Santa Barbara Center for the Performing Arts Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN: 953847102
IRS 990 coverage: 2014–2024
Forms available: Form 990 2024
Location: Santa Barbara, CA, USA
Phone: 8058993000
Rating: 81
Verdict: STRONG
Rating confidence: Moderate
Sector: Performing Arts Centers

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue: $11,930,941
Expenses: $9,728,191
Assets: $133,095,629
Liabilities: $8,631,648

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

Leadership & pay

25 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

RAGER CAREN (EXECUTIVE DIR. & PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

JACKSON PALMER JR (EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN): $237,400 total reported compensation
RAGER CAREN (EXECUTIVE DIR. & PRESIDENT): $228,366 total reported compensation
SLATER DEBBIE (CONTROLLER): $162,582 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 a vibrant performing arts center that generates and promotes excellence in the performing arts and enhances the quality of life in the region by offering outstanding and diverse entertainment, including events of cultural and educational value.

What it reported doing in 2024

Rental operations: the granada hosts eight outstanding resident companies, including the santa barbara symphony, opera santa barbara, state street ballet, community arts music association (cama), ucsb arts & lectures, santa barbara choral society, music academy of the west and broadway show presenter, american theatre guild. Other presenters, including golden voice and live nation bring additional exciting performers and acts to the granada stage. The granada stage also features events presented by many of the area's local nonprofits and the mccune founders room offers a unique setting for performances, weddings, meetings and special events.

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

STRONG - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and reported officer compensation is a large share of total spending, which may reflect staffing concentration.

Rating breakdown

Financial Efficiency: 62
Transparency & Controls: 94
Accountability: 96
Sustainability: 76
Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

Mission deployment rate: 70.5%; rating input score 70
Program expense ratio: 61.6%; rating input score 62
Fundraising efficiency: $5.06 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
Pay-setting controls: 6 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 100
- Compensation committee: Pass
- Independent consultant: Pass
- 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: 92.9%; rating input score 93; 25th 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: 18.5%; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
Total-asset coverage ratio: 13.68; rating input score 93; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.06; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
Officer compensation ratio: 13.2%; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

Program expense growth: 0.2% per year; rating input score 100; 11th percentile among comparable filings
Revenue growth: 8% per year; rating input score 100; 65th percentile among comparable filings
Asset growth: 6.9% per year; rating input score 100; 48th percentile among comparable filings

Details

Where the money goes: 70.5% of revenue deployed · 61.6% of spending went to programs
Governance: 13 of 14 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $6M in reported program spending
Leadership: top reported pay $237K · 25 people listed · 6 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $174K reported
Consistency: 38 of 38 current checks pass
Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
Filing history: 11 filing years from 2014 to 2024
Contacts: How to reach this organization
Money network: 9 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.
Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 21/100.
High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 11/100.