Crescendo 2026: OrKidstra’s 3-Year Strategic PlanOrchestrating a symphony of positive change, together!
OverviewOur Why
We passionately believe in the transformative power of music.
OrKidstra exists to help children from equity-deserving Ottawa communities, who may otherwise be left out, learn the vital life skills necessary to become confident, responsible, and resourceful adults. Through the universal language of music, OrKidstra’s programming breaks down barriers created by socio-economic disparities, language differences, and systemic challenges, empowering kids to succeed.
MissionOur Mission
To empower kids and build community through the universal language of music by providing free group and individual music lessons to children from low-income families.
ValuesOur Values
Love
Courage
Excellence
Belonging
OrKidstra has succeeded by keeping kids at the heart of what we do and by staying relevant and in tune with the times in which we live. Since our founding as a charity in 2007, OrKidstra has provided over 3,500 kids from over 62 linguistic and cultural backgrounds with free social development through music programming. Nurturing an environment of belonging and harmony is key to our approach and celebrates the mosaic that is Canada.
“(OrKidstra) taught me core skills like leadership, discipline, and time management… a lot of my closest friends are still from OrKidstra. They are my second family… I couldn’t have gone (to the program) if the hub wasn’t so close (to my home).” – Rinila, OrKidstra graduate (OldKidstra)
Strategic GoalsOur 2023-2026 Goals
1. EXPANDING OUR WELCOME
2. DEEPENING RELATIONSHIPS
3. INCREASING OUR CAPACITY AND SUSTAINABILITY
Our 3-year strategic goals will be achieved through these four focus areas:
Programming ____
Community Connection
Operational Capacity
Resource Development
“Music has changed my life.” – Beryl, OrKidstra Student, Vanier Hub (violin)
Strategic Goal 1Expanding our welcome
By removing barriers to participation, children are given the opportunity to develop essential life skills, exercise creativity, develop lifelong friendships, and experience a sense of belonging and joy through music-making.
Along with our KiddlyWinks in-school partnerships, we currently provide critical hours after-school programming from our two established “Hubs” in West Centretown and Vanier/Overbrook. With the support of the community, we are expanding the reach of our programs to welcome more children from additional disadvantaged communities across Ottawa. Starting in Spring 2024, we are ready to open a third Hub in the priority neighbourhood of Heron Gate. We’ve chosen Heron Gate for our third after-school Hub because of the challenges this neighbourhood faces and our deep community connections.
In the coming years, we are actively planning to expand our welcome further by opening a fourth hub to serve an additional high-needs area of Ottawa. We are excited to open doors to provide more at-risk children with excellent social development through music and community-building opportunities, helping them to reach for success.
Programming
We will:
- Create a new Hub in Heron Gate (2024) to expand our reach in one of Ottawa’s most equity-deserving communities
- Create a Fellowship program to build our community of OrKidstra-trained Teaching Artists
- Continuously develop excellence in our pedagogical approach that resonates with the diverse community we serve
- Develop and provide a dynamic Leaders-in-Training program for high school-aged students to build confident leadership through experiential learning and mentorship
- Deepen in-school programming and KiddlyWinks social enterprise activities to increase the understanding of the positive impacts of music education.
Community Connection
We will:
- Mindfully share our core values of Love, Courage, Excellence, and Belonging as integral to all program development
- Continue implementing our established impact evaluation process to monitor the success of our collective efforts and shape our current and future community-minded plans
- Facilitate community engagement sessions: intentionally create meaningful connections and partnerships in program areas to build community and understand the unique needs in each neighbourhood
Operational Capacity
We will:
- Strengthen capacity of Staff and Teaching Artists, confidently maintaining our values as the organization thoughtfully moves on a succession planning journey
- Attract and retain new talent to our staff and Teaching Artist teams
- Modulate our organizational structure to support further growth and leverage staff resources toward our mission impact
- Create operational plans for the fourth hub, to expand when we have sufficient capacity
- Deepen our evaluation model to support continuous improvement to all of our programs
Resource Development
We will:
- Create stable funding for expansion and sustainability
- Engage in efficient and transparent development practices to support philanthropic goals
- Through creative engagement, increase awareness of OrKidstra in the community
- Maintain a skills-based, diverse Board to support governance and fund development
Strategic Goal 1How WE WILL KNOW we’ve succeeded in expanding our welcome
We will have successfully expanded our Hub network, guided by the results of our impact evaluation reports, and broadened the reach of our transformative social development through music programming to additional equity-deserving communities. Our talented and dedicated staff and Teaching Artists will be engaging with an increased number of children who have the opportunity to reach for success through music. Our core values of Love, Courage, Excellence, and Belonging will serve our students, our community, and, in turn, our world, as the power of music gives our students a voice that transcends differences and creates a community that celebrates diversity, commitment, and excellence. With the community at our side, we will have confidence in the financial security supporting the ongoing work of these Hubs.
“I see myself in every one of these children as a new Canadian who has been given a chance. When you come to (a new country), you don’t want to be a burden but a productive contributor. OrKidstra has given me that chance to be useful by giving back.” – Salim Charabati, OrKidstra Board Member
Strategic Goal 2Deepening Relationships
We are dedicated to building transformative and loving relationships, supporting the growth and development of students, and advancing pluralism in the arts. As we play and sing together, we also listen and learn. Our goal is to continue to create deeper, vibrant, enduring relationships to grow our program’s impact and nurture a sense of belonging for our students, their families, their communities and all of OrKidstra’s stakeholders.
Programming
We will:
- Create meaningful connections to build community and ensure we understand the unique needs of our children, families, and neighbourhoods.
- Support our diverse communities through appropriately curated OrKADDstra program materials which are a reflection of the 62 cultural and linguistic backgrounds we serve
- Connect with new communities and schools to foster understanding and plant the seeds for future growth
- Deepen in-school programming through active relationship building, guideline development, and increased teaching capacity
Community Connection
We will:
- Confidently share the knowledge and insights gained through continuous learning as one of Canada’s leading Sistema-inspired programs
- Raise our public profile and increase our visibility in the new communities we serve with tailored outreach programs
- Perform at and engage with initiatives that strengthen the sense of belonging in our community
- Provide regular reporting that is informative and transparent
- Continue to grow a robust online presence to engage the community in our work
Operational Capacity
We will:
- Increase staff time dedicated to community and donor outreach, networking and collaborations
- Deepen our engagement in evaluation metrics to inform best practices and share the impact of our program
Resource Development
We will:
- Deepen our personal approach to nurturing relationships with our current donors, foundations, and sponsors to solidify community philanthropic supports
- Create an OrKidstra Alumni (OldKidstra) network to support the next generation of leadership and excellence
- Grow our family of sponsors, donors, grantors, and events to engage new partners in our mission
Strategic Goal 2How WE WILL KNOW we’ve succeeded in deepening our relationships
We will have created authentic relationships within our new communities; with kids, families, schools, donors, influencers, and community leaders as well as with our current supporters; our alumnae, board and staff. Our supporters are actively engaged as champions of OrKidstra’s impact, playing a key part in empowering children and youth through the joys and challenges of music-making.
Love will continue to be our raison d’etre.
“We are not trying to create virtuoso musicians but to nurture virtuoso human beings.” – Tina Fedeski, OrKidstra Co-Founder and Executive & Artistic Director
Strategic Goal 3Increasing our capacity and sustainability
Our desire to provide Excellent programming to more children now and into the future drives our resolve to plan effectively for organizational growth; to build on our strong foundation and to ensure we continue to play on our strengths.
Programming
We will:
- Maintain excellence in social development through music by focusing on recruiting, training, and retaining talented Teaching Artists with a passion for our mission (e.g., Fellowship program)
- Continue to nurture a “kid-powered” culture of respect, continuous learning, and opportunity
- Continue to offer free OrKidstra community concerts creating a space of belonging where everyone is welcome
Community Connection
We will:
- Diversify and cultivate transformational partnerships (not transactional)
- Through our participation in the Sistema Canada Network, collaborate to increase our sustainability and capacity in our shared goals of creating positive social impact, equity, excellence, collaboration and learning
Operational Capacity
We will:
- Focus on effective succession planning that ensures ongoing and future success
- Make the technological investment in a new student database program
- Evolve the structure of the organization, playing to our strengths and addressing our weaknesses, for continued learning and growth
Resource Development
We will:
- Develop new sources of revenue to support current and future Hub expansions and needs
- Prioritize Board development to continue to grow inspired leadership that reflects OrKidstra’s current and future needs
- Develop a Courageous approach to connect with new supporters and share the value and impact of investing in the growth of our children
- Execute a philanthropic program that provides stable funding today, and years into the future
Strategic Goal 3How WE WILL KNOW we’ve succeeded in increasing our capacity and sustainability
We will be an even more courageous, united team of staff, board, mentors, volunteers, and donors, all working towards our mission. We will have succession planning in place, increased staff capacity with well-defined roles, and robust philanthropic support that will confidently sustain us into the future.
“Learning an instrument is such an opportunity in life. The more kids that get to experience it can help the world grow and be a better place.” – Isaac, age 14, OrKidstra Student, Vanier Hub (clarinet)
FinaleOur Commitment
Crescendo 2026: OrKidstra’s 3-Year Strategic Plan is supported by a comprehensive operational plan with measurable goals and internal accountability. We will share our progress with our active and committed OrKidstra family and remain committed to our vision of a future where all children and youth have the opportunity to find their voice and build their potential through music.
We thank all the members of our OrKidstra community and call on you to continue to help us shape OrKidstra’s future: together, we can help orchestrate a symphony of positive change!
Case for SupportSet the Stage
Are you interested in learning more? Click here to read our Case for Support!
OrKidstra would like to thank Connect2Knowledge and DO Philanthropy for their expert guidance in helping OrKidstra to develop this 3-year strategic plan. Special thanks to Greg Allison Photography for his continued dedication as a volunteer.
