The Santa Fe Opera

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
850131810
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Santa Fe, NM, USA
Phone
5059865955
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Arts, Culture, and Humanities

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$42,090,577
Expenses
$32,420,149
Assets
$214,033,836
Liabilities
$3,404,585

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

Leadership & pay

56 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ROBERT J VLADEM (FIRST VICE PRESIDENT)
  • LYNN J LOACKER (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • ROBERT MEYA (GENERAL DIRECTOR): $649,878 total reported compensation
  • HARRY BICKET (MUSIC DIRECTOR): $258,154 total reported compensation
  • HEATHER KEMP (CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER): $243,414 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 further the operatic art form by presenting ensemble performances of the highest quality in a varied repertoire of new as well as rarely performed and standard works, to ensure excellence of opera's future through its apprentice programs for artists, technicians and arts administrators, and to foster and enrich an understanding and appreciation for opera in the community by outreach to a diverse public.

What it reported doing in 2024

One of the nation's most important summer festivals, the santa fe opera is praised for its innovative repertory and high standards of excellence. There were approximately 69,168 attendees of the 2025 season. The 2025 season included a total of 36 performances of 5 fully staged operas, including: la boheme composed by giacomo puccini, the marriage of figaro composed by wolfgang amadeus mozart, rigoletto composed by giuseppe verdi, the turn of the screw composed by benjamin britten, and die walkure composed by richard wagner. In addition, there were 2 performances by the santa fe opera apprentice singers, designed and produced by the santa fe opera technical apprentices.

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 - 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: 68
  • Transparency & Controls: 89
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 81
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 68.2%; rating input score 68
  • Program expense ratio: 77.5%; rating input score 78
  • Fundraising efficiency: $11.73 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 23%; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 6.6; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 6.7%; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 4% per year; rating input score 100; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 4.1% per year; rating input score 100; 35th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 5.9% per year; rating input score 100; 41st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 68.2% of revenue deployed · 77.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 40 of 40 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $25.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $650K · 56 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $1.3M reported
  • Consistency: 40 of 40 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 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.

Key Signals

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

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 42/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Form 990 shared with the board not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 38/100.