Orchestra Kentucky, located in the quaint town of Bowling Green just north of Nashville (TN), was started by two friends who saw a community need for a professional orchestra. Founded in 2000, it is a small but nimble organization with an $850K budget, two-full time staff and a part-time administrative assistant.

Although a popular organization valued by its community, Orchestra Kentucky had recently accrued operating deficits due to declining contributed revenue and ticket sales.

Recognizing the need to reverse these downward trends, Orchestra Kentucky embarked on a bold journey in 2016 to quickly address both the earned and contributed revenue shortcomings. As part of this plan, RSC was engaged to assess the fundraising program and to develop an approach designed to help the Orchestra thrive and grow once again.

RSC created a focused Fundraising Action Plan that could be swiftly implemented by the Orchestra Kentucky team to achieve immediate results. Led by Music Director Jeffrey Reed and new Executive Director Scott Watkins, Orchestra Kentucky raised $170,000 in a three-month period and achieved 92% of their contributed revenue goal with four months remaining in its fiscal year. Contributed revenue has already increased over FYE16 by 19%, with that pace expected to continue.

What the client said

“Our fundraising program was losing ground. RSC quickly helped us define our problem and implement solutions, which has resulted in the most money Orchestra Kentucky has ever raised, and led to receiving the single-largest gift in our history,” said Jeffrey Reed, Orchestra Kentucky’s Music Director and Founder. “True to RSC’s promise, we achieved, Fundraising Growth Now!”