Phoenix Symphony Association

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
866000134
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Phoenix, AZ, USA
Phone
6024951117
Rating
76
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Symphony Orchestras

Reported finances

Revenue
$12,345,711
Expenses
$14,357,124
Assets
$4,985,414
Liabilities
$4,720,824

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

Leadership & pay

35 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • PETER KJOME (PRESIDENT/CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • PETER KJOME (PRESIDENT/CEO): $325,100 total reported compensation
  • TAMELA ROCKER (SVP & CHIEF ADVANCEMENT OFFICER): $154,888 total reported compensation
  • CHRISTOPHER POWELL (VP OF OPERATIONS & ARTISTIC PLANNING): $145,766 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To provide extraordinary musical experiences that inspire and advance our community, enriching the lives of people of all ages and backgrounds

What it reported doing in 2024

The symphony aspires to perform live symphonic music of excellence, beauty, and vitality at a consistently high level and to address the needs of communities throughout the valley, meeting their needs through music-based programs. Concerts follow a selection of seasonal programs classics, pops, and special presentations; designed to attract a diverse audience.in addition to our mainstage concerts, the phoenix symphony learning institute operates a varied group of programs that reach over 125,000 students, adults, and families every year. Programs cover many other activities, including school-based concerts, and a professional development model to (continued on schedule o) teachers and symphony musicians in how to teach and assess stem concepts through music. Our health & wellness initiative provides live, interactive performances presented by symphony musicians in healthcare settings and homeless outreach centers.the orchestra participates in collaborative efforts with organizations such as ballet Arizona, az science center, Arizona theatre company, heard museum, phoenix art museum, phoenix bach choir and boys choir, and Arizona state university.

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 - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 71
  • Transparency & Controls: 76
  • Accountability: 94
  • Sustainability: 10
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 81.6%; rating input score 82
  • Program expense ratio: 70%; rating input score 70
  • Fundraising efficiency: $5.2 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.8%; rating input score 94; 17th 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: 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: No; rating input score 0

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 90%; rating input score 90; 22nd 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: -16.3%; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.35; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.95; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 7.8%; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 0.9% per year; rating input score 100; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 1% per year; rating input score 100; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 8.3% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 81.6% of revenue deployed · 70% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 27 of 30 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $10.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $325K · 35 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $986K reported
  • Consistency: 31 of 32 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 11 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.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 21/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 6/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Related-party transparency scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 9/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 8/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Schedule R controlled transactions itemized did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 31/100.