Founded in 1979, Swallow Hill Music (SHM, Swallow Hill) is a Denver-based 501(c)(3) organization that strives to positively impact the quality of people’s lives through music. SHM operates a music school and three performance venues at its Broadway & Yale location, and produces outreach activities and community events throughout the Denver metro region as an SCFD-funded Tier II organization with a $6 Million annual budget.

Swallow Hill is a nationally-revered hub for concerts, classes, and community, and is a recipient of both the Mayor’s and the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, and an inductee of the Colorado Music Hall of Fame and Folk Alliance International’s Business Lifetime Achievement awards.

With more than 150,000 musical connections made each year, Swallow Hill Music brings a new energy to the Denver metro area with programming that builds a community of music listeners and learners that are connecting to music in fresh and innovative ways.

The Board of Directors

The Swallow Hill Music Board of Directors comprises leaders from the nonprofit and for-profit sector who are dedicated to the organization’s mission. Our board members champion the ability to be recognized as a community leader for accessible discovery and appreciation of music, and build community through music performance, education, and outreach. 

In addition to the standard roles and responsibilities of a board member, our board members are active advocates and ambassadors for the organization and are fully engaged in identifying and securing the financial resources and partnerships necessary for Swallow Hill Music to advance its mission.

What you’ll be up to

Serving on the Swallow Hill Music Board of Directors is an extraordinary opportunity for an individual who is passionate about positively impacting the quality of people’s lives through music. Board members are expected to:

• Attend a minimum of 9 board meetings and the annual retreat each year. Meetings are every month, and alternate between in-person and virtual. They are expected to read board materials in advance of board meetings and to come prepared to ask questions and participate in discussions.
• Serve on one or more committees of the board and to actively participate in committee work. We currently have one active committee (Finance), and will be adding more in the next year.
• Play an active role in securing the financial resources necessary for Swallow Hill Music to achieve its mission. Board members are expected to leverage personal relationships and connections to help the development committee and staff identify and solicit potential funders, as well as directly invest in Swallow Hill Music’s work by making a personal contribution each year. Every board member is asked to contribute personally to the organization, at a level that is meaningful to them.
• Participate in at least 2 Swallow Hill Music programmatic connections throughout the year, which might include attending concerts, taking classes, participating in fundraisers, volunteering, and other mission-centric activities.
• Responsibly represent Swallow Hill Music to their respective communities and to advocate for the organization’s mission, programs, and services as appropriate.
• Have the financial acumen to read and understand financial statements and to otherwise help the board fulfill its fiduciary responsibilities. We can also provide training support for those that are honing this skill.
• Serve a board term of two years with the opportunity to serve for up to four consecutive terms.

What we’re looking for