Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
942848318
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2022, Form 990-N 2007
Location
San Francisco, CA, USA
Phone
4152521288
Rating
68
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Symphony Orchestras

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$5,109,247
Expenses
$3,131,943
Assets
$6,237,661
Liabilities
$1,168,038

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

Leadership & pay

18 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • CHARLOTTE GAYLORD (Vice President)
  • DIDIER LEGALL (Vice President)
  • ANNE KATZ (President)

Highest reported compensation

  • SHARON DOLAN (INTERIM ED): $225,974 total reported compensation
  • MARCY K DELISLE (CFO): $138,501 total reported compensation
  • ISAAC H BUNCH (GENERAL MANAGER): $121,391 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

See mission statement starting on page 1 and continuing on schedule o

What it reported doing in 2024

ARTISTIC PROGRAMMINGThe Philharmonia Board and staff remain committed to sustaining the legacy of this 44-year-old institution while addressing changing audience needs. Post-pandemic, the organization has regained its subscription base and is in the midst of diversifying its constituents. After a season featuring four Music Director candidates, Peter Whelan was recently announced as Philharmonias new Music Director.Season HighlightsOctober 2024: Music Director Candidate Exploration Guest conductor Grete Pederson led a diverse program spanning medieval to classical periods, featuring works by Hildegard von Bingen, Caroline Shaw, Haydn, Mozart, and Mendelssohn, showcasing the ensemble's versatility.November 2024: Vivaldi and Jews & Music Celebrated the 300th anniversary of Vivaldi's Four Seasons with mandolin soloist Avi Avital. The orchestra expanded its reach through a successful Southern California tour, performing at the Soka Performing Arts Center, Granada Theatre in Santa Barbara, and The Soraya in Los Angeles.December 2024: Bach Christmas Led by guest conductor Ruben Valenzuela, the ensemble demonstrated professional flexibility when soprano Sherezade Panthaki was replaced by tenor Nicholas Phan due to family tragedy, while maintaining high artistic standards in beloved Bach Advent cantatas.January 2025: Innovative SESSIONS Series A sold-out intercultural performance at San Francisco Conservatory featured sitarist Arjun Verma and Composer in Residence Tarik O'Regan, pushing artistic boundaries beyond traditional classical expectations. The month also included a Side-by-Side educational workshop with conservatory students focusing on J.S. Bach arias performed on period instruments.March 2025: Handel's Theatrical Vision Under guest conductor Peter Whelan, the orchestra explored Handel's Alceste as a multimedia extravaganza, featuring soloists Lauren Snouffer and Aaron Sheehan with the Philharmonia Chorale, demonstrating the dramatic potential of Baroque opera.April 2025: French Baroque Dance Music Guest conductor Avi Stein led a vibrant program celebrating Baroque dance and theatrical music, including Rebel's "Les caractres de la danse," Bach's Orchestral Suite No. 3, Handel's Concerto Grosso Op. 6 No. 10, and Rameau's theatrical suites from various operas.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 88% 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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 43
  • Transparency & Controls: 74
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 67
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 36.5%; rating input score 37
  • Program expense ratio: 57.7%; rating input score 58
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.5 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • 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: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • 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: 38.7%; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.99; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.19; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 16.4%; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.9% per year; rating input score 100; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 0.2% per year; rating input score 100; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3.5% per year; rating input score 100; 27th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 36.5% of revenue deployed · 57.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 13 of 13 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 5 filed program accomplishments · $1.8M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $226K · 18 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2012 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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 — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 37/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 58/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 24/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 17/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 46/100.