In 2018, the Children’s Chorus of Washington was honored to be selected to participate in the Arts Innovation and Management (AIM) program facilitated by the DeVos Institute of Arts Management and sponsored by Bloomberg Philanthropies. As a participant, CCW received access to capacity-building workshops, 1:1 consultation calls, and a generous honorarium to support the staff time required for program participation.

In 2020, CCW was invited to join the AIM Extension program to focus on developing and beginning to implement a long-range strategic plan. The extension program built on the core program and included individualized consulting sessions with Michael Kaiser, famed arts administrator and former president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

This consulting became even more crucial as we dealt with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The effects of quarantine and remote learning, and the requirements of reimagining and reconfiguring programming rocked many organizations, particularly those in the arts, and especially choruses like CCW. However, with Mr. Kaiser and his team by our side, we seized the opportunity to build an ambitious five-year plan that will guide us into the next era of our organization's evolution.

This plan is built around four main strategic areas: Programming; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Marketing and Development; and Board and Staff. Each is important, and obtaining positive outcomes within all four areas will be critical to our overall success.