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VOX Femina Los Angeles
Strategic Plan 2021-2024
We are VOX Femina Los Angeles.
We sing for LA.
We give women voice.
Mission Values Vision
VOX Femina Los Angeles Diverse in culture, age, Through the power of
gives women voice through race, belief and sexual music, we seek to create a
the performance of quality identity, we are a chorus world that affirms the
choral literature. committed to worth and dignity of every
commissioning new works person.
and raising awareness
about issues that affect us
as a family of women.
2
Our History
VOX Femina Los Angeles (VOX) is the premier
women’s chorus of Los Angeles. Founded in
1997, VOX is comprised of 40 volunteer
singing members chosen through a rigorous
audition process. Performing three main-stage
concerts as well as three free community
concerts each year, VOX is dedicated to the
performance of distinctive repertoire from the
Renaissance to contemporary compositions.
In keeping with the mission, VOX has worked
with over 35 composers on over 50
commissioned works for women’s voices since
its founding.
Our Planning Process
In the process of updating VOX Femina’s strategic
plan, five key goals were identified and committees
were formed to update those corresponding sections
of the plan. Committees were comprised
of at least one Board member, staff member,
singing member, and key stakeholder. Committees
met individually to create drafts of their sections,
which were then reviewed by the full Board. The
resulting plan was reviewed by internal and external stakeholders, and a final plan was approved by the
Board on ____. This strategic plan represents a bold and exciting new phase for VOX Femina, as it
continues to pursue its mission to give women voice through the performance of quality choral literature,
while bringing the organization to the next level of visibility and impact across our community. The 2021
VOX Femina Strategic Plan will guide the work of this organization for a 36-month cycle, in its planning
and implementation of activities for the organization through the end of Season 27 - June 30, 2024.
3
Our Community
“…create a VOX Femina serves the County of Los Angeles, with a particular focus
world that on the communities of Downtown, Culver City and West Hollywood.
affirms the Our core audience consists of a combination of choral music lovers,
worth and women, and members of the LGBT community. Our desired audience
dignity of includes a diverse representation of individuals from across Los Angeles
every County, including younger audiences and individuals who would enjoy
person…” our work but are not yet familiar with the organization. In addition,
where possible on digital platforms, we also seek to serve communities
outside of Los Angeles.
Partners and Key Relationships
VOX Femina believes that partnerships hold opportunities for shared value and more meaningful experiences
for both participants and audiences. Key recent partnerships include:
• City of Culver City Department of Cultural Affairs: An ongoing relationship with City of Culver
City to fund free concerts for the community members.
• City of West Hollywood – City Art Project: An ongoing relationship with the City of West
Hollywood to fund free concerts for the community members.
• City of Los Angeles, Dept. of Cultural Affairs: An ongoing relationship with the LA DCA to fund
free concerts for community members.
• First Congregational Church of LA: VOX has become a Community Partner of the First
Congregational Church Los Angeles, near MacArthur Park in downtown Los Angeles, and home to a
highly diverse congregation. VOX holds its weekly rehearsals and one concert per season at FCCLA.
• The Colburn School: VOX Femina is a resident company at Zipper Concert Hall in The Colburn
School, located within the performance circle of the Music Center of Los Angeles, one of the largest
performing arts centers in the United States. Two of the ensemble's annual subscription concerts are
performed in Zipper Hall.
• Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles: An ongoing relationship involving artistic collaborations and
informal strategic/professional conversations
• Los Angeles Philharmonic: Recognizing VOX’s first-rate artistry, the Los Angeles Philharmonic
invited the ensemble to join the Los Angeles Master Chorale and a select group of regional choruses in a
performance of Mahler’s Eighth Symphony, and also to sing with the Philharmonic in a Disney Hall
performance of Holst: “The Planets”, both performances conducted by Maestro Gustavo Dudamel.
• Digital Partners: VOX will explore new ways to partner with organizations outside of Los Angeles on
digital platforms.
4
Our Challenges and Opportunities
Areas of potential organizational influence were articulated by the strategic planning team. From
these, the most critical priority areas were selected.
Artistic Programming: Communication & Marketing:
• Singer performance quality is strong but can • Diversity in the organization is a critical
always improve. concern at all levels, including among the
• Opportunities exist for audience education to board, singers, audience and donors.
build interest in concert selections and deepen • Alumni relations should be more formalized.
respect for commissioning.
Building Audience: Finances:
• A highly competitive entertainment • Overall annual budget is solid and healthy, but
marketplace requires appealing concert small.
content. • High-end donations are at a low level; There is a
• Geography is a limiting factor for live need to focus on bringing donors to the next level.
audiences - breadth of county; transportation • New revenue streams beyond ticket sales (new
issues; neighborhood culture. merchandise opportunities; outside paid gigs) are
• Audiences are aging (a variable not unique to needed.
VOX Femina).
• There is large potential for growing virtual Future Questions:
audiences, especially beyond the Los Angeles • What is the “Choral Community?” Who (and
area. where) are the group of individuals looking to
go to experience choral music?
Community Engagement & Partnerships: • What is VOX’s responsibility to be a part of the
• Stronger partnerships are needed, presenting political dialogue?
an opportunity to share audience, information,
resources.
• Existing relationships can be strengthened and
furthered.
• Relationships with schools can be expanded
and strengthened.
5
Our Goals
The following goals should serve as priorities in the work of this organization during the next three
years:
1. Artistic Vision
Goal: Continue to raise VOX’s standards of programming excellence.
Actionable steps:
a. Increase the frequency of extended works that rely on more complex multi-media, larger
orchestral support, and innovative program integrations.
b. Continue to widen program themes consistent with VOX’s social justice mission.
c. Explore bold, unique partnerships with other cultural arts, educational, and social justice
organizations to the mutual benefit of our respective missions.
Goal: Apply higher artistic standards to secure wider acclaim and musical recognition.
Actionable steps:
a. Continue securing increased recognition and awards from press and professional music
organizations.
b. Increase frequency of regional, national, and international performance invitations.
c. Explore new recording opportunities.
Goal: Maintain and improve singer performance quality. Attract talented singers.
Actionable steps:
a. Continue to develop collaborations with other choruses.
b. Offer online or live master classes for singers.
c. Continue to invite and perform with guest choruses.
Goal: Cultivate and strengthen the VOX repertoire and VOX commissioning.
Actionable steps:
a. Engage in new, bold, interdisciplinary partnerships with other cultural arts, educational, and
social justice organizations including dancers, visual artists and story tellers to the mutual benefit
of our respective missions.
b. Continue commissioning new works, especially with prominent and under-represented
composers.
Goal: Plan for future changes in VOX’s artistic leadership.
Actionable steps:
a. Develop a succession plan for the Artistic Director.
b. Plan and save for increased costs for the transition to a new Artistic Director, including estimated
compensation at market rate.
6
2. Building Audience
Goal: Sell out each live Vox concert to the point where there is a demand for a second performance.
Goal: Increase the diversity of Vox’s concert audience across multiple demographic categories beyond
its core audience. Build virtual audiences beyond Southern California.
Actionable steps:
a. Explore and consummate strategic partnerships (preferably long-term, sustainable performance
and educational partnerships) especially those that may draw in male, under-represented ethnic,
and younger audience bases, that share social media, marketing strategies, and mailing lists, and
that share best practices in virtual programming. Partners may include:
1. Other choral groups, including church choirs;
2. K-12 schools and universities;
3. Non-choral cultural arts communities, including theater, dance, instrumental, museum, and
art gallery groups; and
4. Social and civic groups relevant to VOX’s artistic program and topical current issues and
events.
b. Convene a short-term, ad hoc singer committee that develops recommendations for attracting
more male, under-represented ethnic, and younger audiences (especially among friends and
family members) to VOX concerts. Implement its best recommendations.
c. Convene a short-term, ad hoc singer committee that explores reviving the VOXettes with the goal
of building audience through:
1. Extending the reach of VOX performances; and
2. Broadening VOX’s musical offerings.
d. Reach out to other music performance groups to learn what they do to build audiences. Host a
joint meeting to share audience-building strategies.
e. Establish an audience baseline by conducting at least one audience survey/focus group series and
follow-up surveys after implementing marketing or programming changes to measure any
improvements. Surveys should:
1. Confirm who comes to VOX concerts and why;
2. Include in the survey sample those who don’t usually come and ask why not;
3. Measure not only the level of musical artistry and excellence, but the strength of VOX’s social
justice messaging;
f. Partner with at least one college and university department to develop student projects that
design strategic approaches to engage younger audiences, so that going to a VOX concert is a
“cool” thing to do.
1. Establish partnerships that:
a. Develop at least one student project that designs and implements a statistically rigorous
survey and focus group series (based on a logic model), that can lead to new marketing and
programming approaches, and that provides effective insights;
b. Sponsor a student choral commissioning project; and/or
c. Explore student multi-media installations that don’t depend on live VOX performers.
2. Implement the best project or projects as a pilot initiative to expose VOX to new, younger
audiences.
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3. Community Engagement & Partnerships
Goal: Partner with underserved communities in Los Angeles; engage in joint concerts/collaborations
with other arts organizations; expand community engagement and collaboration with young choral
groups and schools.
Actionable steps:
a. Reach out to underserved communities (Downtown Women’s Center, Urban Voices, Crossroads,
homeless advocates/social services organizations), making sure that any collaboration/outreach
efforts further choral music and/or VOX’s mission.
b. Research how to slot into existing programs (especially in the case of homeless communities)
c. Seek out joint and preferably sustainable concerts/collaborations with other arts organizations
(church choirs that would offer new audiences, East/West Players, CONTRA Tiempo).
d. Seek out opportunities to perform as part of other organizations’ seasons (e.g., the Wallis, the
Broad, organizations beyond Los Angeles for virtual programs).
e. Expand outreach to and collaboration with young choral groups, schools and individuals.
1. Develop an even more engaging youth concert that is recognized as one of LA’s top youth
artistic experiences by testing bold, new programmatic approaches and adopting the most
successful ones.
2. Deepen existing relationships with high schools by tailoring current youth engagement
programs to maximize student interest and institutional commitment.
3. Explore opportunities for VOX to sing with youth choirs that might:
a. Draw in youth choir members and their existing audiences to Vox concerts; and
b. Create a pool of new VOX singers as the youth singers become adults.
Goal: Commit to a yearly Young Women’s Choir Festival, to be judged by a three-person panel,
involving 6-8 high school choirs.
Actionable Steps:
a. Secure participation of panel judges;
b. Secure participation of schools;
c. Estimate the cost;
d. Interview participants to gauge interest in a potential after-school program.
84. Communications & Marketing
Goal: Grow VOX audiences from local/regional to national/international and expand awareness and
appreciation of the VOX “brand.”
Actionable steps:
a. Expand VOX email/direct mail database.
1. Collect “Friends & Family” contacts list of all Singers and Board Members.
2. Reconnect with 24 years of VOX alumnae.
3. Ask regular Patrons and Donors to supply 3 contacts who would appreciate VOX.
b. Create a permanent position for a part-time (15-20 hrs. per week) Marketing Coordinator.
Goal: Support and promote VOX concerts and events.
Actionable steps:
a. Develop extensive “Opportunity Target” list for outreach, including:
1. Arts, cultural, academic and business organizations that would have an affinity for and
appreciation of the mission and message of VOX, and;
2. Affinity media.
Goal: Create and sustain a VOX video archive to serve as a resource for communications, marketing, and
fundraising.
5. Securing Our Future: Finances and Critical Resources
Goal: Grow and diversify our revenue sources
Actionable steps:
a. Develop “moves management” strategies to cultivate individual donors, elevate existing donors’ giving
levels, and develop new strategies for low dollar donors;
b. Develop new revenue streams (outside paid gigs, merchandise, recordings, Spotify);
c. Monetize live-streams of concerts and marry this with a marketing strategy to engage those ticket buyers
on social media platforms to expand our audience;
d. Seek corporate sponsorships, especially for innovative, high-profile programs;
e. Identify and cultivate potential successors to VOX’s current individual high donors.
Goal: Build a reserve
Actionable steps:
a. Develop an Operating Reserve Policy, a timeline to fund the Operating Reserve, and a strategy to maintain
it.
Goal: Expand and diversify the Board of Directors
Actionable steps:
a. Develop a roster of potential Board candidates.
b. Assess candidates and approach the best possibilities.
9Our Conclusion VOX Femina:
giving
The Board of Directors, along with the Artistic and
women
Executive Directors, will be responsible for monitoring
voice
progress of the plan and evaluation of adjustments,
additions or significant modifications. The Strategic
Plan is a living document, subject to periodic
improvements.
Evaluation efforts will include:
a. A general calendar of plan evaluation and
implementation activities created by the
executive director and board chair and reviewed
regularly by the board. The calendar will include
tasks for mid-cycle revision of the plan and
unforeseen situation adjustments such as
The Strategic Plan will undergo a major revision 36
transitions and balance between virtual and live
months after its official adoption and approval by the
programming.
board.
b. Formal revisions and amendments to the plan,
with review and approval by the board.
c. A method for keeping all key stakeholders
updated on changes to the plan.
Acknowledgements
Vox Femina’s strategic plan is the result of a collaborative effort on the part of the Board of Directors, staff,
singing members and the stakeholders who participated in the process. The organization is deeply indebted to
the wisdom and guidance of this dedicated group of thought-partners. The following people participated in our
planning committees:
VOX Femina Singing Members Miriam Hall, Jolie Hughes, Mary Read,
Sammi Sohn, Lori Marie Rios
VOX Femina Staff & Board Members Lesili Beard, James Busby, Justin Estoque,
Elizabeth Kerstein, Susan Leary, Iris Levine,
Joanna Mitchell, Steven Neiffer, Susan
Stamberger, Mary Beth West, Rebecca Wink
VOX Femina Supporters & Matthew Alexander, Helen Mendoza,
Community Representatives Michael Hughes, Michael Wallenstein
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