Scottsdale Symphonic Orchestra

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
932501577
IRS 990 coverage
2023–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Phone
4809555776
Rating
83
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Symphony Orchestras

Reported finances

Revenue
$125,051
Expenses
$99,534
Assets
$40,382
Liabilities
$786

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

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DENISE WILSON (President)
  • AL PARK (Vice President)

People named in this filing

  • DENISE WILSON (President)
  • HEATHER VAN BEEK (Secretary)
  • JOAN HEITZINGER (Treasurer)

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

To transform lives by providing musicians and classical music audiences in Scottsdale and the surrounding communities equal access to a full, vibrant creative life.

What it reported doing in 2024

During the 20242025 concert season, the Scottsdale Symphonic Orchestra presented six full symphonic concerts and three free chamber music programs for a combined audience of 3,332 peoplean increase of more than 40 percent over the prior year. Under the leadership of Music Director Desmond Siu, the orchestras Celebrations season highlighted diverse composers and inclusive storytelling through performances such as Coleridge-Taylors Ballade in A Minor, Augusta Holmss La Nuit et lAmour, He Zhanhao and Chen Gangs Butterfly Lovers Concerto, Mary Watkinss Soul of Remembrance, and William Grant Stills Symphony No. 1 (Afro-American), alongside beloved masterworks by Tchaikovsky, Verdi, Dvork, and Rimsky-Korsakov.The season also featured guest artists Steven Moeckel (violin) and Peter Eom (cello) and collaborations with The Kings Carolers and Steinway & Sons. Educational and community engagement programs included Behind the Baton pre-concert talks, the free Scottsdale Chamber Music Series (attendance up 88%), and the Vet Tix partnership providing complimentary admission for veterans. Discounted $10 student tickets and free access for those in financial need helped fulfill the organizations mission to make classical music accessible to all.Through these artistic, educational, and outreach activities, the Scottsdale Symphonic Orchestra advanced its vision of enriching lives, fostering community connection, and celebrating diverse voices through live orchestral music.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 77% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
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. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 75
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 88
  • Sustainability: 54
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 71.1%; rating input score 71
  • Program expense ratio: 89.3%; rating input score 89
  • Fundraising efficiency: $19.14 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th 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: 5 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 20.4%; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.41; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 27.9% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 30% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 71.2% per year; rating input score 100; 98th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 71.1% of revenue deployed · 89.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 6 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $89K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 6 people listed
  • Consistency: 23 of 23 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2023 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.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 56/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 21/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 40/100.