Year-End Report 2021
501(c)3 – FEIN 46-4000828
Our Vision:
Grassroots and nation-wide support of instrument-based music education available for all children in the United States, beginning at the earliest age possible, offered in schools or as after-school programs for a significant length of time (minimum two years and four hours per week), so all children experience the measurable social, biological, economic, and academic benefits of music education.
COVID – A Second Year Like No Other:
Year Two of the pandemic. Music Education is more important than ever for children to navigate the uncertainties and isolation of today’s world.
As schools resumed in-person classes, an elimination of instrument-based music programs has been far too common across the country. We have observed a great deal of personnel turnover in schools and organizations, so our database has been continually updated. All the while, children need and deserve a well-rounded education that includes Music and the Arts, and the Spirit of Harmony has continued to work on matching music programs with the local and national resources they need to be the best they can be.
Accomplishments – ADMINISTRATIVE:
Board of Directors.
- Per the Bylaws, election was held for half of the Board members in June and half of the Board members in December. No changes have been made to the roster of Board members.
- Zoom Board meeting in May.
- Maintained password-protected Board Portal for 2021.
- Telephone and email Board interactions throughout the year as needed.
Business Practices.
- All reports and official forms filed on time.
- All donations accurately logged and acknowledged.
- 2021 Year-end tax letters for donors were sent to all donors by January 8, 2022.
- 2021 Year-end reports submitted to accountant in January 2022.
- Ongoing efficient responsiveness to general and specific inquiries and opportunities via email, telephone, and social media.
- Where required by law, SOHF maintains state-by-state non-profit registrations and filings by Michael Baird.
- The Foundation has earned a PLATINUM Seal of Transparency from Guidestar (highest rating) and a TOP NON-PROFIT designation from Great NonProfits (highest rating).
Fundraising:
- Individual donations: Ongoing donations and relationship-building with individual donors.
- Received an SBA Emergency Loan, identical to what was received in 2020.
- Increase in “In honor of” and “In memory of” gifts.
- Two online auctions completed with all items promptly packed and shipped using appropriate safety protocols.
- Corporate/Foundation grants:
- Cultivation of major funding sources, potential and actual
- Sought out opportunities for matching grants, challenge grants, donor-designated funds, and cause-related marketing.
- Merchandise: Hello It’s Tea mugs, The Magistris Project, Toddstock Re-Issue, imprinted items (Zazzle).
- Todd donated nearly all of the AWATS costumes to the Foundation after the AWATS/Individualist tour. The costumes are currently in secure storage and it is hoped that a live auction event can be organized in 2022 to maximize bidding potential.
- Fernando Perdomo has designated SOHF as the beneficiary of all profits from the Someone/Anyone? Tribute Project. With the pre-sales that began in December, he has already covered his expenses, so it is hoped this project creates a significant revenue stream.
Accomplishments – PROGRAM:
COVID Resource Page: Maintained and updated information about remote learning and COVID protocols, technological and logistic issues related to online music education and socially distanced music education, and safe return to in-person classes. Ongoing updates with information from NAMM, NAfME, CDC, US Department of Health, etc. Continually exploring new ways to meet the changing needs of music programs and their ever-evolving challenges.
Community Building: Information tables at Todd’s major concert tours give the Spirit of Harmony an opportunity to engage supporters around the country and also shine a light on local music programs.
- FEEL US Project. During Todd’s Clearly Human virtual tour in Feb/March 2021, Jean and Ed took a leadership role in coordinating boxes of city-specific souvenirs and gifts from fans across the country and delivering them to the band for the appropriate dates. While this was not related to our music education Mission, it was very important community building at a time when fans needed it most. It significantly increased visibility for the Foundation, raised overall awareness of our Mission and Purposes, and even provided an opportunity to forge positive new relationships. The FEEL US Project seemed to reach fans who had never before played a public role in the fan community, and it created an opportunity for excellent relationship-building.
- For the Fall 2021 tour, SOHF had information tables at every show of the tour, staffed by about 200 volunteers, with strict safety protocols in place.
Partnerships. Functioning as an advocate for music programs around the country, the Foundation worked one-on-one with programs nationwide, helping connect the programs with the resources they need to be the best they can be. To accomplish this mission, partnerships are established and nurtured. Current active partnerships include: music manufacturers, instrument repair, businesses and corporations, school systems, academic institutions, service clubs, a wide variety of nonprofits, community leaders, music groups and artist fan bases, etc.
Partnership of particular note: Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is a longtime Todd fan. We made a close connection with her office, particularly her Deputy Chief of Staff, that resulting in the Mayor attending one of the virtual shows in person and meeting Todd and Michele backstage, and then attending the Chicago Individualist/AWATS show. While Todd and Michele were in Chicago, we had a productive meeting with the Mayor in City Hall, clearly outlining what the Spirit of Harmony considers to be the Best Practices of Music Education for maximum benefit to youth, that includes (1) instrument-based (2) beginning at the youngest age possible (3) minimum 4 hours per week (4) for at least two years.
Advocacy. Our Advocacy Toolkit is website-based and continually updated information to assist individuals and organizations for grassroots efforts to support music education. Also, the Foundation is involved with advocacy among elected officials, professional associations, and organizations, as appropriate. Jean serves as a program evaluator for two music education award/recognition programs: Music For All Advocacy in Action, and the City of Chicago’s Creative Schools Fund program.
Ongoing Musical Instrument Collections and Placements. The primary and most universal need of music programs is musical instruments, and one of the best methods of engaging supporters is getting them involved in donating instruments, whether a one-off donation of something they own or participating in a larger-scale instrument drive. We strive to make as many matches as possible with instrument donors and instrument recipients. Since instrument drives require pick-up/drop off sites, evaluation, repair/reconditioning, and redistribution, we have developed a continually updated database of organizations in every state. 2021 saw a remarkable increase in the number of individuals who approached us to help them find new homes for their own instruments, which resulted in at least one successful instrument placement each week throughout the year, ranging from guitars to drum kits to brass and woodwinds, and even a few pianos!
Public Information/Engagement:
- Emails: emails sent out through Constant Contact as needed.
- Inquiries from the general public, on a vast range of topics.
- Social Media: Through daily posts on Facebook and Twitter, the Foundation continually spreads awareness about the importance of Music Education in particular and music in general. The Foundation’s goal with social media is to provide high quality academic, inspirational, and fun content that will be liked and shared by our networks. The “hook” of all posts is always music education advocacy. Full social media report follows.
Social Media Report
|
|
December 31, 2021 |
Year End 2020 |
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Facebook Group Members |
6569 |
4902 |
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Facebook Page Followers |
9935 |
9834 |
|
Twitter followers |
1227 |
1188 |
|
YouTube Channel subscribers |
755 |
686 |
|
Email List (Constant Contact) |
11,410 |
11,282 |
|
Instagram Followers |
640 |
563 |
For additional information:
Please don’t hesitate to email the foundation at info@spiritofharmony.org to request any additional information.
Past Reports: