Members of the GSO Board of Directors recently took steps to create The Stensland Family Fund for the Georgia Symphony Orchestra. This fund was created to honor the outstanding service of their longtime Executive Director Susan Stensland upon her retirement in 2021. Stensland began her career with the Georgia Symphony Orchestra (GSO) in 2006 as Operations Manager.
During her 15-year tenure, the organization grew into a regional performing arts powerhouse and expanded its programs to include the GSO Chorus, GSO Jazz! and annual Holiday Pops series. They also incorporated the Georgia Youth Symphony Orchestras (GYSO) program in 2006 which reaches students from more than 127 schools in 17 counties each year. Through their educational outreach, they have also received attention for their annual “sensory-friendly” performance experience, which meets the needs of children and adults with autism and their families.
“Susan always believed the GSO was not simply a music organization, but an arts and service organization. Her vision was always to provide the healing, comforting and uplifting power of music to as many audiences as possible,” says current Executive Director Taylor Rambo. To honor her many accomplishments, members of the GSO board approached her about creating a fund in her name that would allow the GSO to continue to support her vision for community service into the future.
The GSO was no stranger to CCF Fundholder opportunities when the Stensland Family Fund was started. They already held another fund which they began with the intention to increase their capacity to accept donations. “We wanted to be able to accept stock donations, and having a fund through CCF allowed us a way to do that without increasing workload on our limited staff,” Taylor Rambo, GSO Director. By holding funds through CCF, donations are acknowledged, and tax records are compiled on behalf of the GSO. The added exposure of being included among other philanthropic funds made this an easy choice.
Donors may now very intentionally honor Susan Stensland with their donation to the Stensland Family Fund in support of musical experiences for areas in our community where people could particularly benefit from the healing, comforting, uplifting power of music. This might include, but is not limited to, engagement with persons who have special needs, dementia, or PTSD, or those who are aged, hospitalized, incarcerated, or homeless.
“The Stensland Family Fund is going to help us expand our ability to provide high quality, innovative and accessible music experiences to new audiences across the state, and across populations like the aging or other special needs,” Taylor Rambo.
If you would like to find out more about opening a charitable giving fund, please contact Barbara Garner at barbara@cobbfoundation.org or call (770) 859-2359.
