The Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth Incorporated

What it reported doing in 2024

Community Outreach - CMSFW developed an educational outreach program to serve students and families in low-income communities, free of charge. For the 2024-2025 there were 30 initiatives, a 70% increase over last fiscal year. Building Blocks of Music reached students through Fort Worth ISD masterclasses and Building Blocks of Music concerts including presentations at Glen Rose ISD that teach the basics of chamber music in a fun, multi-dimensional presentation. Learning with the Masters presented master classes at local universities featuring noted guest artists, furthering the connection to the core series concerts for the university student body and faculty. CMSFW2 promoted an up-and-coming quartet from Julliard with weekend of performances featuring a master class with the Fort Worth Youth Orchestra and a performance at The Stayton at Museum Way. The Fort Worth Youth Orchestra partnership was created to support our goal to nurture talent across North Texas. CMSFW presented focused learning opportunities given through master classes to members of the Fort Worth Youth Orchestra. The Family Concert Series held concerts at each of the museums - The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, the Kimbell Art Museum, and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art- focused on music for all ages with price breaks for families. Highlights of the series included students performing with professionals, an art contest with students' artwork projected on-screen coordinated with music, and musicians dressed in costume whose pre-concert time was spent engaging with the audience. Retirement Communities and Hospital Outreach programs were presented throughout the 2024-25 season throughout the community with the goal of further outreach in 2025-26. Museum & Gallery Concerts were performances by professional musicians who coordinated the music that inspired an artist in a museum or gallery setting surrounded by the artist's work.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 88.7%; rating input score 89
• Program expense ratio: 81.9%; rating input score 82
• Fundraising efficiency: $10.75 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 41; 41st 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: 94.4%; rating input score 94; 26th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • 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: -10.5%; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.91; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.06; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 14.3%; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 5.4% per year; rating input score 100; 55th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 6.9% per year; rating input score 100; 61st percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 11.6% per year; rating input score 100; 70th percentile among comparable filings