Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
76% goes to programs $8 to raise $100 Strong reserves Growing revenue
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Cincinnati, Ohio, registered in 1934, with $53,330,646 in FY2023 revenue. CharityIndex grades it B+, and it directs about 76% of spending to programs.
1241 Elm St, Cincinnati, OH, 45202 EIN 31-0537080 Since 1934
Revenue (FY2023)
$53.3M
▲ 4.4% vs prior year
Arts & Culture median: $159K
Expenses (FY2023)
$40.2M
Net assets
$359.9M
Employees
622
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
B+
B+Program efficiency40% of the rating76% to programs · $8 to raise $100
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra: 76% to programs · $8 to raise $100 earns a B+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
B+Financial health25% of the rating108 mo reserves · +25% margin
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra: 108 mo reserves · +25% margin earns a B+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Governance25% of the rating6 of 6 checks met
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
ATransparency10% of the rating4 of 5 disclosure signals
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra: 4 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
To seek and share inspiration.
Contact & location
- Address
- 1241 Elm St, Cincinnati, OH, 45202
- City
- Cincinnati
- State
- Ohio
- Category
- Arts, Culture & Humanities
- Subcategory
- Performing Arts
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue declined from $58.3M (FY2013) to $53.3M (FY2023) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2023)
Liabilities $17.8MNet assets $359.9M
Operating margin
24.7%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$377.8M
Total liabilities
$17.8M
Net assets
$359.9M
Salaries & benefits
$25.7M
64% of expenses
Board members
53
51 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $53,330,646▲4.4% | $40,159,265▲4.3% | $359,921,875▲13.5% | $377,754,303▲16.5% | 990 |
| 2022 | $51,084,528▼7.4% | $38,506,792▲4.2% | $317,050,497▲8.2% | $324,339,521▲8.7% | 990 |
| 2021 | $55,153,223▲24.3% | $36,969,006▲35.0% | $292,947,440▼9.5% | $298,354,425▼10.9% | 990 |
| 2020 | $44,365,495▼39.1% | $27,387,644▼11.0% | $323,771,344▲21.7% | $334,863,151▲19.1% | 990 |
| 2019 | $72,846,957▲69.0% | $30,788,864▼7.5% | $266,025,027▲24.0% | $281,171,666▲22.3% | 990 |
| 2018 | $43,109,632▲26.8% | $33,288,825▲5.6% | $214,603,221▲0.2% | $229,968,741▲1.7% | 990 |
| 2017 | $33,994,008▼12.5% | $31,518,334▲0.4% | $214,211,237▲6.4% | $226,173,191▲8.0% | 990 |
| 2016 | $38,845,927▲15.9% | $31,381,796▲5.2% | $201,317,580▲7.7% | $209,357,129▲7.3% | 990 |
| 2015 | $33,513,949▼45.3% | $29,840,819▲0.6% | $186,942,901▲8.2% | $195,062,145▲6.5% | 990 |
| 2014 | $61,320,397▲5.2% | $29,674,708▲7.7% | $172,696,434▲16.9% | $183,151,846▲17.4% | 990 |
| 2013 | $58,269,114 | $27,553,039▲6.7% | $147,711,446▲32.8% | $155,966,002▲30.9% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $25,831,985▲0.3% | $111,203,485▲27.4% | $119,151,187▲21.1% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $25,746,842▼32.4% | $87,299,943▲25.3% | $98,362,741▲14.2% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $38,064,211▼1.9% | $69,652,766▲12.2% | $86,097,920▲7.2% | 990 |
| 2009 | — | $38,784,889 | $62,102,828 | $80,324,839 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Leadership & compensation (FY2023)
Highest-paid: Martin Jonathan — $519,035 (1.29% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martin Jonathan | President & Ceo | 40 | $519,035 |
| Mcgrath Robert | Chief Operating Officer | 40 | $350,520 |
| Matsuo Stefani | Concertmaster, Violin | 40 | $313,373 |
| Freshwater Richard | Vice President & Cfo | 30 | $286,938 |
| Lawson Mary Mcfadden | Chief Philanthropy Officer | 40 | $257,549 |
| Brown Harold | Chief Diversity & Inclusion | 40 | $232,459 |
| Parry Dwight | Principal Oboe | 40 | $222,170 |
| Russell John Morris | Pops Conductor | 40 | $209,436 |
| Freimuth Elizabeth | Principal French Horn | 40 | $202,141 |
| Pell Christopher | Principal Clarinet | 40 | $201,772 |
| Schleker Patrick | Director & Principal Timpany | 40 | $169,199 |
| Blomberg Evin | Director & Violin | 40 | $115,791 |
| Akers Dorie | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Apple Heather | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Bergan Michael | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Brown Kate | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Brown Ralph | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Bryan III Trish E | Director Emeritus | 0.5 | — |
| Budig Jr Otto M | Director Emeritus | 0.5 | — |
| Carter Andria | Director | 0.5 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2023)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Louis Langree | Music Director | $542,331 |
| Capacity Interactive Consulting LLC | Marketing & Web Services | $508,360 |
| Jrh Consultants | Information Technology | $395,790 |
| Community Counseling Services Co LLC | Fundraising Campaign Consulting | $347,142 |
| Adage Technologies Inc | Website Development | $189,232 |
Grants received · $68.0M total
93 grants to Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra totaling $68.0M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Cincinnati Foundation | Programatic support | 2024 | $859,827 |
| Greater Cincinnati Foundation | Programatic support | 2024 | $859,827 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $14,764 |
| Charities Aid Foundation America | Charitable donation | 2024 | $13,806 |
| Johnson Charitable Gift Fund | General fund | 2024 | $11,641 |
| The Us Charitable Gift Trust | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2024 | $8,500 |
| Greater Cincinnati Foundation | Programatic support | 2024 | $7,128 |
| Greater Cincinnati Foundation | Programatic support | 2024 | $7,128 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2024 | $5,500 |
| Music and Event Management Inc | Unrestricted grant | 2023 | $9,056,167 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $1,105,225 |
| Greater Cincinnati Foundation | Programatic support | 2023 | $904,842 |
| Johnson Charitable Gift Fund | Various programs | 2023 | $536,907 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Arts, culture & humanities | 2023 | $154,400 |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2023 | $19,000 |
Grants made · $1.1M in FY2018
1 grant totaling $1.1M in FY2018. All grants made by Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Music and Event Management Inc | Unrestricted grant | $1,085,750 |
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Compare Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Frequently asked questions
- Is Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 31-0537080, based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's EIN?
- Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 31-0537080.
- How much revenue does Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra report?
- Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra reported $53,330,646 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2023 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's spending goes to programs?
- Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra spends about 76% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra have?
- CharityIndex grades Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra B+, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's latest Form 990 is $519,035, paid to Martin Jonathan (President & Ceo).
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Data for Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (EIN 31-0537080) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.