Conspirare Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
742611315
IRS 990 coverage
2018–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Austin, TX, USA
Phone
5124765775
Rating
76
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Singing, Choral

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,778,585
Expenses
$1,980,200
Assets
$458,613
Liabilities
$160,796

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

Leadership & pay

19 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • CRAIG JOHNSON (ARTISTIC DIRECTOR): $132,348 total reported compensation
  • ANN MCNAIR (MANAGING DIRECTOR): $105,760 total reported compensation
  • ROBERT HARLAN (VICE CHAIR): $22,355 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Inspired by the power of music to change lives, conspirare is a grammy-winning choir and nonprofit performing arts organization that believes in the power of music to change lives, inspire peace, and foster belonging. Conspirare, under the direction of craig hella johnson, engages a nationwide roster of singers to present an annual concert season of choral music that includes concerts in austin, Texas and free livestream offerings. Conspirare tours regionally and nationally. Conspirare also produces recordings that are distributed internationally as cds and streaming albums. In addition, conspirare provides free community events including the big sing and collaborates wtih schools and other ogranizations to provide master classes and sessions with artistic director craig hella johnson and the conspirare artists.

What it reported doing in 2024

Established in austin, Texas in 1991, conspirare is a grammy-winning choir and nonprofit arts organization. Conspirare is an internationally recognized choir with a reputation for "expanding the boundaries of choral performance" (wall street journal). Conspirare, which translates from latin as "to breathe together," is led by founder and artistic director craig hella johnson, and is comprised of soloists from around the country. Conspirare presents an annual season and tours regionally, nationally, and internationally. Conspirare's extensive discography includes 17 internationally released albums on harmonia mundi (pias), delos and outhere and 19 self-produced conspirare christmas albums. The the sacred spirit of russia won the 2015 grammy for best choral performance and conspirare albums have received a total of twelve grammy nominations. In addition to the grammy-winning chamber choir, the organization also includes the conspirare symphonic choir. Conspirare provides outreach through programs including the big sing, on-campus masterclasses for high school choirs and their directors and concert-related offerings.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 72% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 71
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 88
  • Sustainability: 16
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 80.9%; rating input score 81
  • Program expense ratio: 74.3%; rating input score 74
  • Fundraising efficiency: $4.6 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: 88.2%; rating input score 88; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -11.3%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.23; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.35; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 14.1%; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 0.4% per year; rating input score 100; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -2.4% per year; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -6.1% per year; rating input score 0; 5th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 80.9% of revenue deployed · 74.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 15 of 17 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $132K · 19 people listed
  • Consistency: 37 of 37 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2018 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 9 filed money-flow records
  • 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.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 16/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 15/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 11/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 22/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 25/100.