Management & Governance

Chorus America strengthens the governance, management, marketing, fundraising, and operations of choruses by providing practical tools, templates, training, and strategies for its administrative and board leaders. We track the annual operations of choruses, identify best practices and assessment tools, and help our members build audiences for choral music.

Articles

Fresh Air, Fresh Ideas: Join us in Seattle!

Fresh Air, Fresh Ideas: Join us in Seattle!

Chorus America Staff |

The centerpiece of Chorus America’s professional development and training initiative, our annual Conference consistently receives rave reviews from our attendees. Over the course of four days, participants have the opportunity to attend plenary speeches, breakout sessions, banquets, and special performances that are sure to give you plenty of fresh ideas and strategies to use in your own chorus. Read more

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Member Spotlight; Melinda Pollack-Harris, Sing to Live Community Chorus, Chicago

Member Spotlight; Melinda Pollack-Harris, Sing to Live Community Chorus, Chicago

Kelsey Menehan | Adults/Seniors, Community Outreach, General, Health, Impact/Value, Participation, Performance, Singing, Volunteer

When Melinda Pollack-Harris was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004, she needed music to face the challenge. That was the inspiration for Sing to Live Community Chorus for women, loved ones, and friends touched by cancer. Read more

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Going Viral: The Power of Video to Raise Your Chorus's Profile

Going Viral: The Power of Video to Raise Your Chorus's Profile

Kelsey Menehan | Audiences, Civic Engagement, Community Outreach, Fundraising, General, Impact/Value, Innovation, Marketing/Public Relations, Singing, Social Media, Technique/Tool, Technology

Plug the words “choir videos” into your search engine and you’ll get an astounding number of links (Google found 112,000,000. Yes, million.) Is your chorus among them? It could be—and more easily than you may think. Chorus America asked several choruses to tell us how they are making video a key part of their marketing strategy. Read more

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Learning Leadership

Learning Leadership

“More than just waving our hands”

Don Lee | Careers, Conducting, Governance, Management/Leadership, Professional, Strategic Planning, Technique/Tool

Many choral directors take on administrative responsibility with little formal preparation. Here are strategies to excel in the office and boardroom as well as the concert hall. Read more

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The Art of Strategic Alliances

The Art of Strategic Alliances

Matthew Sigman | Composing/Commissioning, Governance, Innovation, Management/Leadership, Strategic Planning, Technique/Tool

When do partnerships add value and when do they distract from a chorus’s mission?  Philadelphia’s venerable Mendelssohn Club explores the spectrum of collaboration, from artistic to administrative. Read more

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10 New Ways Your Chorus Can Use Facebook and Twitter

10 New Ways Your Chorus Can Use Facebook and Twitter

Lauren Rosenthal | Audiences, Education, Marketing/Public Relations, Social Media, Technology

Whether your chorus is a 150-member children's choir or an eight-member a cappella group, social media can be a powerful tool for staying in touch with your members and your audience. Here are some new ideas to help keep your Facebook and Twitter presence fresh. Read more

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The Art of Strategic Alliances: Best Practices

The Art of Strategic Alliances: Best Practices

Matthew Sigman | Composing/Commissioning, Conducting, Governance, Innovation, Professional, Strategic Planning, Technique/Tool

Considering a strategic alliance? You might also want to consider these best practices drawn from the major findings of the Mendelssohn Club's Strategic Alliances study featured in the article "The Art of Strategic Alliances" by Matthew Sigman. Read more

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Member Spotlight: Erica Battle, Detroit Children’s Choir

Member Spotlight: Erica Battle, Detroit Children’s Choir

Chorus America Staff | Children/Youth, Diversity, Education, General, Innovation, Management/Leadership, Operations, Schools

In Detroit, music and arts organizations are pooling their resources to buy management expertise. That's how Erica Battle, a certified public accountant, stepped into her position as executive director of the Detroit Children's Choir. Here she talks with Chorus America about the shared services model that has been successful in Detroit, her new role, and her recent experience at October's Chorus Management Institute. Read more

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The Changing World of Communications

The Changing World of Communications

Communications director Robin L. Perry reflects on how the tsunami of technology has changed the way organizations communicate.

Gayle Ober | CA News, Careers, Innovation, Marketing/Public Relations, Social Media

With this issue of The Voice, editor Robin L. Perry says farewell. After 12 years at Chorus America, she is taking on a new challenge, working with her father on a biography, which will involve a move to California. Chorus America has been the beneficiary of Robin's expertise, creativity, and hard work. She leaves us with a terrific base on which to grow and we wish her all the best in her new venture. I asked her to reflect on her tenure as director of communications and to share with readers her perspectives on how communications have changed during that time. Read more

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10 Tips for Engaging Your Board

10 Tips for Engaging Your Board

Don Lee | Fundraising, Governance, Management/Leadership, Operations

It's really the staff's job to position the board to do their best work―and most of that boils down to excellent communication and clarity of expectations. Read more

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Resources

Creating Your Social Media Footprint

Creating Your Social Media Footprint

How to Set Up Your Facebook Page, Twitter Account and YouTube Channel

Chorus America Staff | Marketing/Public Relations, Social Media, Technique/Tool

A how-to handout developed as part of the "To Tweet or Not To Tweet" presentation at the 2010 Conference. Read more

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Creating Your Social Media Footprint

Creating Your Social Media Footprint

Chorus America Staff | Marketing/Public Relations, Social Media, Technique/Tool

"To Tweet or Not ToTweet," a PowerPoint presentation on how to develop a social media strategy for your chorus given at the 2010 Conference. Read more

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Chorus Operations Survey Report (2010)

Chorus Operations Survey Report (2010)

Roland Kushner | Audiences, Finance, Governance, Marketing/Public Relations, Operations, Research/Data, Technique/Tool

The 2010 survey reports on operations data from the 2008-2009 season. An excellent benchmarking tool. Read more

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Shifting Sands of Demand

Shifting Sands of Demand

Alan Brown | Audiences, Marketing/Public Relations, Research/Data, Social Media

Alan Brown, principal of WolfBrown, presented these research findings and strategies for audience development at the 2010 Conference. Read more

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Fundraising: Getting To and Making the Ask

Fundraising: Getting To and Making the Ask

Chorus America Staff | Fundraising, Technique/Tool

Paul Hogle, Executive Vice President of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, addresses strategies to successfully cultivate individual donors in this PowerPoint presentation, originally given at the 2010 Conference. Read more

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Conference Keynote Speech: There Are No Crises

Conference Keynote Speech: There Are No Crises

Russell Willis ... | Audiences, Finance, Fundraising, Governance, Innovation, Management/Leadership

A speech by Russell Willis Taylor of National Arts Strategies that addresses ways to turn times of organizational and environmental crisis into growth and creative thinking opportunities. Delivered at the 2010 Conference. Read more

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Chorus Governance: Recruitment, Roles, and Responsibilities

Chorus Governance: Recruitment, Roles, and Responsibilities

David Styers | Governance, Recruitment, Technique/Tool

Resources from a presentation given by David Styers of BoardSource at the 2010 Conference. Read more

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Branding: Beyond the Hype

Branding: Beyond the Hype

Securing Your Future by Building Your Brand

Roger Sametz | Marketing/Public Relations, Technique/Tool

Slides from a presentation given by Roger Sametz of Sametz Blackstone Associates at the 2010 Chorus America Conference. Read more

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Economic Impact Study (2009)

Economic Impact Study (2009)

Chorus America Staff | Finance, Fundraising, Innovation, Operations, Research/Data

Member choruses reported on the impact of the recession on their financial and organizational outlook in a brief survey conducted in 2009. Read more

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Children's Chorus Recruitment Practices Survey (2009)

Children's Chorus Recruitment Practices Survey (2009)

Chorus America Staff | Children/Youth, Recruitment, Research/Data

A handout summarizing the results of a survey conducted in 2009 asking children's chorus leaders about recruitment issues. Read more

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Events

Purcell The Indian Queen

Purcell The Indian Queen

Boston, MA

Handel and Hayd... | Adults/Seniors, Audiences, Awards, Careers, Civic Engagement, Community Outreach, Composing/Commissioning, Conducting, Diversity, Education, Families, General, Impact/Value, Performance, Singing, Symphonic, Venue

H&H presents a program of comedy, romance, intrigue, and beautiful music with this dramatic semi-opera and scenes from other Purcell works. Read more

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Chorus Management Institute  2012

Chorus Management Institute 2012

Indianapolis, IN

Chorus America Staff |

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DeKalb Choral Guild Gala Celebration

DeKalb Choral Guild Gala Celebration

Sandy Springs, GA

DeKalb Choral Guild | Fundraising

Black Tie Gala celebration in support of the DeKalb Choral Guild -your premier community chorus in DeKalb County GA.  Read more

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Fundraiser for The Northern Virginia Chorale

Fundraiser for The Northern Virginia Chorale

12193 Fair Lakes Promenade Dr., Fairfax VA

Susanne Cook | Fundraising

  The Northern Virginia Chorale will have a fundraiser at Barnes and Noble, 12193 Fair Lakes Promenade Dr., Fairfax, VA, on March 17, 2012.  We will be performing between 10 AM and 2 PM.  There will be activities for children:  face painting and bookmark making, and also members will read to the children.  The music and activities will have a St. Patrick's theme.  We appreciate your support at any time that day (and for five days thereafter online) by using our voucher #10683035, which will give the Chorale a percentage of sales. Read more

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Dialogue

Age Discrimination?

Age Discrimination?

Anonymous |

Giving ticket discounts to seniors and students is a widespread practice, but should we be concerned about age discrimination? Read more

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