Making Sweet Music With MacPhail Center

A non-profit organization with a rich history and uncertain future embarks on a risky plan to reshape itself. A new mission, a new building — and a creative launch plan from Fast Horse — set the MacPhail Center for Music on its way.

Aiming for a “New MacPhail”
The MacPhail Center for Music was at a crossroads. It had a proud past but needed new energy to rekindle community support. MacPhail Center leaders developed plans for a “New MacPhail” and embarked on a capital campaign to build a riverfront home. With its future at stake, the organization took on three challenges at once — raising awareness of its revamped mission, wooing donors and luring new students.

The strategy: Inform and engage influencers and stakeholders
The MacPhail Center turned to Fast Horse at two critical moments — the launch of the “New MacPhail” initiative and the subsequent grand opening of its new home. In both cases, we worked tirelessly to cultivate favorable buzz. We helped organize VIP and media events that drew top officials and community leaders, touching off an immediate influx of support.

The centerpiece of the campaign was a creative groundbreaking ceremony that allowed MacPhail to showcase what it does best to the people who matter to the organization most. The result was the performance of an original piece of music dubbed the “Construction Concerto,” written by MacPhail staff and performed by MacPhail students. The piece blended musical instruments with construction tools, creating the sweet music of progress. As the new center neared opening, we also engaged the public by creating a series of family events to showcase the building and MacPhail Center’s offerings.

The results: More students, more donations

Fast Horse helped get the job done for MacPhail, which has successfully maintained a prominent place in Minnesota’s rich cultural landscape. Following the New MacPhail initiative and the grand opening, the center achieved its highest enrollment in school history, including a more than 25 percent increase in early childhood education classes — one of the school’s more critical areas of growth. More importantly, the non-profit organization fulfilled its capital campaign commitment, raising $25 million before its internal deadline.

KARE11-TV
Groundbreaking ceremonies are usually pretty conventional deals. You know the drill: a bunch of folks in business suits just tossing some dirt with shovels … But occasionally someone figures out how to do it right.
KARE11-TV

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