My Nonprofit Reviews
cygnetgirl01
Review for Community School of Music and Arts, Mountain View, CA, USA
I have personally been involved with this organization for almost 10 years. My husband was involved with it for 5 -10 years before me. It is an exceptional nonprofit in all facets: personnel, resource management, responsable and active board, well-respected in the community, and high-quality in the value of programs delivered. In my profession I have had the opportunity to be onsite and work closely with more than 100 volunteer organizations. I've been en employee of nonprofits; a board member; a recipeint of services; a general volunteer; and a consultant to them. For an organization that started out of someone's back porch - it has grown to be a community leader. One that provides arts and music education; free performances; and a wide range of multi-cultural productions that reflect and improve our community. I am proud to recommend CSMA as an Outstanding Nonprofit.
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I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
> Students growth through performances and exhibitions > Significant financial stability and the ability to build it's first "home" > Growth in the volume of services delivered to over 40,000 recipients annually, while maintaining a balanced budget.
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Get more parents involved Invest in the fundraising technology to improve constituent relationships and build customer loyalty. Give the staff a 5% raise.
What I've enjoyed the most about my experience with this nonprofit is...
Continuous improvement of services delivered in both quantity and quality. The professionalism exhbited by staff, and the committed and active level of support by the board.
The kinds of staff and volunteers that I met were...
Highly educated, dedicated and loyal to the organization. Often highly over-qualified for their positions but they stay with the organization because of intangible rewards.
If this organization had 10 million bucks, it could...
Be a leader of Music and Arts education in the country. The funds are used in exceptional ways and with well-thought out programmatic planning. I know however the funds used, they would be fiscally responsable and yet CSMA would be "cutting edge" in program delivery.
Ways to make it better...
More classes were offered as a one-day or two-day workshop. "introduction" type courses aimed at busy professionals. Broader courses offered - ie more 3D art options (sculpture, glass, jewelry, etc.)
In my opinion, the biggest challenges facing this organization are...
Lack of parental involvement. Lack of tracking "alumni" and encouraging alumni financial support of programs. Poor technological options in the heart of silicon valley: software and registration databases; online class registration; online classes , etc.
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2008
