Symphony of the Hills Association

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
743024737
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Kerrville, TX, USA
Phone
8307927469
Rating
85
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Symphony Orchestras

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$343,668
Expenses
$329,997
Assets
$636,327
Liabilities
$161,803

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

Leadership & pay

16 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DR TIM SUMMERLIN (PRESIDENT)
  • JULIE SENTELL (VICE PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • BETTY CLYBURN (DIRECTOR)
  • DR BILL COLLINS (DIRECTOR)
  • DR BILL RECTOR (DIRECTOR)

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 symphony of the hills brings superb classical orchestral music to audiences in the hill country of Texas. Partnered with schreiner university in kerrville, Texas, the orchestra comprises skilled and professional musicians from the hill country and surrounding areas, including faculty and advanced music students from the university. The symphony of the hills association is a non-profit Texas corporation with a two-fold mission: bringing superb classical music to audiences in the hill country of Texas and developing the musical appreciation and skill of young musicians throughout the area. It is the conviction of the officers and directors of the association, and of the conductor and musicians of the orchestra, that the orchestra performs a valuable service through providing fine music to area residents, thus enhancing the quality of life to all who embrace classical symphonic music.

What it reported doing in 2024

We strongly believe that there is a need to introduce young people to the grandeur of traditional classical music and to encourage their own inclinations to create music. For that reason, over the past 12 years we have been performing two children's concerts each season for all 3rd and 4th grade students in the kerrville area, for a total of more than 1600 students annually. The objective of this program is to familiarize elementary school students with traditional classical music and the principal musical instruments of a symphony orchestra. The program provides for several weeks of in-school presentations and Texas essential knowledge and skills (teks) compliant lesson plans for the teachers at each of 12 schools designed to prepare the students for their attendance at one of the two children's concerts. In the classroom, the children are introduced to the principal symphonic musical instruments and to the music they can produce. The children's outreach touches nearly 2000 elementary school students in the kerrville area who otherwise would never have an opportunity to experience classical orchestral music. The enthusiastic response we have received from students and teachers alike demonstrates to us the clear success and continuing need of this outreach.in addition, members of the symphony are actively engaged with the hill country youth orchestra, which provides lessons for youth from elementary to high school level. Hcyo participants have performed occasionally before or during soh performances, and several graduates of the hcyo have become members of the symphony.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 60% 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.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 83
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 82
  • Sustainability: 50
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 92.4%; rating input score 92
  • Program expense ratio: 96.1%; rating input score 96
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

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: 4 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 57
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • 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: 4%; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.93; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.25; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 4.1% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 1.7% per year; rating input score 100; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 7.9% per year; rating input score 100; 59th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 92.4% of revenue deployed · 96.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 16 of 16 board members independent · 4 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $317K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 16 people listed
  • Consistency: 24 of 24 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • 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 — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 6 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 48/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 58/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 17/100.