Essex Winter Series Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
060991889
IRS 990-EZ coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990-EZ 2025
Location
Essex, CT, USA
Phone
8602724572
Rating
85
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Music

Reported finances

Revenue
$129,586
Expenses
$123,703
Assets
$170,579

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

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • SUSAN GUERNSEY (President)

People named in this filing

  • SUSAN GUERNSEY (President)
  • CINDY LOEFFLER (Trustee)
  • HANS ULLSTEIN (Trustee)

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

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

Overview

Mission

The mission of Essex Winter Series is to bring the finest musical performances to the widest and most culturally, economically, and socially diverse audience possible in the Connecticut River Valley and Shoreline Region during the winter months.

What it reported doing in 2025

The organization normally holds four concerts each year, attended by approximately 300-400 patrons per event, and when possible, holds post-concert receptions for contributors to meet the artists. In addition, the organization provides outreach programs such as virtual or in-person preformances at senior community centers or other common areas for those unable to attend concert halls. The organization also provides music enrichment programs for 10 to 12 middlesex and new london county grade schools and at least one master class which is made avialable for the general public at no cost. Lastly, for deserving students studying music at the college level, the organization awards an annual scholarship to help support students during their four years of undergraduate study.

Operating model

Revenue model
Cannot be determined from the filing. The filing does not provide enough consistent revenue detail to tell how this nonprofit funds its work.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 98% 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 - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Expenses are high relative to revenue and reported officer compensation is a large share of total spending, which may reflect staffing concentration.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 76
  • Transparency & Controls: 100
  • Sustainability: 41
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 75.1%; rating input score 75
  • Program expense ratio: 78.7%; rating input score 79

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 4.5%; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.38; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
  • Officer compensation ratio: 40%; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.3% per year; rating input score 100; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 0.3% per year; rating input score 100; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 4.7% per year; rating input score 100; 42nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 75.1% of revenue deployed · 78.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: Filed governance answers
  • Accomplishments: 1 filed program accomplishment · $97K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 9 people listed
  • Consistency: 8 of 8 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 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.

  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 43/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 8/100.