Birth of a Not for Profit Orchestra
17 September 2009 at 2:16 pm
Tough times call for a tough ‘ask’ and there is none harder than the ask from a newly established Not for Profit especially it seems for one determined to bring a symphony orchestra to Queensland’s Gold Coast.
The task has fallen to a medical specialist with a passion for music, Dr Josef Goldbaum who with three other directors (friends and colleagues) has turned the Gold Coast’s fledgling professional orchestra into a Not for Profit.
And Dr. Goldbaum’s ‘ask’ couldn’t be more direct! His approach to corporates and individuals is simple – " we need money, staff and directors to take this initiative to its next level".
Dr Goldbaum admits that he has no experience in the Not for Profit sector apart from his own personal charitable giving however he says he realised that his plan for a privately funded orchestra, which he started in 2007, was doomed to fail unless he engaged community support.
The new NFP entity will be launched by the Mayor of the Gold Coast on September 13.
Dr Goldbaum says births, transformations and new beginnings are always painful and often viewed with suspicion; especially when attempts are made for financial assistance with limited funds to begin with and limited personnel to carry out the required tasks.
The organisation is in the process of obtaining its DGR status.
He says while the Gold Coast is the sixth largest city in Australia, it is a cultural wasteland where it is losing its musicians to interstate or overseas orchestras.
His orchestra has the services of a Russian born and trained conductor who is working performance by performance.
Dr Goldbaum admits that he needs a big sponsor to come on board – a bank or an airline to allow him to engage an orchestra manager and fundraising staff.
He says that advice is plentiful but people voting with their wallets and their free expertise are harder to come by.
Weblink: www.gcso.com.au
