Gold Award of Excellence

Fundraising is one of the Gold Award of Excellence’s most popular categories, highlighting creative and successful elements of fundraising projects. Fundraising projects are considered especially successful when there is a high ratio of profit to expense (i.e., at least 60% profit to 40% expense ratio).

Communication/Technology projects highlight uses of communication and technology to promote and enhance volunteer activities. These projects should demonstrate effective use of contemporary technology to bring some aspect of the orchestra to a specific population.

Community Engagement projects increase knowledge of the orchestra within the community. They have greater value when there are external partnerships between symphony staff, volunteers, musicians, etc. and/or external partnerships with other organizations within the community. Audience Development projects should have the potential to generate an increase in season or single ticket sales and/or attract non-concert going members of the community.

Education projects bring music educational opportunities to children, youth and/or adults by various means such as camps, classes, competitions, petting zoos, etc. These projects have greater value when there are collaborations with schools and other non-profits in the community.

Membership projects are designed to recruit, retain, recognize, and train orchestra volunteers. Membership projects should show an increase in membership numbers or an ability to retain current membership.

Leadership/Organizational Structure projects highlight attempts at building leadership and developing organizational structure by identifying, developing, and encouraging leadership. Leadership/Organizational Structure projects should present models for successfully engaging or training your organization and its membership.

Service projects are any projects that focus on providing support or assistance to the orchestra, orchestra staff, or musicians. Service projects should showcase the unique ways you serve your orchestra and the community.

Flexibility/Adaptability is being continued as a category this year after being introduced in 2020 due to the global pandemic’s impact on orchestras and volunteer organizations. Volunteers had to pivot from organizing elaborate events and programs to creating smaller gatherings or online events. Being flexible and adapting have been keys to success in the “new normal.” The need may likely continue.

View the Gold Award of Excellence Online Database.

The Gold Book Award was created in 1976 by the Volunteer Council (formerly known as the Women’s Council) and by Ralph Black, executive director of the League of American Orchestras, who secured a grant for the first publication. The legendary name comes from the idea that the book is “worth its weight in gold.” In 1976 copies sold for $5.00. The book’s purpose was to highlight volunteer organizations’ activities and provide innovative examples for other volunteer organizations to adapt and follow. In the years since then, the Gold Book has proven itself a goldmine for volunteers across the country and Canada. And since transitioning to an online platform in 2005, accessing this resource is even easier (and free). And in 2019, the award was renamed the Gold Award of Excellence.

Symphony of Flavors
Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Guild, Arkansas Symphony Orchestra

Starting from scratch, the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Guild stirred up essential ingredients of food, wine, music, and fun as the recipe for a successful virtual fundraiser.

2021 Historic Charleston Tour of Homes
Charleston Symphony Orchestra League, Charleston Symphony

The Charleston Symphony League redefined a long-running and highly successful fundraiser in the time of Covid to create a new event in historic Charleston!

2020 Beat Beethoven 5k
The Symphony Guild of Charlotte, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra

Beat Beethoven 5k, a virtual race where participants try to beat Beethoven, built community and raised money with minimal cost and volunteer commitment.

2021 Fine Arts Signing Day
Huntsville Symphony Orchestra Guild, Huntsville Symphony Orchestra

Fine Arts Signing Day honored high school seniors who have chosen to pursue fine arts education at the college level and recognized the value of fine arts to society.

Music Matters! — A World Tour of Music in Virtual School Visits
Illinois Symphony Orchestra, Illinois Symphony Orchestra Guild of Bloomington-Normal

The Illinois Symphony Orchestra and volunteers brought live performances of music from around the world to children during a pandemic through an interactive map, videos, and information about the composers and music performed.

Autumn Allegro: Fall Festival of Arts, Crafts and Music – November 2020
Richmond Symphony League, Richmond Symphony

The Richmond Symphony League launched a successful Facebook Live Fundraiser including an online sales catalog, auction, music, and interviews.

Baton Rouge Symphony League
Mad Hatters 2021

Council Bluffs Guild of the Omaha Symphony
Beer & Bach Virtual Event

Eugene Symphony Orchestra Guild
Music in the Garden 2021

Illinois Symphony Orchestra Guild of Bloomington-Normal
2021 Art Strings & Tambourines

Kansas City Symphony Alliance
2021 Kansas City Symphony Secret Art Auction

League of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association
2021 “Fall in Love with Music” Virtual

Santa Rosa Symphony League
2020 40th Anniversary Redwood Empire

Kinder Konzerts in a Box and Bag
FRIENDS of the Minnesota Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra

Since 1978, the Kinder Konzerts program has introduced young children to orchestral music, orchestral musicians, and the orchestra hall. The creation of Covid-inspired “Kinder Konzerts in a Box” for schools and families and “Kinder Konzerts in a Bag” for public libraries allowed FRIENDS to reach audiences throughout their state and beyond.

Education

Lewis Elementary Violin Residency Program Expansion Project
Houston Symphony League

Houston Symphony League helped their symphony develop its music education initiative, a three-year string instruction program for students at an underserved elementary school, and then answered the call in the second year to help purchase 40 additional violins and support additional instruction time. 

Flexibility/Adaptability

2020 Stay-at-Home May Wine Brunch
Women’s Association of Northwest Indiana Symphony Society (WANISS)

The Women’s Assoc. of Northwest Indiana Symphony Society (WANISS) turned their long-running fundraiser into Stay@ Home Wine Brunch and still had guests donning their hats – a signature of the in-person event.

Community Engagement

Celebrating 40th Year of Kinder Konzerts
FRIENDS of the Minnesota Orchestra

To celebrate the 40th anniversary season of Kinder Konzerts, FRIENDS of the Minnesota Orchestra marked the milestone with a special concert that included a brand-new commissioned story piece by Minnesota composer Daniel Nass, who selected the story, One Dog Canoe. The premier, geared to preschoolers and kindergartners, included a variety of engaging themed, pre-and post-concert activities.

Flexibility/Adaptability

The Show (House) Must Go On! Fundraising in a Time of Pandemic 2020
Oklahoma City Orchestra League

For the Oklahoma City Orchestra League, “The Show (House) Must Go On” was the rallying cry. An HGTV-style video, which could be purchased with an online ticket, included interviews with designers and a “reveal” of the house at the end to give viewers the sense they were special guests.

Fundraising & Flexibility/Adaptability

TABLE ART 2020–The Virtual Event
Omaha Symphony Guild

The Omaha Symphony Guild successfully re-imagined its 15th annual fundraising project – Table Art 2020 – as a virtual event featuring dining tables decorated with Waterford crystal and inspirational table displays from designers across the nation.

Flexibility/Adaptability

2020 Online All-Star Crescen-Dough Auction
Huntsville Symphony Orchestra Guild

When other community events were postponed indefinitely or canceled due to the pandemic, the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra Guild decided to convert their Crescen-Dough auction, which was scheduled to take place in three weeks, into a fully online event. They did it without missing a beat or coming up short of their goal.

Fundraising

Concluding 32 Years of Parties of Note in 2020
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) Volunteers

After 32 seasons, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Volunteers are retiring Parties of Note, a series of events supporting the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops. The end of one tradition will be the beginning of another as the CSO assesses how resources and efforts can be shifted to create change and improve the lives of all they serve. 

Fundraising

Fundraising Pop-Ups
Houston Symphony League

The Houston Symphony League used out-of-the-box thinking to come up with the concept of Pop-Ups, mini-fundraisers of unlimited variety and smaller in scale. It proved the perfect base to raise money and highlight the attributes of the League and the symphony – thus, becoming attractive to donors and new members alike.

Communication/Technology

CSO 125 Anniversary Timeline 2020
Cincinnati Symphony Volunteer Program

As the CSO looked toward celebrating 125 years, they needed to review, organize, and find a way to exhibit its plethora of articles, photos, and historical information to show the history of the orchestra. Volunteers began a project to build an electronic timeline that would be available online from the orchestra’s website and launched during the anniversary weekend in January 2020. Their history is now available worldwide.

Flexibility/Adaptability

MSOL Connect 2020
Madison Symphony Orchestra League (MSOL)

When the Madison Symphony Orchestra League could no longer meet in person due to the pandemic, they found a new way to stay engaged through MSOL Connect. The series of informative and educational programs related to music and involving musicians, staff, and musical experts from the community has provided a meaningful and relevant connection for members.

Flexibility/Adaptability

Designer House 2020
Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Guild (ASOG)

The home was designed and photographed and ready to open when the world shut down because of COVID-19. After debating on how to proceed or if to proceed at all, ASOG got creative. They offered the opportunity for guests to tour the home in the safety of their group and with all safety rules intact. They also created a safety walk tour through the house which proved to be successful the guests loved it.

Fundraising

Firebird Symphony Ball 2019
Symphony League of Kansas City

Exploring how to innovate and at the same time maintain many longstanding traditions, the Symphony League of Kansas City decided to hold its annual ball for the first time at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, the performance home of the Kansas City Symphony. The Firebird Ball was a showcase for the symphony’s talented musicians and created a very special experience for guests all while raising essential operating funds for the Kansas City Symphony. The theme complemented the orchestra’s playing of the Firebird Suite as part of the evening’s program.

Junior Symphony Ball 2020
Dallas Symphony League

The Dallas Symphony Orchestra League Junior Symphony Ball is a true classic!. Now in its 62nd year, the Junior Symphony Ball, with the tagline “Party with a Purpose,” was founded to introduce Dallas-area 10th-12th grade students to the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and in turn, teach them about giving back to the community.