Sophia's Heart and First Stage Youth at the 1st "Realize Your Dream" workshop in 2016
Movin OUT after 48 years! 
 
Kids from Wisconsin  is not just "a summer music camp on wheels" as described by one member of the Wisconsin arts Board grant panel a few years back. But, you wouldn't know it from our old mission.


This mission was 100% focused on the opportunity the organization provided for a select few, musically gifted youth. It was described as all about them, their experience and what they represent.



But, as the organizations costs grow and we seek to compete for major donations from various public and private givers, it is clear that Kids from Wisconsin are competing in a finite pool of charitable giving dollars. And, among those giving sources there is more concern with observable impact and tangible results from their contributions.

In the book "Building Communities, Not Audiences", they make a case that there needs to be a change in mission among non-for-profit arts organizations. No longer is the primary responsibility of an arts organization to the art, rather it is to their communities.
And, they pose this central question to the mission: "How are the lives of members of the community made better by the work that you do?" And, this question doesn't refer to the quality of the art or the performance. It means....... what direct benefit does the work of the organization provide for the citizens of their communities.
Boys and Girls Club Benefit performance and outeach in Wisconsin Rapids
 

What does that have to do with the mission statement?

Well, they point out that the bedrock of any not-for-profit arts group is its mission. And, that a fundamental re-evaluation of the mission must take place, and the question posed earlier about how lives in the community are impacted provides the basis for re-imagining a more broad-based mission that appeals to those who are considering donations. David LaPiana, author of "The Nonprofit Strategy Revolution", defines the not-for-profit mission as "the social good the organization intends to create." He challenges us to think about, "What is the organization's responsibility to and relationship with its communities." This notion of responsibility is at the heart of the matter. Every not-for-profit should be a servant of its communities, he says. 

The board has taken the time to reevaluate and revise the old mission statement that was created years ago. The new mission focuses from the KIDS out instead of inward toward the KIDS. In the current statement, the focus is on showcasing the few, chosen, musically gifted youth... training them and demonstrating their outstanding talent... and presenting them as an example of Wisconsin's greatest natural resource.

The new mission statement is just the opposite.

It focuses on what the KIDS from Wisconsin does for its communities: It trains and develops youth to be performers and leaders; and they in turn reach a large audience of 120,000 people, often in locations that don't have access to this caliber of high quality, family-friendly and affordable entertainment; they also connect with nearly 1,000 other youth in outreach programs that inspire them to pursue their dreams in the arts; and finally, they help with local
economic development by helping raise much-needed funds for community service groups and their causes.

We hope you agree that this is an important evolution in the KFW mission statement and mission focus. The Kids from Wisconsin is an organization that serves its communities in a variety of ways with broad, tangible impact and results. The KFW presence needs to transcend the 33 KIDS on stage and the 2-hour show they put on during 10 weeks of the year. We are building communities, not just audiences.

Graphics by Stephanie Phillips

Kids from Wisconsin | 414-266-7067| kidsfromwis@sbcglobal.net http://www.kidsfromwisconsin.org/
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