Orchestras Canada/Orchestres Canada

Archives: Resources

Reimagining the Orchestra Subscription Model

From OCKitchener 2016:

Presentation by Namita Desai and John Romeo of Oliver Wyman

From the study:

“Customized subscriptions are prospering because the dynamics of choice have shifted in their favor. Customers today want flexibility, personalization, and relationships with vendors. Because of that, choose-your-own options could become one third of all subscriptions by 2017.”

Namita Desai, author of the study and Consultant, Oliver Wyman

Read the Oliver Wyman study here.

Listen to the audio recording from the conference here.

Fostering a Culture of Philanthropy and Possibility in Our Orchestra

If it feels like you’re struggling, without the things your organization needs to thrive, research points to specific attitudes and behaviors that are likely in the way. Find out how every member of your team can participate – joyfully — in promoting a culture that people want to be a part of. Money will follow, and you can get what you need. This highly interactive session promised concrete data from research, practical solutions to age-old problems, laughter, stories, and chocolate.

Susan Howlett has been strengthening nonprofits for 40 years, as a board member, development director, executive director, and consultant to thousands of nonprofits across the continent. Author of two acclaimed books, and long-time professor at the University of Washington in Seattle, Susan speaks and trains widely, known for her practical solutions to persistent problems, and her liberal use of humor and stories. She grew up in an orchestra family and married into another one, so she understands your world.

This session was presented on June 5, 2015 at Orchestras Canada’s National Meeting in Vancouver.

Link:  Handout for Group Discussion

Debt and Deficit Retirement

When a deficit occurs, conquering it may become the top priority. In order to communicate the situation effectively to board and staff – and to strategize effectively – it’s important to understand how the situation arose. This webinar will consider types of deficits (e.g. structural vs. situational) and strategies for eliminating them over a do-able time frame.

This is the last of three webinars designed by Heather Young, Principal at Young Associates, for organizations with budgets under $400,000.

This webinar was presented on May 6, 2015. It was part of  a series entitled “Tips for Small Budget Arts Organizations”, presented by Orchestras Canada, in cooperation with Choirs Ontario, Ontario Presents and Theatre Ontario, with generous funding from The Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Ontario Arts Council.

Links:

The How and Why of Policies

Well-understood policies and procedures are the scaffolding for sound financial management.

This webinar will address high-level stuff that may seem so obvious that it’s never stated – such as, our policy is to approve the budget before the start of the new fiscal year, and that revenues should exceed expenses. It will also pin down niggling day to day concerns such as spending authorizations and the appropriate number of signing officers.

This is the second of three webinars designed by Heather Young, Principal at Young Associates, for organizations with budgets under $400,000.

This webinar was presented on April 1, 2015. It was part of  a series entitled “Tips for Small Budget Arts Organizations”, presented by Orchestras Canada, in cooperation with Choirs Ontario, Ontario Presents and Theatre Ontario, with generous funding from The Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Ontario Arts Council.

Links:

Financial Management ABCs

When you’re preparing for your board meeting, how can you tell which items on your financial statements require the most attention? In particular, are there any red flags? This webinar will discuss how to identify significant numbers and key indicators of financial health using two to three concepts each from Balance Sheet and Income Statement to illustrate.

This is the first of three webinars designed by Heather Young, Principal at Young Associates, for organizations with budgets under $400,000.

This webinar was presented on April 1, 2015. It was part of  a series entitled “Tips for Small Budget Arts Organizations”, presented by Orchestras Canada, in cooperation with Choirs Ontario, Ontario Presents and Theatre Ontario, with generous funding from The Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Ontario Arts Council.

Links:

Sample Board Handbook

Template document designed by Debra Chandler, Orchestras Canada’s Community Organizer, in support to a series of regional workshop delivered in Ontario in 2012-2013.

It is compiled from various sources and covers various aspects that can be expected in an orientation and process manual: context mandate, organizational structure, board mission and responsibilities, schedule of meetings, committees, nominating process, self-assessment process.

The handbook is provided as modifiable MS Word document.

Link: Sample Board Handbook