named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Community Partnership Concerts
Concerts that partner with local organizations such as food pantries to address social issues; proceeds support community needs like food security.
Intimate Salon Concerts
Small-scale, mission-driven performances that highlight inclusive repertoire and foster close connections between musicians and audiences, often featuring works by underrepresented composers.
PROTESTRA's "Must-Binge" List
Curated educational resources including books, podcasts, and videos that explore race, gender, and representation in music and culture.
Resources for LGBTQ+ Musicians
Compilation of funding opportunities, scholarships, and artistic programs supporting LGBTQ+ individuals in the music field.
activities · 5 groups
What they do
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Benefit Events for Arts and Culture 4 activities
- Engages in fundraising campaigns for social justice organizationsConducts crowdfunding campaigns to raise financial support for organizations such as Hour Children and Girls for Gender Equity, and sells branded merchandise to fund activism-centered concerts.
- Funds nonprofit organizations through audience donations collected at benefit concertsRaises and distributes funds to nonprofit beneficiaries through audience donations collected during benefit concerts. Has raised over $38,000 for charitable causes since September 2020, including over $3,000 for organizations supporting immigrants and refugees through its #NoBan concert.
- Hosts issue-centered benefit concerts to support social justice causesOrganizes and hosts concerts focused on social issues such as climate action, mental health awareness, trans rights, and immigrant and refugee rights, with proceeds supporting nonprofit beneficiaries and social justice initiatives. Held ten such concerts since September 2020, reaching several thousand in-person and online audience members.
- Supports community relief efforts through concert partnershipsPartners with organizations like EVLoves NYC to address food insecurity in New York City during December concerts, combining performance with community aid initiatives.
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LGBTQ+ Legal and Policy Advocacy 1 activity
- Advocates for social justice issues through public platformsAdvocates publicly for trans rights, free gender expression, artistic liberty, immigrant and refugee rights, women's rights, and climate action through its programming and public messaging.
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Arts Professional Advocacy & Equity Initiatives 1 activity
- Offers educational resources and toolkits for musicians and the publicProvides educational materials including legal rights resources for NYC gig economy musicians, curated book collections on women in music, and recommendations on media related to race, identity, and representation. Also maintains a list of funding and performance opportunities for LGBTQ+ musicians.
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Community Music Performances & Education 1 activity
- Produces classical music performances that contextualize social justice themesUses classical music as a framework to educate the public about current social justice issues through curated performances, including planning for a semi-staged opera and producing concerts such as "Community Chords: String Orchestra Music from Around the World."
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Live Music Performances & Concerts 1 activity
- Provides paid performance opportunities for artistsGenerates paid artistic work for musicians, having provided over $40,000 in compensation to more than 300 artists since September 2020 through its concert programming.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$60K
Contributions & grants$51K85%
Program service revenue$9K15%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$40K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$0
balance sheet
Total assets$39K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$36K
3 years on record · 2020–2023 · YoY revenue +22.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023
Who runs it
paid leadership · 3
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel Gray | Executive Director | 15 | $9K |
| Ian Vlahovic | Board Chair | 15 | $500 |
| Nina Liu | Board Member | 2 | $180 |
board members · 4
- Michelle Rofrano — Music and Artistic Director
- Priscilla Rinehart — Board Secretary
- Rachel Puelle Worrich — Board Member
- Tyler Hefferon — Board Treasurer
relationships · 14
Who they work with
- American Federation of Musicians Partner — Referenced as a key organization supporting musicians with advocacy and resources.
- Ben Nylander Partner — Pianist performing in PROTESTRA salon concert
- Creatives Rebuild New York Partner — Highlighted for administering the Artist Employment Program that provided salaried positions to musicians.
- EVLoves NYC Partner — Partner organization for PROTESTRA's December concerts, focused on addressing food insecurity in New York City.
- Erin Schwab Partner — Edited the curated collection of books on women in music
- Girls for Gender Equity Partner — Partner organization supported through crowdfunding campaign
- Hour Children Partner — Partner organization supported through crowdfunding campaign
- Ian Vlahović Partner — Edited the curated collection of books on women in music
- Michaela Wright Partner — Curated and compiled the book collection on women in music
- Michelle Rofrano Partner — Founder and conductor of PROTESTRA, performing in salon concert
- Sam Gray Partner — Violinist and Executive Director of PROTESTRA
- Spring Partner — Partner site through which PROTESTRA sells its merchandise.
- activist group Partner — Open to forming partnerships with activist groups interested in collaborating with PROTESTRA.
- nonprofits that provide aid to immigrants and refugees Partner — Beneficiary organizations receiving funds from PROTESTRA's #NoBan concert.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Educational Curation for Justice Awarenessmethodology: educational_curationBy curating media and literature around racial, gender, and social justice, we deepen public understanding of systemic inequities, because accessible educational content contextualizes activism and fosters informed engagement.
- Grassroots Independence Modelmethodology: grassroots_independenceBy maintaining a volunteer-driven, crowdfunded, and community-rooted operational model, we preserve independence from institutional influence and align with movement values, because authentic social change emerges from self-determined communities.
- Inclusive Classical Music Transformationmethodology: inclusive_classical_musicBy centering diversity, equity, and representation in hiring and programming, we transform classical music into a socially engaged art form, because structural inclusion enables authentic community connection and challenges historical exclusion.
- Music as a Tool for Social Changemethodology: music_as_activismBy combining classical music performances with multimedia education around social justice themes, we inspire audience engagement and advance causes, because music creates emotional resonance and shared meaning that amplifies messaging.
- Worker Empowerment through Legal Educationmethodology: worker-educationBy educating gig economy musicians on labor rights and proper worker classification, we reduce exploitation and build economic resilience, because knowledge of legal protections enables self-advocacy and collective power.