There’s truly no other experience like great music played by a large group of performers, all working to create something beautiful together by combining their talents and skills.
Today, nonprofit youth symphonies and choirs provide young musicians and vocalists with a place to discover a lifelong love of music, grow their skills with their chosen instrument, learn to work together as a creative team, and discover the joy of sharing their talent with the world.
No two organizations are exactly alike — each one has a unique mission, way of doing things, and risks that come with those. That means each one has their own unique needs when it comes to their insurance.
So, what do nonprofit youth symphonies and choirs need most from their insurance?
Meet some nonprofit youth symphonies and choirs.
We talked with some NIA-insured nonprofit youth symphonies and choirs about how their missions, operations, and communities they serve help them identify what they need most from their insurance coverage.
In their own words…
KidSingers (Santa Ana, CA)
“KidSingers is a nonprofit afterschool choir program empowering youth in grades 3-12 through music education.
We build confidence, creativity, and leadership while keeping kids engaged and away from gangs, drugs, and violence. Through song, they find their voice — and a path to a brighter future.
KidSingers’ offers programs that include:
Afterschool Choir Programs: Weekly rehearsals for students in grades 3-12, grouped by age and experience level. We teach healthy vocal technique, music literacy, and performance skills — all while helping kids build confidence and boost self-esteem.
Performances: Opportunities to perform at community events, concerts, and special venues — like Angel Stadium.
Scholarships: We do college scholarships for graduating seniors to support their continued education and long-term success.”
— Itsai Casillas Soriano, Program Manager, KidSingers
KeyNote (San Diego, CA)
“KeyNote instills excellence in musical achievement and personal growth through rigorous and inspiring music education experiences.
We provide music education to students and families in the following programs: ChIMES (ages 0-5), Music Discovery (ages 5-7), and the San Diego Youth Symphony (ages 7-18).
We also provide music education in schools and communities in the following programs: KeyNote Connect (short-term program incubators in communities throughout San Diego county) and the Community Opus Project (an El Sistema-inspired, long-term strategy to reintroduce music education in school districts).”
— Sean Laperruque, Business Office Manager, KeyNote
Vivace Youth Chorus of San José (San Jose, CA)
“Vivace Youth Chorus’ mission is to empower young singers to discover their spirit of creativity, compassion, and collaboration through the beauty of song.
We provide after-school choral music education to students ages 6-18 in the greater San José area, giving youth the opportunity to experience choral music education in an inclusive and nurturing environment that fosters community, confidence, and artistic growth, enhancing awareness of participants’ cultures and shared human experience.”
— Kristina Nakagawa, Executive Artistic Director, Vivace Youth Chorus of San José
What did these nonprofit youth symphonies and choirs need most from their insurer?
Broad coverage staff and participant safety.
“Our nonprofit’s most important need when looking for insurance coverage was protecting our youth, staff, and volunteers during rehearsals, performances, and transportation.
We needed comprehensive liability coverage to ensure everyone’s safety, while also meeting venue and partner requirements — so we could focus on making music and changing lives.”
— Itsai Casillas Soriano, KidSingers
Stable coverage that won’t drop unexpectedly.
“Coverage itself — stable coverage. We’d had a series of poorly or unexplained coverage drops over the past few years. Price and dividends are also important factors for us.”
— Sean Laperruque, KeyNote
Coverage for youth-related mission work.
“We needed coverage for events, venues, and the ability to address the needs of organizations that serve youth.”
— Kristina Nakagawa, Vivace Youth Chorus of San José
How did these community youth symphonies and choirs hear about NIA?
An online search.
“When we were searching for an insurance provider, we found NIA through Google Search.”
— Itsai Casillas Soriano, KidSingers
A relationship that’s lasted for decades.
“We have had NIA coverage for literally decades. Our relationship started well before I started working here — so I truly do not know how we first learned of NIA.”
— Sean Laperruque, KeyNote
A longtime partnership.
“We are a long-standing customer of NIA.”
— Kristina Nakagawa, Vivace Youth Chorus of San José
Since becoming an NIA member, how has that relationship helped these youth symphonies and choirs?
Peace of mind, proper coverage, and access to resources.
“We appreciate NIA’s deep understanding of nonprofits’ needs — especially those working with youth. Their team is responsive, knowledgeable, and genuinely supportive.
One key benefit has been the peace of mind knowing we’re properly covered, plus access to risk management resources that help us create a safer, more secure environment for our kids.”
— Itsai Casillas Soriano, KidSingers
Quick response times and valuable resources.
“We have trusted NIA with our liability insurance needs for decades. They always seem to be best-in-class for our kind of nonprofit.
NIA’s Claims staff are lightning-fast to respond with information and advice. Our broker is lightning-fast to respond to Certificate of Insurance requests.
We get a host of free or discounted resources, some of which are very useful to us: We take advantage of the free, biennial supervisor harassment prevention trainings. I find those to be freshly updated every two years, and really helpful for me understanding recent developments in the law behind the issues presented. We’ve also looked into using the BOARDnetWORK platform.
I think those two, plus the discounted screening and free labor consultations, are worth me recommending NIA to a different nonprofit for which I’m a board member.”
— Sean Laperruque, KeyNote
Easy, clear coverage, coupled with quick assistance.
“With NIA, we appreciate the ease of use, clarity of coverage, and our ability to quickly get access to assistance.”
— Kristina Nakagawa, Vivace Youth Chorus of San José
Nonprofit youth symphonies and choirs deserve insurance that hits all the right notes.
Why do nonprofit youth symphonies and choirs choose to get their insurance coverage from NIA?
It’s simple: They want quality coverage, that fits the unique needs of their mission-related work, at a price they can afford.
With NIA as your nonprofit’s insurance provider, you can be confident that you’re getting quality coverage, at a fair and equitable price, from a team that understands nonprofits — and the unique risks that come with running them.
It’s challenging enough trying to get a roomful of boisterous kids to focus, work together, and ready to perform music — you shouldn’t have to worry about your insurance, too.
