Sarasota Orchestra

What it reported doing in 2024

For over 65 years, Sarasota Orchestra has sponsored a Youth Orchestra Program that currently consists of eight orchestras: five string orchestras, one wind band, and two symphonic orchestras. The Sarasota Youth Orchestras meet once a week from September through April and present six concerts that are free to the public. 54% of the Sarasota Youth Orchestras' students were supported by scholarship assistance. Sarasota Orchestra also presents a Summer Music Camp for two weeks each July. Sarasota Orchestra's Summer Music Camp supports "true beginners," enabling aspiring musicians as young as eight years old to learn how to play an instrument with no prior experience. To ensure all students have access to music instruction and educational programs, Sarasota Orchestra provides scholarships for participation in Sarasota Youth Orchestras and Summer Music Camp, as well as private lesson, summer camps, and college scholarships. Students also have the opportunity to borrow instruments from the orchestra. Other education programs include the Young Person's Concert, which engages more than 9,000 fourth- and fifth- graders from Sarasota and Manatee County schools. The program includes an in-school preparation curriculum guide and culminates in a concert by Sarasota Orchestra held at a professional concert venue. The curriculum for the Young Person's Concert aligns with the Florida and National Education Standards. The Young Person's Concerts were cancelled due to hurricanes and the program will be performed in fall 2025. Other outreach programs include orchestra musicians performing and coaching in local schools and other community venues. In a regular season, the total number of children and family members served by Sarasota Orchestra's educational programming exceeds 15,000.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 32.3%; rating input score 32
• Program expense ratio: 76.5%; rating input score 77
• Fundraising efficiency: $14.49 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Pass
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
• 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: 62.5%; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 7.1; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 4.5%; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 4.9% per year; rating input score 100; 41st percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 15.5% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 19.5% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings