Blue Ridge Orchestra

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
202900637
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2011
Location
Asheville, NC, USA
Phone
8287823354
Rating
64
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Symphony Orchestras

Reported finances

Revenue
$131,331
Expenses
$98,087
Assets
$116,353
Liabilities
$1,158

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DEB KENNEY (PRESIDENT)
  • FRANCEE HEALY (VICE PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • DEB KENNEY (PRESIDENT)
  • MICHELLE SUMMEY (TREASURER)
  • FRANCEE HEALY (VICE PRESIDENT)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The blue ridge orchestra is comprised of accomplished amateur, semi-professional and professional musicians who volunteer their time in an effort to make orchestral music more accessible to the community.

What it reported doing in 2024

The blue ridge orchestra held seven performances during the 2024-2025 season. Bro's volunteer musicians and locally selected soloists entertained over 1,800 patrons during its 25th anniversary season under the direction of music director dr. Emily mariko eng. Bro received grant funding from the grassroots arts program sponsored by artsavl, the North Carolina council, and the buncombe county government. The bro also received funding from the western North Carolina hurricane helene relief grant. This one time recovery allotment was provided by the North Carolina arts council, a division of the department of natural and cultural resources. One hundred percent of the grant funding was used to cover operational expenses during the 2024-2025 fiscal year. In december 2024, the bro partnered with haywood community college. In exchange for concert fees, the bro headlined their fundraising efforts. All proceeds from ticket sales benefited hcc students who were impacted by hurricane helene through the haywood strong scholarship. After hurricane helene, the bro continued to honor its mission to make music accessible by maintaining low ticket prices. On june 8th, 2025, the bro joined forces with souther williams vineyard in hendersonville, nc. This intimate bro fundraiser included a culturally inspired concert paired with globally selected wines.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Cannot be determined from the filing. The filing does not provide enough consistent spending detail to tell whether the nonprofit works directly or through others.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 49
  • Transparency & Controls: 77
  • Accountability: 64
  • Sustainability: 64
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 42.1%; rating input score 42
  • Program expense ratio: 56.4%; rating input score 56
  • Fundraising efficiency: $28.04 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 80%; rating input score 80; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • 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: 1 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 14
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 25.3%; rating input score 79; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.19; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.6% per year; rating input score 100; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 8.2% per year; rating input score 100; 67th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 10.6% per year; rating input score 100; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 42.1% of revenue deployed · 56.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 1 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 9 people listed
  • Consistency: 17 of 19 current checks pass · 2 findings to review
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 8 filing years from 2012 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 42/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 6 not reported.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 56/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Functional expense sum did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 45/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 45/100.