APPENDIX I: SWOT ANALYSIS

Strengths

• Long history and solid reputation within the community and region

• Engaging personality, national profile, and artistic strength of Music Director Scott Speck

• Excellent musicians who value their association with the organization

• Experienced, knowledgeable and dedicated staff team

• Engaged, enthusiastic, well-connected Board

• Access to the Frauenthal, a high quality venue

• Uniqueness, flexibility and great acoustics of The Block

• Loyal, devoted audience and generous donor base

• Far-reaching and well-established education programs

• Generous, long-term benefactors

• Nimble, non-union orchestra

• Willingness to reach outside the organization for help, e.g. consultants, marketing

Weaknesses

• Limited size of admin staff: people wearing multiple hats, no dedicated Development staff

• Small pool of volunteers, lack of ethnic and age diversity

• Inadequate endowment, little reserves, and heavy reliance on a few top donors

• Shrinking, aging subscriber base, insufficient single ticket pool to replace them

• Shallow brand penetration throughout the market—many people do not know or understand the “WMS story” and don’t know about The Block

• Physical constraints of The Block: limited revenue potential, sound bleed problems, poor sight lines on main floor, uncomfortably crowded feeling when sold out

• Limited capacity for increased community engagement due to music director and musicians being mostly from out-of-town

• No inclusive, organization-wide role, including Board involvement, in the “artistic roadmap”

• Half market – limited geographically by Lake Michigan

• Shadow market of Grand Rapids

• No programming to reach summer tourists

• Little control over performance space – Frauenthal

• Only 8 concerts per year, primarily classical music

• Lose money on every concert