Chelmsford Parents-
We are writing today to update you about some important developments regarding the CFOM organization and future.
When CFOM was founded in the 1990s, there was a gap between funding for the arts and the school budget. Thankfully the arts funding situation has improved since then, and CFOM has grown to include scholarships for camps and college, competition fees, enrichment, advocacy, and much more. This has also required more volunteer hours in the form of fundraising, event staffing, and general administration.
Over the last 2 years a small group of parent volunteers have focused on fundraising and recruitment as much as was possible, given the small size of the group. Given the lack of volunteer participation, CFOM as it currently exists has become unsustainable.
We will be restructuring the organization to maintain scholarship funding on a seasonal basis (including the Caleb Flores Scholarship), and enrichment ONLY. The bottle & can drive (providing we have a coordinator and volunteers to work the drive), as well as donations, will be our ONLY source of funding. Students will continue to need at least 10 volunteer hours with CFOM to qualify for scholarships (hello, bottle & can shifts). Meetings will be held annually.
It is our hope that these changes will allow CFOM to continue to provide some support to music arts in Chelmsford schools within the new reality of decreased volunteerism in our community. Our currently scheduled elections will be held at our June 5 meeting. If you are interested in helping CFOM, please consider joining us & helping out our music students.
-CFOM Board
Our Mission
CFOM’s mission is to help ensure the best possible music education program in the Chelmsford Public Schools. We strive to inspire & motivate students to participate in music subjects and to reach for a higher levels of performance, through :
- Music Enrichment Programs, Cultural & Recreational Music Events
- College Scholarship & Music Camp Assistance
- Educational Equipment & Instrument Purchases for Supported Students, Community, and Supported Groups
- Fundraising toward Capital Expenditures & Endowments
- Political support for music programs in the public schools
- Recognition of Individual & Group Musical Accomplishments
- Volunteers for School Music Events
Our Work
CFOM raises funds & support through events focused on having a positive direct impact on our local community. Our parent, community, and student volunteers work throughout the year to ensure that music education is supported and funded at the highest levels for all Chelmsford music students. Students who volunteer at CFOM sponsored fundraisers or events, can earn community service hours toward scholarship qualifications, as well as other awards.
Please consider volunteering with us! We welcome new faces & fresh ideas to continue our mission of helping to ensure the best possible music program for the Chelmsford Public Schools. Check out our Volunteering page for more information on .
Our Executive Board & Coordinators
