Washington Performing Arts Society

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
526062439
IRS 990 coverage
2014–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Washington, DC, USA
Phone
2028339800
Rating
67
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Performing Arts Centers

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$14,297,667
Expenses
$5,972,082
Assets
$28,249,924
Liabilities
$4,448,129

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

Leadership & pay

46 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DOUGLAS WHEELER (PRESIDENT EMERITUS)
  • DINA LASSOW (PRESIDENT, WOMEN'S COMMITTEE)
  • DENISE ROLLINS (PRESIDENT, WOMEN'S COMMITTEE)
  • JENNIFER BILFIELD-FRIEDMAN (PRESIDENT & CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • JENNIFER BILFIELD-FRIEDMAN (PRESIDENT & CEO): $365,031 total reported compensation
  • PAUL LEIDER (CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER): $162,730 total reported compensation
  • SAMANTHA POLLACK (DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMING): $126,927 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Washington performing arts champions the arts as a unifying force. Through collaborations with artists, educators, community leaders, and institutional partners, we bring wide-ranging artistic programs to stages, schools, and neighborhoods throughout our nation's capital and, with our virtual platform, share our work throughout the world.

What it reported doing in 2024

Since its 1965 founding by arts visionary patrick hayes, Washington performing arts (wpa) has been one of america's most dynamic producers and presenters of live performance, arts education, and community engagement for almost 60 years. Guided by hayes' founding principle of "everybody in, nobody out," wpa presents performances across the Washington metropolitan area in a range of venues. Through its multi-disciplinary approach, wpa demonstrates the uplifting power of live performance while building bridges. Its integrated focus creates lasting impact extending far beyond the concert hall, fostering a more connected and culturally vibrant community. Wpa presents classical music, gospel, jazz, and music from culturally specific traditions featuring both renowned and emerging artists, as well as newly commissioned works.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 82% 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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - 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 fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 47
  • Transparency & Controls: 75
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 78
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 33.6%; rating input score 34
  • Program expense ratio: 71.2%; rating input score 71
  • Fundraising efficiency: $9.74 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • 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; 66th 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: 58.2%; rating input score 95; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.73; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.16; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 15.5%; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -6% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 4.7% per year; rating input score 100; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 8.2% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 33.6% of revenue deployed · 71.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 41 of 41 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $4.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $365K · 46 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $757K reported
  • Consistency: 38 of 38 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 11 filing years from 2014 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 6 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

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

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 34/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 37/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 8/100.