PLATINUM2022

HOUSTON MASTERWORKS CHORUS INC

Houston's Chorus

Houston, TX   |  www.houstonmasterworks.org

Mission

The Houston Masterworks Chorus performs diverse musical masterworks, showcases new compositions and talent, and moves people out of their ordinary.

Ruling year info

1986

Artistic & Music Director - Conductor

Dr. Paulo Gomes

Main address

9002 Chimney Rock Rd # G-352

Houston, TX 77096 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

76-0182765

NTEE code info

Singing Choral (A6B)

Music Groups, Bands, Ensembles (A6C)

Music (A68)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

Sign in or create an account to view Form(s) 990 for 2019, 2018 and 2017.
Register now

Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

To increase diversity: board of directors, singers, programming, venues, audiences. HMC Board of Directors - More representative of Houston community. Singers - Broaden age, ethnicity, skill level. Programming - Revisit masterworks, introduce new music, new commissions, new partnerships. Venues - Full chorus and small chamber ensembles, enables nimble options for alternatively sized spaces Audiences - Perform in underserved areas to access the cultural diversity of Houston.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Production of Quality Choral Performances of works of Choral Masters

Choral productions in Houston, TX, USA.

Population(s) Served
Adults

HMC plans to perform in-prison concerts at the Cleveland Bell Unit and also at the PEP.org transition houses.

Population(s) Served
Ex-offenders
Detainees

HMC plans to perform small ensemble concerts at the hospital. Our Christmas concert will include auctioning off a local artist's painting to fundraise for the Children's unit at TX Children's Hospital.

Population(s) Served
Children and youth

Where we work

Affiliations & memberships

Houston Arts Connect 2020

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Total number of free performances given

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Adults, Multiracial people, People of Latin American descent, Incarcerated people, Work status and occupations

Related Program

Production of Quality Choral Performances of works of Choral Masters

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Median grant amount

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

Production of Quality Choral Performances of works of Choral Masters

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Total number of free admissions

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Free admission to Salvation Army, Open Door Mission, ReCenter clients, Baylor College of Medicine clients.

Total number of paid seats filled for performances

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

Production of Quality Choral Performances of works of Choral Masters

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Hours of expertise provided

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

Production of Quality Choral Performances of works of Choral Masters

Type of Metric

Input - describing resources we use

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Website maintenance, Rehearsal Venue

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

New audiences, new venues, new music, new connections.

Houston community to create new programming partnerships: A combined concert with an educational component including some of the vocally talented students at The Lighthouse for Students (a nonprofit in the Sunnyside area).

Programming:
Audience Development: Lighthouse for Students, Chapelwood/Fair Haven area, Villa de Matel, Sugarland/Galveston; creative programming; audience participation; learning presentations prior to concert and video "educational moments"

Implementation of (2020) Strategic Plan

HMC Board of Director development

Singer recruitment - vocal training offered , annual auditions, target local colleges/high schools.

Partnerships - 2020-21 programming includes partnerships with Houston Arts Connect, Houston modern dance groups, community orchestras and choruses, college and high school choral groups. Community and religious performance arenas, restaurants, hospitals, prison.

Fundraising:
Grants - Federal, state and local
Foundations, corporations
Annual year-end campaign - Funds solicited from chorus, board, general public.
Ticket Sales, Program advertising
Corporate Matching
Selling/Donating Live-stream concerts

Marketing: consistently executes a well-developed marketing plan consisting of a content plan and editorial calendar including LinkedIn and YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.

Digital ads placed through Facebook, Chron.com, Houston Public Media, KSBJ.
Concerts promoted through Houston Public Media radio spots.

Reasonably priced tickets range from free to $20, reduced ticket pricing for military, season subscribers, seniors, students, and groups.

EXEC SUMMARY
HMC commits to developing greater inclusion and expanding diversity in who it attracts as chorus members, audience participants, key partnerships, and new board members. Historically, the masterworks genre has a relatively small circle of participants. HMC wants to connect with a broader audience who will come to appreciate the healing power of music.
With a fresh HMC vision and mission that supports our expanded direction, HMC hired Artistic Director and Conductor, Dr. Paulo Gomes, in 2019. Dr. Gomes brings a broad perspective and Latin influence to our programming. The chorus will perform in new concert venues, including virtual, with plans to take smaller ensembles to events and to expand community outreach and give-back, to include: high schools and colleges perform with the chorus, performing in Texas Department of Criminal Justice, TX Children’s Hospital, etc. New music in new venues will build community awareness and assist in recruiting a diverse chorus and board of directors.
Over time vocal quality will improve through increased audition standards, investment in vocal workshops, and the ability to attract talent by casting a wider net. Processes, organizational structure, and duties and responsibilities have been fine-tuned.

Membership in Houston Arts Connect builds partnerships within the arts community and supports HISD music programs.

All chorus members and the board of directors will have responsibility to represent the organization, actively advocate for its vision and mission, identify and help build partnerships, and provide creative input. HMC will fund its programs through multiple mechanisms including grants, fundraising campaigns, dues, ticket sales, and donations. All chorus members, employees, and the board of directors play a role in finding ways to financial support the organization.

HMC is a resilient, fiscally responsible, 35-year-old nonprofit organization:

Active Board of Directors with 100% attendance and giving.
Active volunteer committees: nominating, development, marketing, and finance.

2021 Strategic Plan execution
2021 Board of Director Training

Artistic Director/Conductor developed three year programming to include new partnerships.
Expanding singer participation and skill level.

Continues successful fundraising through 2021 - 2022
Grants - State and local
Foundations, corporations
Annual year-end campaign - Funds solicited from chorus, board, general public.
Ticket Sales in person/digital
Program advertising
Corporate Matching

Successful Accomplishments so far:

2020-21 Grant approvals
Completed 2020 Annual Campaign - Board, Chorus, General Audience, Individual
Free concerts provided through all of the pandemic
Positive 2021 (June 30) Year end financial projection
First Annual Houston Choral Festival - United in Song was held in December 2019

What's next?
Performing in Pearl Harbor at the 80th Anniversary Commemoration Concert December 2021
Continue to acquire new partners to share the cost
Research new sources of funding
Create the first Young Singer Competition to be held in September 2021

Perform by invitation to Madrid, Spain 2023

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We demonstrated a willingness to learn more by reviewing resources about feedback practice.
done We shared information about our current feedback practices.
  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    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, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals

  • What significant change resulted from feedback?

    This season includes new and traditional masterworks from new composers, composers of color. We offer an abbreviated rehearsal schedule for high school and college age students. Vocal workshops are offered to motivate singers to stretch their vocal skills. Higher caliber contemporary pieces challenge the norms of what we expect, necessitating the same level of expertise and musicianship associated with the large-scale works catalog.

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time

Financials

HOUSTON MASTERWORKS CHORUS INC
lock

Unlock financial insights by subscribing to our monthly plan.

Subscribe

Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our 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.

Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build 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.

lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build 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.

HOUSTON MASTERWORKS CHORUS INC

Board of directors
as of 09/12/2022
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

David Stix

CapTrust

Term: 2019 - 2023

Bruce Sealy

Comcast

Laura-Hill Taylor

Rochella Cooper

Sandra Dillon

Shine Crossings

Vicki Merwin

Merill Lynch

Karen Burgos

First Tire and Automotive

Traci Twardowski

Ernst and Young

Terri Kimble

Bank of America

Scott Clark

Kay Boyd

David Stix

Captrust

Margarita Arentsen-Landgren

Legacy Community Health

Emily Batchelor

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • 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? Yes

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 9/12/2022

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:

Race & ethnicity
Hispanic/Latino/Latina/Latinx
Gender identity
Male
Sexual orientation
Decline to state
Disability status
Decline to state

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

No data

Equity strategies

Last updated: 10/03/2019

GuideStar 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

Data
  • We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
  • We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
  • We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
  • We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
  • We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
  • 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.
Policies and processes
  • We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
  • We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
  • 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 help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
  • 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.