A reluctant project end

My BVA project is nearing its end, and I find I’m a little sad about that.

I joined the Arts & Business Council of Chicago’s Business Volunteers for the Arts program last fall.  It looked like a delightful way to use my professional skills to give back to something that has given me vast amounts of pleasure over the years, both as a participant and as an audience member.   I was welcomed warmly by BVA Program Manager Katie Kurcz, went to volunteer training, and avidly read through all the materials provided.

My first project was to head up a team to help the Oistrach Symphony Orchestra create a strategic plan.  The OSO is the dream and brainchild of young violinist and conductor Mina Zikri.  Mina wanted to create a place where newly-degreed musicians could get professional experience and create quality music.  He also wants to bring classical music to young professionals and to families with young children, two demographics who seem to have mostly bypassed classical for any of the other musical choices they have these days. 

The OSO has been a legal entity for more than 4 years, but it turned out it was still being shored up by only two people – Mina, and another violinist and generous volunteer, Margaret.  Mina has been recreating the orchestra itself on a project-by-project basis, never knowing for sure when the resources could be put together to perform.  Given his inability so far to promise much, he has not even asked much from the musicians with whom he has worked, even though many of them willingly come back to work under his baton again and again.  Margaret has a financial background and volunteered last summer to apply for a couple of grants on behalf of the orchestra.  That has morphed into her acting in the role of Executive Director, entirely on a volunteer basis. 

So, off we went.  Digging up information, doing research, asking questions, making suggestions, playing with ideas, documenting it all piece by piece.  I am amazed at how quickly the 3 months have gone.  I am amazed at how hard we have worked – but also at how much we have managed to accomplish.  Margaret and my fellow BVA Marjorie have created fantastic financial forecasts based on some of our proposed activities.  It’s so tremendously helpful to the next steps in the process. 

A couple of weeks ago I got to hear the orchestra in concert, and watch Mina’s musical leadership.  These guys are GOOD.  It had never occurred to me to doubt that this was a worthwhile project, but….wow.  The motivation I had before to want to do my best to help them quadrupled that night.  All I can say is, if you get the chance, you should come hear them.  Do keep an eye on them (and yes, we've recommended they put up a more informative website). 

I think we really hit a wonderful project mountain peak last night.  One of our early and strong recommendations was to gather their board (they did have one; they couldn’t have gotten their non-profit corporation status without it) and remake it from “paper” to “active”.  There were many concerns about this, but most of them proved not to be problems at all.  When approached with our ideas in hand, all but two board candidates confirmed their interest in helping the organization in this way.  So Mina and Margaret recruited a replacement for the dropout, and last night we all got together for the OSO’s first ever real board meeting.  Marjorie and I were only there to help facilitate a little and to present our work and our preliminary findings.  These great people stepped right up.  One took over leading the meeting until they can elect officers, there were great discussion and action points brought up, and every member there actively participated.  I can’t tell you what a rush it was to see this little, wonderful, group start to stand up and head for growth!  It feels like our work will really be used, really make a difference.  I could tell you stories about “real” consulting gigs where I charged lots and lots of money but didn’t feel like I was helping this much.  The difference here was a real affirmation to the mission of the organization.  We were truly all on the same page and no one in the room last night had an alternate agenda.  I guess I can’t be certain there will never be politics in the way of where this orchestra wants to go, but last night we only had a group of people who really want to make this dream happen.  It was magical. 

Marjorie and I have additional work to do on the Strategic Plan Document, but before the end of April we will be officially turning it over to Mina and Margaret for them to pass on to the OSO Board of Directors.  Review and discussion of the document is already on their next meeting agenda, and they will be working via email and phone on deciding who will lead which of the projects to come: volunteer organizing, fund raising, marketing, venue search, and many others. 

The AB&C is fairly strict about BVAs adhering to the scope of projects and not hanging on afterward.  When I learned about this in orientation, I merely thought “of course”.  Now I understand why they made such a fuss about it.  I’ve fallen in love with the OSO and its people and will be very sorry to step away from it.  But I will certainly become a donor as soon as I am able and will be first in line to buy season tickets when they offer them!