| Organization information | |
|---|---|
| Organization Name | Chamber Music Festival of Saugatuck |
| Please tell us the amount of funding you are requesting Aware to raise for your organization from the Aware annual fundraising event. | We are requesting a grant of $2000 from West Shore Aware to partially fund our music educational programs which include three Young Listener programs for underserved grade school students, three Master Class sessions, a music poster art contest at Saugatuck High School, and the JCYAP Internship Program for two or three college students to assist with running our programs, meet our artists, and learn the behind-the-scenes activities necessary to run a chamber music program. |
| If your organization received Aware funding in the previous years, how many clients were serviced and/or how many services were provided with those funds. If you receive Aware funding this current year, how many clients will be serviced and/or how many services will be provided with these funds? | CMFS received an Aware grant of $2000 in 2012 to complete funding of the Joan Conway Young Artists Program endowment. CMFS has received AWARE grant of $1700 in 2022, $2000 in 2016, 2020, & 2021, and $1000 in 2018 and 2019 to partially fund our educational programs. Number of services and use of funds are described above. |
| Please provide a listing of the Officers and Board members of your organization. | President: Lynette C. Fall |
| Your Contact Information | Doug Walvoord |
| Phone | 616-405-2366 |
| Email hidden; Javascript is required. | |
| Scoring Criteria | |
| 1. Description of the Organization (maximum 5 points, please limit to ½ pages) | The Chamber Music Festival of Saugatuck, now in its 36th consecutive season, is dedicated to keeping chamber music vibrant and alive. With the end of Covid-19, we have resumed our normal concert programs of six duplicated evening concerts in July and August and educational programs in local schools during the fall and summer at the Woman's club. Our programming will continue to encourage a sense of belonging and involve the audience as an active part of the experience. Music education has always been an important part of our mission. Our current educational outreach includes summer programs for underserved area grade school students stimulating love of music in young minds and hearts. In recent years we have had free Young Listener Concerts at the Douglas Library, Saugatuck Woman's Club, Saugatuck Center for the Arts, and Hope College aimed specifically at migrant students. Last summer our three Young Listener Concerts featured a hands-on art experience along with the musical component, concerts we labeled "Art for Your Ears...and Hands!". Our musicians attempt to reach children introducing them to classical and modern music at a level they can understand. We our expanding our Master Class outreach to more students by going into local high schools, one class for strings recently completed and another for brass instruments planned. We sponsor a student art contest at Saugatuck High School where the winning student creates art for our media and wins a monetary stipend and tickets to a concert. We will continue our Joan Conway Young Artists Program which funds internships for two or three college students as they assist with our programs and learn what goes on behind the scenes. In all these programs, CMFS adds an import dimension to our area's reputation as an Arts Community attracting audiences from Holland, Kalamazoo, South Haven, Muskegon, Grand Rapids, and well beyond. |
| 2. Funding Request (maximum 35 points, total, please limit to 1 page) | Our request is for a grant of $2000 from AWARE to assist funding of our music education programs for students of all ages and abilities from grade school through college. We focus on underserved youth in Allegan County as well as advanced students in area high schools and colleges and are actively working to encourage and enable young people to attend our evening concerts. Our education programs are directed by our Music Directors, Jennifer Walvoord and Andrew Le. This grant would greatly enhance our ability to continue and grow this valuable program which is described in detail below. During the past summer our Young Listener Series--Art for Your Ears...and Hands! included three programs performed by our musicians for migrant and local children at the Saugatuck Woman's Club. The Folias Duo who are masters of making music fun and accessible for kids (and adults) of all ages began the series. The Imani Winds, a wind quintet consisting of mostly African American musicians, who are well known for their work in education, brought diversity to our series. They are a Grammy-nominated group that has played in major concert halls and were awarded a permanent presence in the classical music section of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington DC. This year the world-renowned Avalon String Quartet will excite our young listeners. Our artists thoroughly enjoy bringing smiles of joy to the faces of children who in many cases are experiencing classical music for the first time. One Master Class Series event for string students preparing for State Solo and Ensemble finals has already been held, and another for brass instruments is scheduled. In the past, we have funded bus transportation for approximately 250 fifth grade students to hear a performance by the Grand Rapids Symphony, and this program remains available to school districts which cannot otherwise afford to do so. We continue to fund the Joan Conway Young Artists' Program for two or three high school or college interns who assist with running the summer program interacting with the performers and learning what happens behind the scene. We also fund a contest for art students at Saugatuck High School to create a music-themed work which we use as our program booklet cover, poster, and other promotional materials. This has been another very successful artistic outreach to local schools, and many entries are submitted each year. The winner receives a small cash stipend, comp tickets to a performance, and recognition at concerts. |
| 3. Funding Justification (maximum 40 points, please limit to 1 page) | CMFS is requesting a grant of $2000 to partially fund our education programs during our 2023 season. These programs are varied and designed to offer music education opportunities not otherwise available in our community. They are designed to stimulate children and students of all ages to grow in their love and appreciation for all types of music. Last season our second Young Listener Concert was by The Imani Winds, a largely African American group, who brought diversity and great attraction for young listeners. Funding for this outstanding group was outside of our education budget, but with last year's AWARE grant, we were able to make it happen. We will continue our offer to fund bus transportation for underserved fifth graders to a Grand Rapids Symphony concert, our Saugatuck High School student art contest, and the Joan Conway Young Artists Intern Program. Our program has grown in size and variety, and your assistance will help us reach more students and increase their love of music. We have budgeted $5700 for this program in 2023, and your assistance would greatly help us accomplish our expanded educational goals and hopefully exceed them. The remaining funding for this program will hopefully come from donors who have a special interest in our education outreach, but if that doesn't happen, we will have to reach into our reserve funds which will affect future growth of this program. We price our regular season tickets as low as possible to encourage attendance, and this means ticket income provides approximately one fourth of our revenue. Since most of our events are now full or nearly so, we don't anticipate a significant increase in ticket income and need other sources of support for our Education Program. None of the funding for the education programs comes from government or private grants. CMFS has been awarded a 2023 Michigan Arts and Culture Council grant of $13,750 to be used only for musician stipends and not endowment or education. Other operating funding comes from ticket income, individual gifts, and business donations. We received $1,700 from AWARE in 2022, $1,000 in 2018 and 2019, and $2,000 in 2016, 2020, and 2021 to help fund this program. Hopefully, the future value of our student education programs is obvious, and we assure you of our diligent stewardship and effective use of funds AWARE would give us. We would be proud to acknowledge AWARE'S gift in our programs and in other publicity. The funds we are requesting are not for general operation. If the funds requested in this grant are not used for our education programs as described, we will return them to AWARE. We will provide a detailed accounting of how the funds are spent. |
| 4. Summary | The Chamber Music Festival of Saugatuck requests a grant of $2000 from West Shore Aware to partially fund our music education programs for 2023. We reach youth of all ages from underserved Allegan County grade school students to very talented college seniors. We provide educational opportunities for all ages that otherwise simply would not be possible. We will again have three Young Listener Concerts, one featuring the world-renowned Avalon String Quartet. To increase student participation we're moving our three Master Class sessions to school-year events in local high schools. One to coach advanced string students has already happened, and another for brass instruments is planned. We've already had sessions for grade school students in Douglas and Fennville featuring a very entertaining string quartet version of "Ferdinand the Bull". We'll also continue the Saugatuck High School student art contest, offer bus transportation to a Grand Rapids Symphony concert, and the Joan Conway Internship Program. A highlight last summer was a performance by a very special group, The Imani Winds, a largely African American wind quintet, who brought diversity and great attraction for young listeners. Education has been a primary focus of CMFS since its founding 36 years ago, and we thank you for your consideration and help in reaching more children through this program. |
| Application Agreement | This is an application, otherwise known as a Request for Funding (RFF), from
West Shore Aware. This RFF is a request from your organization to Aware, for Aware to host a
Fundraising Event for your organization. By completing this RFF, your organization is requesting to be considered by Aware’s membership for an Aware fundraising event to be held during the summer of this year, also known as the White Party.
If your organization is chosen for a fundraising event by the Aware membership, your organization will agree to the following terms and conditions for the said fundraising event. 1. Aware will be given and provided full credit for the fundraising event in all of you organization’s publicity and advertising for said event, to include but not limited to event posters, newspaper advertising, handouts, radio and television advertising for the event, and organizational announcements concerning the event. 2. Your organization will only use the funds raised by Aware from said event for the purpose described in the RFF submitted to Aware. 3. Your organization understands that West Shore Aware is a philanthropic organization of LBGTQ+ individuals and their supporters, and that the funds your organization receives from Aware will be coming from the West Michigan lakeshore community. 4. The funds received from Aware as a result of the fundraising event will be net, after expenses for said fundraising event are paid. 5. Aware may use the name of your organization in its own advertising and publicity as a recipient of funds.. 6. Your organization will supply Aware with written approval to hold, or be part of a fundraising event held by Aware. 7. West Shore Aware reserves the right to audit any organization that receives funding to determine whether the funds were used as described in its RFF. 8. Your organization will allow West Shore Aware to use you organization’s name on the West Shore Aware website. In addition, if your organization has a website, you will link that website to the West Shore Aware website and allow West Shore Aware to link to your organization’s site. West Shore Aware’s web site link must remain on your web site for a full year from the date of the monetary disbursement. Failure to do so will disqualify you from requesting future funding. Once you have completed the RFF and agreed to the aforementioned, please submit it. Please sign this document below, indicating acceptance of the aforementioned terms and conditions. By signing the document, you acknowledge your organization is a registered 501(C) 3 Charitable organization. |
| Signature | |
| Date | 04/27/2023 |
| Ready to Submit |
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