Detroit Opera

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
382052726
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Detroit, MI, USA
Phone
3139613500
Rating
85
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Performing Arts Centers

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$15,434,434
Expenses
$21,001,418
Assets
$46,843,503
Liabilities
$12,204,506

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

Leadership & pay

46 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MS PATTY ISACSON SABEE (PRESIDENT & CEO (SEE SCHEDULE O))
  • WAYNE BROWN (FORMER CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)

Highest reported compensation

  • MS PATTY ISACSON SABEE (PRESIDENT & CEO (SEE SCHEDULE O)): $406,243 total reported compensation
  • YUVAL SHARON (DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION): $233,564 total reported compensation
  • CHRISTINE HOLLOWAY (ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR): $178,904 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Detroit opera's mission is to present groundbreaking, globally recognized opera, dance, and musical theater; expand access to the arts through community engagement; cultivate emerging artists and young audiences through education and training; and sustain a permanent home for the performing arts through the preservation and operation of the historic detroit opera house.

What it reported doing in 2024

Community engagement programs through a wide array of events both in and outside of the detroit opera house.educational programs and engagements both in schools, community spaces, and at the detroit opera house. Over 15,000 individuals served through outreach and educational activities in 2025, almost 10,000 of those being students.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
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.

The verdict

STRONG - 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 expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 85
  • Transparency & Controls: 84
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 32
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 81.7%; rating input score 82
  • Fundraising efficiency: $4.01 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • 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; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • 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: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -36.1%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.23; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.26; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 5.3%; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 5.5% per year; rating input score 100; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 2.3% per year; rating input score 100; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -0.9% per year; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 81.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 41 of 41 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $17.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $406K · 46 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 4 contractors listed · $2M reported
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 5 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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 — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 2/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 48/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 51/100.