Ensemble Music Oregon

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
992281043
IRS 990 coverage
2025–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2024
Location
Portland, OR, USA
Phone
5124970109
Rating
54
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Performing Arts Organizations

Reported finances

Revenue
$494,821
Expenses
$202,421
Assets
$315,041
Liabilities
$3,640

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

3 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • James Shields (President)
  • Trevor Fitzpatrick (Vice President)

Highest reported compensation

  • James Shields (President): $25,640 total reported compensation
  • Trevor Fitzpatrick (Vice President): $19,800 total reported compensation
  • Stephen Stratman (Secretary Treasurer): $12,150 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The mission of Chatter PDX is to foster community through weekly live performances that feature chamber music poetry and welcoming spaces for conversation and community. We curate events that combine artistic excellence with adventurous programming offering audiences and performers opportunities for reflection inspiration and meaningful interaction.

What it reported doing in 2025

Ensemble Music Oregon dba Chatter PDX produces and presents weekly one-hour live performing arts programs for the general public featuring classical chamber music performances integrated with live poetry readings. Programs are designed to provide accessible welcoming cultural experiences that encourage community engagement around music and literature. During FY25 Chatter PDX presented 52 weekly concerts reaching more than 6,500 attendees with an average attendance of approximately 125 patrons per concert. Ticket pricing is structured to promote accessibility with multiple tiers available to the public including reduced-price options for youth and younger patrons. In addition to its weekly concert series the organization conducted several fee-for-service program activities that further advance its exempt purpose including participation in music education initiatives performance residencies and presentations at regional arts events. Examples include Clarinetlandia a program featuring performances and masterclasses performances for the Oregon Bach Festival Composers Symposium and featured concerts at Concerts at the Barn in Beaverton Oregon. Program service revenue is derived from ticket sales and performance fees all of which are earned directly in connection with delivering these program activities. These services further the organizations mission by providing inclusive chamber music and poetry performances in environments that foster conversation learning and community connection.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 70% 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

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and revenue comfortably covers expenses. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of voting board members are independent.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 45
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 9
  • Sustainability: 65
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 29.1%; rating input score 29
  • Program expense ratio: 69.8%; rating input score 70
  • Fundraising efficiency: $19.38 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th 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: 0%; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 2 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 22
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 59.1%; rating input score 93; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.56; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 28.5%; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: Limited
  • Revenue growth: 161.9% per year; rating input score 100; 100th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 185% per year; rating input score 100; 100th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 29.1% of revenue deployed · 69.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 0 of 3 board members independent · 2 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $141K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $26K · 3 people listed
  • Consistency: 42 of 42 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 6 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: Mission deployment rate scored 29/100.
  • High — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 0/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 6 of 8 not reported.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 54/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 53/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 12/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 38/100.