Kansas City Jazz Orchestra

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
320070205
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2011
Location
Kansas City, MO, USA
Phone
8162254949
Rating
76
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Music

Reported finances

Revenue
$557,133
Expenses
$520,902
Assets
$125,539
Liabilities
$17,586

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

Leadership & pay

13 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Alyssa Bell Jackson (Executive Director)
  • Brian Johnston (Board President)
  • Lee Brumitt (Vice President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Alyssa Bell Jackson (Executive Director): $71,845 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 Kansas City Jazz Orchestra is dedicated to promoting the rich culture of Kansas City through performance and education. We strive to be a leading voice, ensuring that Kansas City's influential jazz tradition continues to thrive and evolve.

What it reported doing in 2024

The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra (KCJO) continued its steady evolution during the 2024-2025 season, building on more than two decades of artistic growth while clarifying its mission, organizational structure, and long-term sustainability. Founded in 2003 by retired attorney Gene Hall, along with jazz musician and educator Jim Mair and his wife Mary, KCJO was created to preserve, perform, and advance the Kansas City jazz tradition through large-ensemble performance and education. Gene Hall, whose vision and leadership were instrumental in the organization's founding and early success, passed away in 2024. His commitment to Kansas City's cultural life continues to guide the organization's work. KCJO's 20th anniversary season marked a significant inflection point for the organization. Anniversary performances at the Folly Theater featuring Marilyn Maye, who appeared at the Orchestra's inaugural concert in November 2003, brought together longtime supporters, original ensemble members, and new audiences. These performances coincided with a comprehensive rebranding effort and prompted a period of strategic assessment focused on financial sustainability, public awareness, and internal operations. Collectively, these efforts reflect KCJO's transition from anniversary reflection to forward-looking implementation. The 2024-2025 season positioned the organization for continued artistic excellence, improved financial health, expanded educational reach, and sustained community impact.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
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 - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 67
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 74
  • Sustainability: 36
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 64.6%; rating input score 65
  • Program expense ratio: 68.4%; rating input score 68
  • Fundraising efficiency: $49.29 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • 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: 6.5%; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.24; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.14; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 13.8%; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 0.8% per year; rating input score 100; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 4.2% per year; rating input score 100; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 0.1% per year; rating input score 100; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 64.6% of revenue deployed · 68.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 12 of 12 board members independent · 3 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $356K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $72K · 13 people listed
  • Consistency: 45 of 45 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2012 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 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 — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 11/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 54/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 26/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 37/100.