KALAMAZOO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Artists and Programs: Optimize the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra concert experience for audiences and artists alike by cultivating artistic excellence, offering a diverse array of concert options, and producing musical performances at the highest level.

Education and Community Partnerships: Enhance the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra's education programs and community partnerships to provide meaningful ongoing musical experiences and effective entry points for the community for all ages-from preschool to adult.

Development and Communications: Strengthen and sustain the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra by growing the audience, increasing financial support, building awareness of KSO programs, and developing an engaged board and volunteer base.

Finance and Administration: Create a more resilient organization by strengthening the workforce and improving stakeholder reporting and communications.

100th Anniversary Celebration: Celebrate the KSO's 100th Anniversary Season (2021-2022) with a wide array of events and initiatives that deepen the community's connection with the orchestra and assure financial stability for the future of the organization.

Artists and Programs: Build a larger and more demographically diverse audience by fostering and engaging a culturally curious community. Continue to invite talent of the highest caliber to perform with the KSO. Grow the artistic level of the orchestra and encourage increased musician engagement. Form an artistic growth task force to consider, evaluate, and recommend fresh ideas and opportunities for future institutional growth. Focus on hospitality in all aspects of operational execution. Develop and implement a plan for renovation, restoration, and expanded utilization of the KSO music library and recording archive.

Education and Community Partnerships: Integrate educational and artistic initiatives to create a natural link between school programming and the concert hall. Expand adult education offerings that enhance the concert experience of existing listeners and attract new listeners. Optimize and update existing programs to maintain a high level of excellence and maximize participation. Optimize and institutionalize key community partnerships Kalamazoo Kids in Tune and Marvelous Music.

Development and Communications: Reverse the negative trend in ticket sales by growing and diversifying the KSO audience. Maintain and build meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships with current and potential donors as well as board members and volunteers. Refine the KSO marketing plan to meet the needs of the changing audiences and make use of new technology.

Finance and Administration: Grow and retain a talented workforce, maintain organizational learning, and promote wellness in the workplace. Create flexible reporting structures to maximize communication and efficiency. Re-enforce a strong internal control environment. Optimize use of technology to enhance customer service and office efficiency.

100th Anniversary Celebration: Install a 'working' 100th Anniversary Committee to guide the planning of this important milestone for the KSO. Determine the feasibility of a 100th anniversary endowment campaign. Plan a memorable 2020-2021 concert season to celebrate the 100th anniversary.

The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra is more fortunate than many of its peer organizations. The KSO enjoys the long-standing support and generosity of its community, a consistent subscriber base, and the security of a strong endowment. The KSO is thankful for the strong community support, artistic excellence, committed staff and board of directors, and solid education and community programs which have allowed the organization to survive and prosper in a shifting arts environment for 100 years. These factors combined with a thoughtfully designed and clearly documented strategic plan will provide with KSO with the necessary capabilities to meet its goal.

The KSO is completing the current strategic plan and has begun the next planning process which will result in a new plan in January 2022. Most of the specific goals outlined in the current strategic plan outline have either been completed or are ongoing. The strategic plan is used as a vital internal tool to set direction, measure progress and evaluate results. It is also used externally as a springboard for further dialogue and to gather feedback from the community.

Artists and Programs:
Completed or in process: Continue to invite talent of the highest caliber to perform with the KSO. Focus on hospitality in all aspects of operational execution. Build a larger and more demographically diverse audience by fostering and engaging a culturally curious community. Formed an artistic advisory committee to consider, evaluate, and recommend fresh ideas and opportunities for future institutional growth. Grow the artistic level of the orchestra and encourage increased musician engagement. Developed a plan for renovation, restoration and expanded utilization of the KSO music library and recording archive.

Education:
Completed or in process: Integrate educational and artistic initiatives to create a natural link between school programming and the concert hall. Optimize and update existing programs to maintain a high level of excellence and maximize participation. Expand adult education offerings that enhance the concert experience of existing listeners and attract new listeners. Optimize and institutionalize key community partnerships Kalamazoo Kids in Tune and Marvelous Music.

Development and Communications:
Completed or in process: Reverse the negative trend in ticket sales by growing and diversifying the KSO audience. Maintain and build meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships with current and potential donors. Refine the KSO marketing plan to meet the needs of changing audiences and make use of new technology.

Finance and Administration:
Completed or in process: Grow and retain a talented workforce, maintain organizational learning, and promote wellness in the workplace. Create flexible reporting structures to maximize communication and efficiency. Re-enforce a strong internal control environment and optimize use of technology to enhance customer service and office efficiency.

100th Anniversary Celebration:
Completed or in process: Planned a memorable and celebratory 2021-2022 concert season for the 100th anniversary. Conducted the silent phase of a campaign to raise $8.8 million and will launch the public phase beginning in October 2021.