Board Member

ABOUT CYO

The Contemporary Youth Orchestra (CYO) continually redefines what a youth orchestra can be. For over 30 years, we’ve inspired thousands of young musicians by focusing exclusively on new and contemporary music to create life-changing performance opportunities.

In residence at Case Western Reserve University, our programs include:

• Symphony Orchestra – high school musicians performing professional-level works by today’s composers
• Chamber Music & Student Composer Program – deepening musical skills and creativity

Alongside the music, we run career workshops and industry exposure that reach well beyond performance, into production, arts administration, composition, education, and the business side of the creative economy.

We never turn a student away for financial reasons.

WHAT BOARD MEMBERS DO

Our CYO Board of Directors are volunteers who provide leadership and boots-on-the-ground support. Board Members set direction and safeguard the organization's finances.

They also pitch in directly. CYO runs on a small staff and a lean budget, so what Board Members do with their own hands and their own networks has a real effect on what students experience in their time with the orchestra.

We are looking for people who will help raise money, ask good questions about the budget, and say “yes” when we need someone to drop posters off at a music store on a Saturday.

Help raise the money

Fundraising is an important shared responsibility. Nobody is asked to do it alone, and nobody is expected to be good at it on day one. Activities may include:

• Sell advertising in the CYO concert program to businesses you know or work with
• Help plan, host, or fill seats at fundraising events
• Introduce CYO to potential donors, corporate sponsors, and foundations in your network
• Support annual donor appeals by adding a personal note to a handful of letters or make some phone calls

Provide financial and legal oversight

• Review financial statements at each meeting and ask questions
• Approve the annual budget and monitor performance against it
• Act in CYO's best interest, keep Board matters confidential, and disclose any conflicts of interest
• Make sure CYO operates consistent with its mission and governing documents

Shape the strategy

• Help develop and carry out CYO's strategic plan and long-term goals
• Serve on a working committee such as fundraising, marketing, finance, or governance
• Advise on your area of professional strength

Roll up your sleeves

Board members regularly take on work that would otherwise fall to staff or go undone. This is the part people tend to enjoy most:

• Deliver posters and flyers to music stores, schools, libraries, and community spaces during recruitment season
• Attend social hours and community events on CYO's behalf
• Attend concerts and student showcases so our musicians see who is supporting them
• Share CYO's story, events, and student achievements through your own social media and professional networks

WHAT WE ASK

Attend at least 75% of board meetings (quarterly or as called by the President)

Fulfill the “give or get” policy of contributing at least $600 annually, through personal giving and/or fundraising efforts

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

People who are passionate about young people in the arts.

We welcome a range of backgrounds: events, marketing, legal, fundraising, grants, finance and accounting, education, corporate philanthropy, and more. Prior board service is helpful but not required.

You do not need musical experience. Being willing to get involved is the most important factor.

WHY JOIN

You will join a group of community leaders who believe in what music does for young people, and you will work on an organization that is genuinely one of a kind. Your contribution puts a student in a seat who might not otherwise have one. Your time helps young musicians encounter and discover unique musical experiences—and you will see the results in person, several times a year, from a seat in the audience.

HOW TO SHOW INTEREST

If you would like to learn more or are interested in serving on the CYO Board of Directors, we welcome a conversation.

Reach out at cyorchestra.org/contact-cyo.