Your Network, Voice and Forum for Classical Music in the West

The ACSO Board and Staff hope you enjoy a very Happy Holiday. We send our best wishes for a
healthy, meeting-budget-goals 2016!
Ask An Expert Webinar
Nonprofit Governance: Best Practices and Common Pitfalls
Eric Gorovitz, principal, Adler & Colvin 
  
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
11 AM - 12 PM PST

There is much to know and do when one serves on a symphony or non-profit Board of Directors. And among the most important is to understand and practice California's nonprofit corporate code. If you are a Board member, you should be on this call!

In this one-hour webinar, Mr. Gorovitz will answer your questions about the following: 

   - What are our regulatory compliance obligations?

   - What governance policies do we need?

   - How should we document Board actions?

   - How do we amend our bylaws?

   - What is a conflict of interest?

   - And more!

 

Adler & Colvin is a group of attorneys based in San Francisco deeply committed to serving the legal needs of the nonprofit sector. The firm brings depth of expertise and passion to its representation of tax-exempt organizations and individual philanthropists.
Things You Should Know

YOUR DONORS: The IRS might soon require some nonprofits to collect their donors' social security numbers. This could have damaging affect on nonprofits. Read more and take action!
 
IRA ROLLOVER:  On December 16, Congress released the details of a FY16 funding agreement, and an accompanying package of tax provisions that include support for three key policy requests advanced by orchestras and the broader arts and nonprofit community. On December 18, the IRA Charitable Rollover provision was successfully made permanent in a tax package that is now heading to the President for his signature. Read more. 

NEA: The budget for the NEA was increased to $147.949 million to the President's request.

EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS ACT:  The budget for the U.S.. Department of Educations' Arts in Education program also increased to $27 million-a $2 million increase. In recent years this program had received level funding and also seen proposals for termination, but arts advocates once again made the case and in the next authorization beginning in Fiscal Year 2017, it continues under the "Assistance for Arts Education" program enacted under ESSA - the Every Student Succeeds Act, now signed into law. Read more.
NEA Good News

Congratulations to the following  ACSO members receiving an award from the NEA for the first round of 2015 funding:

Art Works
Association of California Symphony Orchestras, $15,000 
Chapman University $20,000
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, $25,000 
Los Angeles Philharmonic, $90,000 
Music Academy of the West, $20,000 
Oakland Symphony, $10,000 
Ojai Music Festival, $15,000 
Pacific Symphony, $40,000 
Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, $10,000 
Philharmonic Society of Orange County, $10,000
San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, $15,000
San Francisco Symphony, $75,000 
San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, $35,000 
Santa Monica Symphony, $10,000

Challenge America
Santa Rosa Symphony, $10,000
Music Notes

San Diego Youth Symphony announced that they are partnering with other local arts education organizations and schools to provide the first ever Arts Education Learning Exchange in March 2016 in San Diego. Read more.

The San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra will host the sixth Bay Area Youth Orchestra Festival (BAYOF) (formerly called Bay of Hope) at Davies Symphony Hall on Sunday, January 17 at 3 pm. The El Camino Youth Symphony, Marin Symphony Youth Orchestra, Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra, and Young People's Symphony Orchestra join the SFS Youth Orchestra in a benefit concert for underserved youth. Each of the ensembles takes a turn performing on the stage, showcasing five of the Bay Area's most prominent youth orchestras, 500 young musicians in total. The concert concludes with a piece by the "Festival Orchestra" made up of selected musicians from all five ensembles and led by festival orchestra director Alasdair Neale.
 
BAYOF began in 2009 through conversations between youth orchestra directors at meetings of the Association of California Symphony Orchestras. To these ends, the BAYOF is a fundraiser, allowing the young musicians to use their talents to benefit others. Participants this year have designated charitable organizations that serve homeless and underserved youth in their individual communities as beneficiaries. The event is an opportunity for each orchestra to perform in Davies Symphony Hall, to learn from hearing one another perform, and to connect through shared musical pursuits.  
Links at Your Fingertips
Finale

Hugo Rinaldi, music educator and founder of Marin Youth Symphony, passed away on December 5 from natural causes in San Rafael at the age of 95. Mr. Rinaldi founded the youth orchestra in 1955 and Orchestra Piccola, a chamber group that showcased the talents of the orchestra's best musicians, 15 years later. In 1973, Orchestra Piccola became the first amateur group to perform at composer Gian Carlo Menotti's Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy. Mr. Rinaldi called it "the kind of experience that only happens once in a lifetime."
There's Still Time to Join ACSO!
Building a thriving community takes passion, 
energy and commitment.

ACSO is a focused and dynamic cohort of emerging leaders, trustees, arts professionals, musicians, conductors, artist managers, donors, and patrons. We work to support you.
And just like NPR, it's our fall membership drive time!
 
Membership in ACSO Delivers:
  • Networking and Inspiration: channels to communicate and collaborate with peers, professionals and experts.
  • Professional Development and Education: regional annual conference, convenings, consultants for your organization, and mentoring for you and your staff focusing on the shifts, trends, and movement in culture and community.
  • Advocacy and Resources: a voice to your concerns and issues, and the resources to solve them.
Click the button to renew your organization or individual membership or join today!
ACSO Out and About

CalNonprofits Policy Meeting at the Capitol.
Jan Masaoka, Nancy Berlin, Shamus Roller, Geoff Greene,
Kris Sinclair, Michael Alexander
Thank you to our partners:
     
Read More.  

T.S. and K.D. Glide Foundation
 
Our featured business partner:

The Colburn School provides the highest quality performing arts education at all levels of development in an optimal learning environment. The school serves the community by presenting its students, faculty, and guest artists in more than 300 concerts each year, many of which are free. Additionally, Colburn's outreach programs reach approximately 15,000 underserved children in the community each year.
Association of California Symphony Orchestras
2755 Cottage Way, Suite 3
Sacramento, CA 95825
(916) 484-6744
acso.org     office@acso.org
STAY CONNECTED: