Financials Audited Financials Audited Financials LS Audit 10-11 LS Audit 09-10 Created 06.28.2018. Copyright 2018 Blue Grass Community Foundation 19