Washington National Opera

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
530237707
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Washington, DC, USA
Phone
2027960071
Rating
57
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Arts, Culture, and Humanities

Reported finances

Revenue
$8,977,357
Expenses
$264,341
Assets
$8,979,680
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

46 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MR ANDY PHAROAH (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • MS STACEY B JOHNSON (CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER (THRU 02/25)): $502,114 total reported compensation
  • MR TIMOTHY O' LEARY (GENERAL DIRECTOR): $490,037 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

During the reporting period, the mission of the wno was as follows: Washington national opera, as a leader in opera and a flagship of the kennedy center, seeks to inspire, connect, and enrich our community, shape the future of opera, and illuminate the american and human experience. We tell timeless stories with programming that excites, entertains, engages, and educates. We are committed to diversity and balance - presenting classic, contemporary, and american works - to broad local, national, and international audiences.

What it reported doing in 2024

The Washington national opera provided several grants to the john f. Kennedy center for the performing arts to support its Washington national opera program and program activities.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 96% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 100% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 36
  • Transparency & Controls: 71
  • Accountability: 84
  • Sustainability: 87
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 4.6%; rating input score 5
  • Program expense ratio: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • 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 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 97.1%; rating input score 99; 99th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 33.97; rating input score 98; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 36.3%; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -3.1% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -30.3% per year; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -36% per year; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 4.6% of revenue deployed · 100% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 39 of 39 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $264K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $502K · 46 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 15 of 16 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Related organizations: 7 filed related-organization links
  • 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.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 5/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 3/100.