Allentown Symphony Association Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

The allentown symphony association operates the region's only professional symphonic orchestra, owns/operates historic miller symphony hall in downtown allentown, pa, and has a tradition of bringing internationally renowned guest artists and innovative programming to audiences in the lehigh valley and surrounding region. The allentown symphony orchestra, whose 74 classically trained musicians are drawn from Pennsylvania and four surrounding states has risen to high standards of artistic excellence under music director diane wittry during 30 seasons to-date. The allentown symphony association is one of the smallest budget orchestras in the united states that owns and operates its own performance venue, historic miller symphony hall. Since the early 2000's the symphony has funded a series of capital improvements, at a cost of more than 12 million, beginning with the fowler education wing, which provided the 1899 -era theater with much needed backstage space and renovated existing spaces in the building. Miller symphony hall offers three performance spaces and facilities that can be rented to the public for meetings, conferences, and special events. During the 2024-2025 season, the allentown symphony association presented 18 allentown symphony orchestra (aso) classical and pops concerts, five aso youth & family performances for children and families, 12 jazz upstairs performances; eight met in hd broadcasts; and a variety of other programs, including two new chamber music series concerts as part of its composer- in-residence program. It also rented miller symphony hall to external organizations and individuals for meetings, performances, and private events. This included two performances of repertory dance theatre's nutcracker who featured the aso in their presentation. The allentown symphony association's educational programs are vital to its mission. El sistema lehigh valley, the daily afterschool string instrument education program, serves about 130 students annually who hail from more than 20 lehigh valley schools. Group lessons were held after school for the majority of the program's students at roosevelt elementary school and sheridan elementary school, while students attending raub middle school had lessons 1-2 days per week during the school day. The symphony's youth and family concerts and young musicians string festival welcomed thousands of youth and families to miller symphony hall. The allentown symphony orchestra's composer-in-residence program continued with two new chamber music series concerts held at moravian university and the rodale room at miller symphony hall. The symphony ball, which raises funding for these education programs, was held in september 2024 and raised a new record amount of revenue for the organization.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 80.6%; rating input score 81
• Program expense ratio: 84.8%; rating input score 85
• Fundraising efficiency: $19.94 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 6.8%; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.53; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.06; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 6.7%; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 2.8% per year; rating input score 100; 26th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 3.2% per year; rating input score 100; 28th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 1% per year; rating input score 100; 15th percentile among comparable filings