Jackson Symphony Orchestra Association
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 essential element in building a 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 in various settings.
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 at Jackson College.
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

Photos
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
Related Program
Signature Series Concerts
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Decreasing
Context Notes
Tracked by season (ex: 2018-2019 is "2018"). 2019 and 2020 saw an abnormal season due to the pandemic
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 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
Context Notes
Tracked by season (ex: 2018-2019 is "2018")
Total dollar amount of scholarship awarded
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
Context Notes
Tracked by school/fiscal year (ex: 2018-2019 is "2018").
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?
1. Build-back and retain the JSO audience to pre-COVID-19 numbers to restore the reach of music to the Jackson community.
2. Attract more diverse audiences to extend the reach of music in marginalized communities and demographics traditionally underrepresented in JSO audiences.
3. Grow Community Music School enrollment to deliver revenue to JSO, develop a pipeline of future performers and audience members and enhance the community’s appreciation for music.
4. Enhance the financial stability of the JSO.
5. Develop an organization and culture based on excellent service, respect, empathy, and emotional intelligence to delight patrons, employees, performers, and donors in every interaction with the JSO.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Collect Information:
-Survey Lost Subscribers
-Interaction/Feeback Surveys from sponsors, donors, ticket buyers, students, audience members, employees, and performers
Increase Attendance:
- Overcome Practical Obstacles (mobility, transportation, cost)
-Attract new audience members in our community through ticket offers
Financial Stability:
-Plan 3 regular touches with current, lapsed, and potential donors before each ask
Grow CMS Enrollment:
-Consider offering Saturday classes
-Add another satellite location for busy dates/times
-Plan school and community outreach activities with Jed Fritzemeier (get specific with actions)
-Maintain current rate of student tuition subsidization.
-Add classes that engage our marginalized communities (ex: Beat-making class)
-Premiums for teachers based on enrollment
DEI:
-Quarterly checkpoints with community partners
-Ticket giveaways or subsidies to affiliated groups
-Programming insights to cater to future programming.
-Deliver at least 1 Signature piece and 1 MoT performer with roots in an underrepresented or marginalized community.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
-The JSO partners with additional organizations to provide a free outdoor Summer Pops Concert as well as a free for kids and $5 for adults Halloween Children's Concert.
-The JSO also partners with schools to provide free music enrichment, education, and experiences.
-We have only lost 30% of our audience attendance since pre-pandemic numbers.
-70 comp tickets are offered to marginalized community members for each Signature Series Concert.
-Our Random Acts of Music program, musicians perform at senior living facilities and care centers.
-We provide over $15,000 in scholarships each year to CMS students.
-We are able to 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 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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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
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
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 01/02/2023
Samuel Barnes
Commonwealth Associates, Inc.
Laurie Cunningham
Shaun Huang
Samuel Barnes
Quentin Guinn
Shawn Christie
Dan Casillo
Doug Wilcoxson
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? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
The organization's co-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.