The Dallas Opera

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
756004746
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Dallas, TX, USA
Phone
2144431043
Rating
76
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Arts, Culture, and Humanities

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$20,506,763
Expenses
$17,697,005
Assets
$17,745,329
Liabilities
$8,619,921

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

Leadership & pay

110 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Ian Derrer (General Director & CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • Emmanuel Villaume (Music Director): $429,013 total reported compensation
  • Ian Derrer (General Director & CEO): $328,838 total reported compensation
  • Ashley Harris (Director of Development): $173,878 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The Dallas Opera connects local and global audiences through world-class performances of both new and traditional works. We sing stories for all generations, harmonizing entertainment, education, and artistry.

What it reported doing in 2024

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & EDUCATION PROGRAMS: 9,772 participants in community outreach programs, including 2,849 ticket holders at five special concerts, 5,601 at four family performances of PEPITO and THE THREE LITTLE PIGS, and 656 OperaTruck and other community-based performance patrons. 17,036 participants in youth arts education programming, including four student matinee performances of PEPITO at the Winspear Opera House, Touring Opera performances in schools, Opera in a Suitcase workshops, and related educational activities.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 77% 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

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of total spending goes to programs. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 60
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 52
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 58.9%; rating input score 59
  • Program expense ratio: 68%; rating input score 68
  • Fundraising efficiency: $11.74 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 99%; rating input score 99; 31st percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 13.7%; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.49; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 9.1%; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -1.2% per year; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 0.8% per year; rating input score 100; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 2% per year; rating input score 100; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 58.9% of revenue deployed · 68% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 96 of 97 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $12M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $429K · 110 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 4 contractors listed · $711K reported
  • Consistency: 39 of 39 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 8 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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: Mission deployment rate scored 59/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 43/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 36/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 24/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 30/100.