As we approach Thanksgiving, the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra would like to publicly acknowledge the incredible level of support we receive from our friends in the community. As a nonprofit symphony orchestra, it is simply not feasible to support our operations based on ticket sales alone, and this is not unusual. The typical professional symphony orchestra in the United States relies on a complex matrix of public, private, and individual donors to augment earned revenue brought in through ticket sales, sold performances, and program advertising revenue.
The Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra’s most significant supporter is the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, who provided us with a $15,000 contract for services to support our 2018 performances. This funding is an extremely important and critical component of our budget, as it provides unrestricted funding of our operations, allowing us to pay for administrative costs, artistic personnel, technical support, marketing expenses, and more. Our sincerely thanks go to our Fulton County Commissioner Liz Hausmann and the staff and administrators at the Fulton County Arts Council for their support of the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra through this annual contract.
The City of Johns Creek was extremely generous in inviting the JCSO to perform on its annual Summer Concert Series for the second year in a row this past October. This annual concert is an important outreach opportunity for the JCSO, as it allows us to perform at the beautiful Mark Burkhalter Amphitheater at Newtown Park for a crowd of over 1,000 people. Largely due to the City’s support, we are able to perform free of charge for our audience, making classical music available and accessible to every single person in greater Johns Creek. Special thanks also go to the Rotary Club of Johns Creek-North Fulton and to Stuart Perry, Farmers Insurance Agency in Johns Creek for providing additional funding for the Newtown Park concert.
In addition to Fulton County, the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra received a $5,000 grant in 2018 from the Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. GCA also receives support from its partner agency – the National Endowment for the Arts. This grant played an important role in our ability to fund our American Dream performance in May. Earning a grant from this statewide entity is not just a monetary gift; it is an honor and an endorsement of the quality of the artistic product that the Johns Creek Symphony is presenting for our community, stacked up against many other arts organizations in the State of Georgia. We are grateful to have received this support this year.
We also have a number of corporate sponsors who provide a critical level of support for our 2018-2019 season.
Education and outreach are an important part of our mission, and to that end the JCSO has a comprehensive menu of concerts that we perform in the schools, nursing homes, and at other community events. Last spring, the orchestra was fortunate to receive a grant from World Financial Group–Transamerica Foundation to perform one of our “Meet the Orchestra” concerts at Hembree Springs Elementary School. These concerts introduce the children to the instruments of the orchestra section by section in a fun, un-intimidating program that is narrated by Stan-the-Music-Man. Over 400 kids were in attendance.
Emory Johns Creek Hospital generously sponsored our season-opening concert, “Maestro and Friends,” and has been a very strong supporter of the JCSO in almost every way for many years. Gwinnett Medical Center Duluth has also provided the JCSO with consistent support for our season for a very long time. Our newest season sponsor is Renasant Bank, who joined us for the first time this year, and we are thankful that they have decided to make the JCSO one of the beneficiaries of their philanthropic efforts.
Additionally, we have media sponsors who provide us with in-kind support of our marketing operations, allowing us to expand our reach within the North Fulton community. These include ClearChannel Outdoor, who have made it possible for us to reach entirely new audiences with outdoor, billboard advertising in our community; and Appen Media, whose print, electronic, and social media support has been an invaluable contribution to our orchestra.
We have begun holding special FUN-draising events this year, with beautiful music popping up in unexpected places around the city. Many thanks go to City Barbecue for including the JCSO in their Johns Creek store’s opening week of fundraising events; to Ali Adabi and Culver’s of Johns Creek for having a special Share Night featuring JCSO musicians on their beautiful patio in Suwanee and also for providing delicious frozen custard for our “Maestro and Friends” post-concert reception; to Cleve Gaddis and Gaddis Partners for sponsoring the music for our 2nd Annual Culinary Fantastique Dining Event; and to Edward Jones Financial Advisor Dennis McLynn in Suwanee for sponsoring Santa’s big trip to our Christmas Gala, all the way from the North Pole!
As you can see, it takes a village to support an orchestra, and these are just a few of the many entities who make the JCSO’s beautiful music on stage a reality. We encourage you to visit our donor page to view a complete list of the people, organizations, and businesses whose support enables the JCSO to bring professional classical music into the Johns Creek community during the year. If you are able, please patronize those who support the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra, and mention that because their contribution makes a big impact for the JCSO, it matters to you.
If you or your business are interested in sponsoring or getting involved with the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra, please visit our sponsor page or contact JCSO Executive Director Linda Brill at [email protected].