JefJam Nonprofit Music Festival
Summary:
I founded and led JefJam Nonprofit Music Festival the summer after my senior year of high school, successfully raising over $2,500 for music programs in high schools in Jefferson County, MO. I personally managed nearly all aspects of the festival, including finances, marketing campaigns, staffing, vendors, performers, and event-day operations. Despite facing challenges such as limited experience, a low budget, and difficulty finding sponsors, the festival was a success due to strategic planning, creative problem-solving, and effective networking.
Check out some of the results of this event, and/or scroll below to view the full case study:
Media Features:
The posts above showcase newspaper clippings from The Leader, Jefferson County’s only weekly newspaper company.
The embedded audio is my first (nervous, admittedly) radio appearance. On this show, I was interviewed about the event and hosted alongside platinum event sponsors, The Cryptic Mafia Society.
I later was hired at KJFF, after meeting staff at this interview.
The post above showcases the results of the event, and the donations we made to area music programs.
Case Study:
Introduction:
JefJam Nonprofit Music Festival was a charity music festival that I founded, directed, managed, and led in Jefferson County, MO. The festival aimed to raise money for music and musical theater programs at high schools in the Jefferson County area, to provide student-musicians with an opportunity to perform in a professional setting, and to promote small businesses in the local community. Despite challenges such as being taken seriously — as a 17-18 year old — and operating on a low budget, the event was a success, raising over $2,500 for the music programs and hosting ten hours of local music.
Goals:
JefJam was organized with several key goals in mind. Firstly, the event aimed to raise funds that would be donated to music and musical theater programs in high schools throughout Jefferson County, MO. Secondly, the festival offered student-musicians a unique opportunity to perform in a professional setting, thereby helping to nurture and promote the next generation of local musicians. Finally, the event was designed to showcase and support small businesses in the local area of Jefferson County, creating a platform for them to connect with new audiences and strengthen their brand presence.
Approach:
The approach for organizing the JefJam Nonprofit Music Festival was multi-faceted and involved a range of strategies to ensure the success of the event. I utilized my network of friends, family, and connections to seek advice and assistance throughout planning and promoting the event. Through creative problem-solving, we were able to staff the event fully with volunteers who were involved with the school’s music programs, and partnered with local National Junior Honor Society troupes to give members an opportunity to volunteer at the event for community service hours. Additionally, I personally managed all aspects of the festival, including finances, marketing campaigns, staffing, vendors, performers, and event-day operations, ensuring that every detail was executed smoothly. By adopting a collaborative, solution-focused approach and leveraging my existing relationships, I was able to make the most of the resources at hand and ensure that the festival was a success.
Challenges:
Organizing the festival was not without its challenges. One of the most significant obstacles I faced was trying to be taken seriously and in a professional manner at only 17-18 years old. As a result, it was challenging to find sponsors willing to invest in the event. We also operated with a limited budget, which added an extra layer of difficulty to the planning and promotion process.
How We Overcame the Challenges:
As previously mentioned, we fully staffed the event with volunteers and partnered with local National Junior Honor Society troupes to offer community service opportunities. This helped reduce costs quite effectively, and played a large part in making the day of the event run smoothly. To promote the event with budgetary constraints, we connected with local Jefferson County music teachers and media outlets, such as KJFF AM1400 and The Leader Newspaper. As word of the event spread, our network of involved individuals interested in participating or attending continued to grow. Our strategic planning and creative problem-solving skills enabled us to overcome the challenges of organizing the festival, allowing us to raise more funds than the event’s cost and make a significant contribution to the area’s music programs.
Project Timeline:
The event was held in August 2019, the summer after I graduated high school. Planning for the festival began in the last semester of my senior year and continued until the day of the event. During this time, I worked on multiple tasks, such as organizing finances, marketing campaigns, staffing, vendors, performers, and event-day operations. The project timeline reflects the determination and dedication I had towards achieving the goals I set out for the event, and the results demonstrate the effectiveness of our efforts.
Outcomes:
JefJam was a huge success, achieving all its goals and more. Our primary objectives was to raise funds for underfunded music and musical theater programs in Jefferson County, MO. We were able to generate over $2,500 in net proceeds, which were donated to these programs. Additionally, we created an opportunity for student-musicians to perform in a professional setting and gain experience with over ten hours of live music — all performed by local musicians.. The festival also helped promote small businesses in the local area of Jefferson County through our sponsorship and vendor programs. As a whole, The JefJam Nonprofit Music Festival is one of my most proud achievements because of how it brought together creative people in a rural area like Jefferson County.