Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The JSO strives to ensure that all people have access to music, music education, and enrichment. This is an important element in building community. With music education and arts funding being cut from schools, it is vital that today's young people have hands-on exposure to music.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Signature Series Concerts
These orchestra concerts feature a variety of orchestral music the whole family will enjoy!
Our Signature Series balances the familiar with the lesser-known and new. We perform symphonies by familiar and traditional composers, works by lesser-known but equally important composers, and new compositions by up-and-coming composers. This series also brings in world-renowned soloists to grace the stages of Weatherwax Hall and the Potter Center.
Music on Tap
This series aims to improve our community by bringing nationally and internationally touring musicians from multiple genres of music into Weatherwax Hall, the Jackson Symphony Orchestra's performing arts center in the heart of downtown Jackson. In addition to the incredible music, each concert features a cash bar and other refreshments, so make a night of it and come to share “World Class Music, So Close to Home!”
Community Music School
The mission of the Jackson Community Music School is to provide affordable music education of the highest quality to persons of all ages in Jackson and the surrounding communities. Our school offers quality private instruction in all instrument groups, as well as a wide range of classes and String Team programs at local area schools. Our music faculty is comprised of professional musicians who currently maintain active careers in all facets of music performance and education. We host numerous public performances, cultural events, and community festivals in our gorgeous Weatherwax Concert Hall throughout the year. All ages and levels are welcome to enroll. Generous scholarship and financial aid packages are available, and easy payment plans are offered for all lessons and classes.
Where we work
External reviews

Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Total number of paid admissions
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Total number of free admissions
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Community Music School
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Total number of off-site performances held
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Total number of free performances given
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
To optimize our concert opportunities, increase our CMS enrollment, and build a growing financial model to ensure that all people have access to quality live music education and enrichment.
1) Build-back and retain the JSO audience to pre-COVID-19 numbers while optimizing each of our offerings (Signature Series, Music on Tap, Pops Concerts, Nutcracker, Education Concerts, Bach’s Lunch, and Student Recitals) to achieve new levels of diverse participation.
2) Build-back, retain and then increase Community Music School enrollment while supporting access by maintaining our current rate of student tuition subsidization.
3) Build an organizational infrastructure and financial model that achieves significant growth in the numbers of people we serve by growing our endowment through planned giving and high-impact gifts.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
To optimize our concert opportunities, increase our CMS enrollment, and build a growing financial model to ensure that all people have access to quality live music education and enrichment.
The JSO provides a number of free music experiences throughout Jackson County to ensure access for all and to give back to our community. Our Community Music School also offers many opportunities for need-based scholarships.
1) Include new venues, replace old musical instruments, and expand our concert offerings to include free concert opportunities for people throughout Jackson County.
2) Streamline our Community Music School record-keeping and registration processes, review and match our class offerings to match our community, foster relationships with local schools, and continue to offer many opportunities for scholarships.
3) Create systems to steward individual donors, highlight large gifts, and increase events for cultivating donor relations to give back to the community that supports us.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The JSO is able to partner with additional organizations in providing free outdoor summer concerts in a variety of locations. The JSO also partners with schools to provide free music enrichment, education and experiences. Through our Random Acts of Music program, musicians perform at senior living facilities and care centers.
1) Through corporate sponsorships we have been able to offer more concerts, buy a new timpani, and provide free outdoor summer concerts in a variety of locations.
2) We provide over $7,000 in scholarships each year to CMS students in addition to our financial and are able to travel to local schools to promote our program and it’s offerings.
3) We are able invite donors to rehearsals in our hall, promote stories of endowed gifts to our organization on our social media and at each concert.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
The JSO's biggest accomplishment was in October of 2017 when 1,100 3rd and 4th-grade students across Jackson County participated in a free two week music education program. At the end of the two weeks the students were transported to the Potter Center at Jackson College when they had an interactive music enrichment program. Through this program five of their Michigan Music for Education Standards were completed. Based on the success of this program the JSO will offer it twice in October of 2018 to reach every 3rd and 4th grade student in Jackson County.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Paper surveys, Constituent (client or resident, etc.) advisory committees, Suggestion box/email,
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve,
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
Our staff, Our board,
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us,
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time,
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Jackson Symphony Orchestra Association
Board of directorsas of 03/08/2022
Dr. Douglas Wilcoxson
Laurie Cunningham
Shaun Huang
Samuel Barnes
Quentin Guinn
Erin Mazur
Shawn Christie
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 03/08/2022GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.