El Sistema Colorado

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
920312087
IRS 990 coverage
2022–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Denver, CO, USA
Phone
9549371335
Rating
79
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Music

Reported finances

Revenue
$846,504
Expenses
$737,347
Assets
$855,601
Liabilities
$59,093

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

Leadership & pay

11 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MARIA IRIVARREN (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • INGRID LARRAGOITY (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • INGRID LARRAGOITY (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $89,957 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

El sistema Colorado is a tuition-free, excellence-driven, and opportunity-focused youth orchestra program that develops musical and personal agency, transcends socioeconomics, and strengthens community.

What it reported doing in 2024

The mission of el sistema Colorado lies at the intersection of music and social justice. Esc exists to break down the barriers to music by creating access for youth to an immersive, culturally responsive education. Programming is completely free and prioritizes low-income families and students from historically marginalized communities from pre-k to grade 12 (ages 3-18). Our curtis park music center is a bastion of socioeconomic and cultural access to music education in one of the most rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods in the country: instruments, ensemble classes, private lessons, and impactful musical experiences are provided to our students at absolutely no cost in a space where they are valued and empowered to be themselves. Students receive 2-7 hours of music instruction per week and we currently serve over 270 students.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 83% 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 - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 66
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 55
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 65.7%; rating input score 66
  • Program expense ratio: 75.4%; rating input score 75
  • Fundraising efficiency: $10.96 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 41; 41st 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: 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: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 12.9%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.16; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.07; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 12.2%; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 24.1% per year; rating input score 100; 86th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -5.9% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 21.2% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 65.7% of revenue deployed · 75.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 10 of 10 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $556K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $90K · 11 people listed
  • Consistency: 30 of 30 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 3 filing years from 2022 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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: Fundraising efficiency scored 41/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: CEO compensation review process not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 47/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 30/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 48/100.