Princeton Symphony Orchestra Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

Education - activities included 68 classroom visits, a "listen-up" workshop, and 2 "schoolday" concerts. Pso's partnership with yocj continued, with in-person rehearsals with pso's assistant conductor. Pso musicians ran sectionals and masterclasses. These coachings were also offered to gpyo for the first time. Activities with the princeton festival included an instrument petting zoo and a series of opera workshops titled "music that tells a story" total live audience: 11,537. Princeton symphony orchestra (pso) has a dynamic impact on the lives and education of children, including underserved and disadvantaged youth. The acclaimed education program bravo! Is a mainstay of pso activities, reaching more than 10,000 students annually. Now in its 30th year, bravo!'s touring small-ensemble program establishes pso musicians in teaching partnerships at more than 30 public, private, and special-needs elementary schools throughout central New Jersey. Full-orchestra performances for elementary school students are held each spring. At the middle school level, bravo! Offers listen up!, a program which brings students to classical series concerts and invites them to create visual art in response to the music they hear. High school and college instrumentalists gain invaluable educational experiences through bravo! Masterclasses, taught by world-renowned artists. Since fy21, the pso has a partnership with the youth orchestra of central jersey (yocj) in which the pso's assistant conductor leads yocj's top ensemble, and pso musicians work closely with students as professional mentors. Mentorship by pso musicians was extended to students of the greater princeton youth orchestra (gpyo) for the first time in fy25. From kindergarten through college, bravo! Inspires the next generation of musicians and audiences. Pso soundtracks is a lecture series which offers insights about what goes into orchestrating a concert by a professional symphony. The series delves into diverse topics related to the music that the pso performs and what happens behind the scenes: everything from who chooses the music, to how individual musicians and sections shape the sound of the orchestra, to the stories behind the beautiful and often rare instruments owned and maintained by members of the pso. Lectures are held at the princeton public library, and are free and open to the public.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 75.4%; rating input score 75
• Program expense ratio: 83%; rating input score 83
• Fundraising efficiency: $14.45 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Pass
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• 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: Pass
  • 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: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 9.8%; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.79; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.09; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 8.9%; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 14.8% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 9.4% per year; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 11.2% per year; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings