Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
650666748
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Fort Myers, FL, USA
Phone
2392771700
Rating
70
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Symphony Orchestras

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,344,262
Expenses
$2,402,566
Assets
$1,103,104
Liabilities
$1,103,104

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

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Andrew M Kurtz (President CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • Andrew M Kurtz (President CEO): $150,300 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The Gulf Coast Symphony exists to contribute to the cultural enrichment of Lee County by producing and performing a broad variety of concerts and creating a diverse innovative and balanced program of performances events community and education projects which reaches the widest possible public. The Gulf Coast Symphony is recognized for its high-quality symphonic performances and its history of active community engagement and education.

What it reported doing in 2024

The Gulf Coast Symphony is dedicated to fostering the appreciation and growth of symphonic music within the community through a diverse range of concerts including classical pops and family education performances. Furthermore the Symphony is deeply invested in supporting emerging artists by showcasing them as soloists in concerts and recitals providing a platform for their professional development. In the FY25 season the Gulf Coast Symphony showcased its musical prowess through a total of 16 captivating concerts at the prestigious Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall. Highlights of the season included iconic performances such as the enchanting Nutcracker in collaboration with the Gulfshore Ballet the festive Deck the Halls concert featuring the Fort Myers Symphonic Mastersingers and a spectacular production of West Side Story. Moreover the Symphony marked its fifth year of successful programming at the Music & Art Community Center MACC which opened its doors in January 2021 enriching the cultural landscape of the region. At the MACC the Gulf Coast Symphony continued to enrich the community with a diverse array of performances including 8 orchestra concerts with two performances of each show 4 musical productions spanning performances an engaging Jazz Series comprising 8 shows and a captivating chamber music series featuring 4 performances. We also did a series of Singer-Songwriter presentations. Additionally the Symphony delighted audiences with 3 Latin music shows 3 unique MACC presentations a performance with Jeffrey Steele as part of the Island Hopper 2 special performances in the community further solidifying its position as a cultural cornerstone in the region. We also presented two sensory friendly concerts in the fall and spring. Notably the MACC is proudly the home of Candlelight Fort Myers hosting a total of 74 shows that captivated and inspired audiences throughout the season. In its unwavering commitment to music education the Gulf Coast Symphony offered a comprehensive range of educational programs including the MusicWorks! afterschool initiative and a dynamic High & Middle School Jazz Ensemble. The Symphony also successfully conducted its second series of summer camps providing enriching programs in beginning strings Jazz orchestra and musical theater over a span of 6 weeks. Furthermore the Symphony actively engaged with the community by participating in events such as the opening night of ArtFest in downtown Fort Myers at the Caloosa Sound Shell as well as conducting an outreach show on Sanibel extending the reach of symphonic music to diverse audiences. In total the Symphony as an organization presented 196 performances this season.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 71% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
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 - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of voting board members are independent and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 80
  • Transparency & Controls: 80
  • Accountability: 41
  • Sustainability: 22
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 78.8%; rating input score 79
  • Program expense ratio: 76.9%; rating input score 77
  • Fundraising efficiency: $172.42 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 92.3%; rating input score 92; 10th 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: 16.7%; rating input score 17; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -2.5%; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.46; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 1; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 6.3%; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 11.6% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 9.9% per year; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 28.1% per year; rating input score 100; 92nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 78.8% of revenue deployed · 76.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 1 of 6 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $1.8M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $150K · 6 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 41 of 42 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2020 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 17/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 25/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 16/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 5/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 45/100.