Just Singin’ Round (JSR) is a community-based foundation that blends art with social responsibility. JSR builds integrated partnerships with local Vancouver charities to support cooperative programming and help sustain community programs. This is achieved by teaching collaborative partnership skills and by putting these skills to practice through monthly and annual events that showcase prominent West Coast artisans. JSR integrates music, dance, film, spoken word, art, food, and comradeship to celebrate the spirit of culture while strengthening the fabric of community.
Mission Statement
The Just Singin’ Round Foundation develops partnerships to support local charities by creating a synergy within the community to blend arts and commerce with social responsibility.
What We Do
- Promote the development of local Vancouver artisans (visual art, dance, film, music, drama).
- Provide events that promote social responsibility and community development.
- Facilitate collaborative partnerships skills with local charities.
- Develop sustainable relationships between local charities and their communities.
- Increase exposure for local charities.
How We Do It
- Increase visibility of local Vancouver artisans (visual art, dance, film, music, drama).
- Provide 12 annual events that promote social responsibility and community development.
- Provide skill-building training opportunities to facilitate collaborative partnerships with local charities.
- Increase development of sustainable relationships between local charities and their communities.
- Enhance awareness and exposure for local charities.
Foundation Highlights
Since its inception in 1998, JSR has:
- Showcased 500 artists.
- Entertained over 17,000 people.
- Raised $1.2 Million for 55 local charities.
- Supported over 65,000 North Shore, West Vancouver and Lower Mainland residents through direct funding for 25 community based programs.
JSR maintains a consistent patron base of approximately 4,000 attendees a year, with approximately 1,500 of these being new. In 2003, JSR became a registered charitable foundation and in 2006, JSR raised $86,275 for local charities plus an additional $36,000 was raised in donations for Surrogate Santa Project.
Foundation Activities
The Just Singin’ Round Foundation offers a unique monthly showcase at the Vancouver Rowing Club called the Singer/Songwriter Showcase, produces the annual event Just Push Play, organizes partnership retreats and provides mentorship for local charities involved with JSR, supports other community projects (Take It To The Street and the Surrogate Santa Project), and was involved in bringing Patch Adams to Vancouver in September 2005.
Monthly Singer/Songwriter Showcase
Occurs the first Tuesday of every month at the Vancouver Rowing Club. Prominent West Coast singer/songwriters are showcased and a different charity is featured each month. Charities work in collaboration with artisans and JSR to host events and practice communication, partnership, team building, marketing and community networking skills development.
Mentorship
JSR works in collaboration with the charities to provide mentorship opportunities specific to needs identified by each charity. As such, mentors take a leadership role with charities and work in tandem with partnership retreats and monthly showcases to assist charities in putting into practice learned skills while assisting charities to identify learning moments, opportunities of connection, organizational growth and community development.
Partnership Retreats
Twice a year, JSR facilitates partnership retreats to build understanding and trusting relationships while teaching specific concrete skills on; understanding systems, building communities, developing collaborative projects, understanding motivation, building connectedness, dealing and managing change proactively and creating sustainable funding/opportunities.
Surrogate Santa Project
JSR partners with local community agencies serving seniors, youth, single mothers and low-income families during the holiday season to help supplement basic living needs.
