Harmonic South String Orchestra Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
812758334
IRS 990-EZ coverage
2020–2023
Forms available
Form 990-EZ 2023
Location
Memphis, TN, USA
Phone
9019497537
Rating
94
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Arts Education

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$73,614
Expenses
$153,955
Assets
$65,394
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2023. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Michelle Mason Johnson (CEO)

People named in this filing

  • CARL EVERETT JOHNSON JR (COO)
  • ALISON TURNER (DIRECTOR, CHAIR)
  • JB SMILEY JR (DIRECTOR)

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 2023. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Harmonic South String Orchestra, Inc. provides string orchestral music instruction and free or low-cost performance opportunities to youth in underserved (typically minority) communities.

What it reported doing in 2023

Harmonic South String Orchestra (HSSO) is a music education and performing arts organization currently serving Memphis youth ages 5-18. With a special emphasis on South Memphis, HSSO teaches children who might otherwise have no opportunity for string orchestra lessons to play string instruments, and to appreciate a wider range of music and cultural experiences and exposure than their individual families or neighborhoods might provide. In addition to providing fun and enjoyment, the experience of learning, practicing and performing music instills confidence and teaches life skills that help the students in school and beyond. Their participation in recitals, Fall and Spring concerts and other music performances benefits not only the students themselves, but also the families and communities who might otherwise have limited exposure to live orchestral music.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 99% 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.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 100
  • Transparency & Controls: 100
  • Sustainability: 20
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 99.4%; rating input score 99

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -109.1%; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.42; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 22%; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 42.5% per year; rating input score 100; 90th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -2.7% per year; rating input score 0; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 1.3% per year; rating input score 100; 44th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 99.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: Filed governance answers
  • Accomplishments: 1 filed program accomplishment · $153K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 10 people listed
  • Consistency: 9 of 9 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2020 to 2023
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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 — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 8/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 26/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 7/100.