Pocono Mountains Music Festival

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
271440062
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Cresco, PA, USA
Phone
5706160317
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Arts, Culture, and Humanities

Reported finances

Revenue
$238,029
Expenses
$232,807
Assets
$165,744
Liabilities
$64,583

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

Leadership & pay

20 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • TOM JOHANTGEN (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • ROSEMARIE HELMBRECHT (PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • DAVID S MAZZA (FOUNDER)
  • LYNN A BALL (BOARD MEMBER)
  • BARBARA ANDRES (BOARD MEMBER)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

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

Overview

Mission

The mission of the pocono mountains music festival (the "festival") together with its performing arts camp is to engage world class talent from all musical genres to entertain, enrich, and educate. The festival was founded in 2009 as the buck hill skytop music festival to offer musical and educational programming as a unique cultural resource for the northeast Pennsylvania region. It showcases seasoned professional and up-and-coming performers in various disciplines including cabaret, jazz, dance, chamber music, pop, country, and musical theatre. The intimate performance venues allow audiences unparalleled access to world renowned musicians. The festival's tuition-free performing arts camp experience (the "camp") and other educational programs offer local students the opportunity to study and perform with music and theater professionals.

What it reported doing in 2024

Performing arts camp: the festival includes a two week tuition -free performing arts camp for high school students and is held in late july as part of the festival. The highlight of every season is our "camp showcase" on the friday evening at the close of camp. Our new camp director, kelli rabke, an acclaimed broadway performer, along with her team of five instructors teach the students to sing, dance, and perform musical theater.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 75% 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

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Program spending has declined or grown slowly and revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 84
  • Transparency & Controls: 86
  • Accountability: 94
  • Sustainability: 40
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 86.4%; rating input score 86
  • Program expense ratio: 88.4%; rating input score 88
  • Fundraising efficiency: $23.49 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 19th 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: 6 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 86
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 2.2%; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.71; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.39; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -1.5% per year; rating input score 0; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -2.7% per year; rating input score 0; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -4.2% per year; rating input score 0; 12th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 86.4% of revenue deployed · 88.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 20 of 20 board members independent · 6 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $206K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 20 people listed
  • Consistency: 23 of 24 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • 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 — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 45/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 32/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 13/100.