Category: Help Yourself

March 2010 is Orchestras Feeding America month and the need in our communities has never been greater.  Last year more than 200 orchestras from all 50 states participated and collected over 200,000 pounds of food.  In 2010 we know we’ll exceed that number with your help!

While March 2010 is the official Orchestras Feeding America month, we encourage any orchestras conducting food drives over the holiday season and during concerts before and after March to add to the national total.

For a list of this year’s participating orchestras or to sign your orchestra up, click here.

Posted November 30, 2009

The League is happy to be continuing its partnership with BoardSource – the “go-to” resource for comprehensive information on best-practices in nonprofit governance. Through this partnership, we’ve significantly expanded access to knowledge available in the governance area for our membership.

The League is once again offering its members a BoardSource Membership for only $75, a savings of nearly 25% off Individual BoardSource membership.

By joining BoardSource, you receive full access to online members-only resources, including e-books, topical papers, and archived newsletters; a 33% discount on BoardSource products; and access to the online member directory.  Most importantly, you will become part of the governance community, connecting you with people facing similar challenges and goals in the nonprofit world.

Don’t delay- this special offer ends December 11, 2009. Enroll yourself and members of your board today!

Please Note: Membership will begin on January 1, 2010, when you can expect to hear directly from BoardSource.

For more information about this special membership or to join immediately, please go to: http://www.americanorchestras.org/utilities/boardsource.html

Posted November 25, 2009

Just a reminder that we launched an important new area of the League website this summer called Economic Crossroads. We’ve added a lot of great information since the launch; please take a minute to check it out – there may be just the thing you’re looking for!

If you are unfamiliar it, Economic Crossroads is dedicated to assisting our members in addressing the challenges posed as we experience the continuing volatility of today’s economy.  Economic Crossroads covers a range of areas – including financial management, advocacy, governance, development, public relations and human resources. It is an ever-evolving source of information and timely resources designed to help you through this trying time.

To see all that Economic Crossroads has to offer, click here.

Posted November 16, 2009

The League’s highly competitive Grants to Outstanding Women Conductors are designed to contribute to the career development of women conductors at the highest levels of potential.  They are intended for those who are primed for national and international recognition and are ready for candidacy for top conducting posts.

Four grants for $10,000 will be awarded to female conductors of outstanding ability during the 2010-11 cycle.

Eligibility: 

• Applicants must have at least 3 years as paid professionals with orchestras
• Grants are for post-graduate professional development, and are not intended to support higher education/academic study
• This program is limited to women conductors who are current members of the League of American Orchestras, and who are committed to a career with American orchestras

For more information on this and other opportunities for women conductors, please visit americanorchestras.org.

Posted November 10, 2009

Receive up to $160 in discounts off the registration price to the upcoming National Arts Marketing and Development Conference just for being a member of the League!  Discounts include $80 off the Regular Conference, $40 off the Pre-Conference Day, and $40 off the Post-Conference Day.

This year’s conference will be held in New York City, March 13-16, and will focus on marketing and fund-raising strategies for the next decade. 

For more information and a complete schedule, please visit artsreach.com/conference.

Posted November 9, 2009

Updated 11/6. The League is pleased to invite executive directors in groups 1-8 to the 2010 Mid-Winter Managers Weekend. This year’s meeting will take place in New York City January 30-February 1, 2010.

This year we will also be offer two half-day Orchestra Leadership Academy seminars specifically designed for executive directors: Leadership: The New Extreme Sport and Budgeting for Organizational Strength.

For complete info, and to register, click here.

Posted November 6, 2009

Last year over 200 orchestras from all 50 states participated and collected over 200,000 pounds of food.  In 2010 we know we’ll exceed that number with your help!

For a list of last year’s participating orchestras and to see some of the top totals, click here.

To sign your orchestra up for the 2010 food drive, click here.

Posted November 5, 2009

Each Mentoring Circle meets once a month for six months, via conference call and or web conferencing (90-minute sessions). Content is flexible, confidential, and dynamic – driven by the group. One mentoring circle with a maximum of eight members is selected from each pool of applicants.

This Mentoring Circle brings together orchestra trustees who share experiences around topics of common concern, providing counsel and leadership, and those who need guidance. Together they create a network of people who can continue to provide information and support to one another over time.

Facilitated by Cate Moye, former Board Chair of the Spokane Symphony Orchestra. 
For a brief bio of Cate Moye, please click here.

Application deadline is November 23. Mentoring circle calls will begin December 2, 2009. Click here to apply.

November 3, 2009

Starting in January, for the first time ever, the complete contents of every new issue of the award-winning Symphony magazine will be available on the League’s website as SymphonyOnline–with all the same in-depth reports, provocative essays, and cutting-edge research that have long distinguished the print edition of Symphony.

Every SymphonyOnline issue will have additional features, with the added enhancements of direct Web links, interactivity, and enhanced multimedia. Want to hear music from a featured orchestra? Wish you could find out more about that advertiser? Ready to sign up for the League’s National Conference? It’s all just one click away in SymphonyOnline.

While we will continue to produce six issues of Symphony per year, only four will be available in print. All six issues will be available online at americanorchestras.org as SymphonyOnline.

To get a sneak peek of SymphonyOnline, click here.

Posted November 2, 2009

The League is pleased to announce that as of now, all staff and musicians of the League’s member organizations have access to The Hub. The Hub is must-read online source of news, insight, and ideas specifically for orchestra field. 

If you are new to The Hub, all you need to do is set up a username and password. To get started, please contact member services by phone at 212 262 5161 or by email at member@americanorchestras.org. To visit The Hub now, just click here.

What’s next? Starting in January, for the first time ever, the complete contents of every new issue of the award-winning Symphony magazine will be available on the League’s website as SymphonyOnline. The same in-depth reports, provocative essays, cutting-edge research, and vibrant design that have long distinguished the print edition of Symphony will be available to all League members. Six times a year, SymphonyOnline will give readers the information they need and the context to understand it all in the lively, intelligent, accessible style that have made Symphony the leading publication for the orchestra world. Experiencing SymphonyOnline will be just like reading Symphony—but with the added enhancements of direct web links, interactivity, and enhanced multimedia. 

And later in the new year, your username and password will allow you to update your League personal profile, making it easier for you to take advantage of all the League offers by registering for webinars, seminars, and the League’s National Conference.

Posted October 22, 2009