San Francisco Symphony
76% goes to programs $21 to raise $100 Strong reserves
San Francisco Symphony is a 501(c)(3) organization based in San Francisco, California, registered in 1955, with $67,804,953 in FY2023 revenue. CharityIndex grades it B+, and it directs about 76% of spending to programs.
201 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94102 EIN 94-1156284 Since 1955
Revenue (FY2023)
$67.8M
▼ 4.6% vs prior year
Arts & Culture median: $159K
Expenses (FY2023)
$84.6M
Net assets
$404.5M
Employees
955
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 · $21 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 San Francisco Symphony: 76% to programs · $21 to raise $100 earns a B+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
C+Financial health25% of the rating57 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 San Francisco Symphony: 57 mo reserves · -25% margin earns a C+ 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 San Francisco Symphony: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Transparency10% of the rating5 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 San Francisco Symphony: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
To inspire and serve audiences and communities throughout the bay area (continued on sch o) and the world through the power of musical performance.
What they do
In partnership with the san francisco unified school district, the san francisco symphony provides comprehensive music education to every student in grades 1-5 in san francisco's public elementary schools through adventures in music, and supports every public middle and high school band and orchestra program through music and mentors.
Contact & location
- Address
- 201 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94102
- City
- San Francisco
- State
- California
- Category
- Arts, Culture & Humanities
- Subcategory
- Performing Arts
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue declined from $91.2M (FY2013) to $67.8M (FY2023) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2023)
Liabilities $21.5MNet assets $404.5M
Operating margin
-24.8%
Spent more than it raised in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$425.9M
Total liabilities
$21.5M
Net assets
$404.5M
Salaries & benefits
$54.6M
65% of expenses
Board members
48
48 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $67,804,953▼4.6% | $84,591,090▲4.5% | $404,477,383▲7.7% | $425,949,812▲7.2% | 990 |
| 2022 | $71,106,401▼51.0% | $80,926,407▲9.8% | $375,650,804▲5.0% | $397,244,131▲5.4% | 990 |
| 2021 | $144,993,110▲118% | $73,688,214▲37.0% | $357,759,088▼10.4% | $376,736,007▼12.2% | 990 |
| 2020 | $66,425,902▲1.7% | $53,793,851▼26.5% | $399,302,681▲31.0% | $429,119,299▲22.8% | 990 |
| 2019 | $65,337,218▼30.2% | $73,223,664▼8.2% | $304,745,839▲5.3% | $349,325,037▲2.7% | 990 |
| 2018 | $93,634,963▲7.3% | $79,786,312▲2.4% | $289,322,474▼10.1% | $340,027,013▼2.4% | 990 |
| 2017 | $87,236,401▲15.2% | $77,921,165▼5.3% | $321,864,438▲10.9% | $348,290,090▼2.7% | 990 |
| 2016 | $75,741,772▼4.8% | $82,252,992▲8.8% | $290,183,971▲11.3% | $358,019,412▲6.0% | 990 |
| 2015 | $79,584,986▲20.6% | $75,611,648▼4.1% | $260,630,369▼2.5% | $337,677,352▲3.0% | 990 |
| 2014 | $65,989,847▼27.6% | $78,866,104▲5.8% | $267,364,223▼9.5% | $327,799,634▼4.1% | 990 |
| 2013 | $91,183,645 | $74,566,128▲1.7% | $295,317,171▲8.8% | $341,896,193▲8.5% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $73,292,387▼6.4% | $271,393,519▲11.3% | $315,161,678▲4.9% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $78,338,012▲8.6% | $243,930,067▼7.1% | $300,320,701▼2.1% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $72,154,335▲0.7% | $262,684,515▲14.4% | $306,759,580▲11.8% | 990 |
| 2009 | — | $71,652,722 | $229,709,012 | $274,408,304 | 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: Matthew Spivey — $724,481 (0.86% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Spivey | Chief Executive Officer | 40 | $724,481 |
| Alexander Barantschik | Concertmaster | 40 | $577,132 |
| Leigh Brawer | Chief Philanthropy Officer | 40 | $373,466 |
| Eugene Izotov | Principal Oboe | 40 | $346,255 |
| Edward Stephan | Principal Timpani | 40 | $313,460 |
| Rainer Eudeikis | Principal Cello | 40 | $308,391 |
| Sandra Curry | Cf&ao (as of 2/23) | 40 | $303,120 |
| Aditi Iyer | Member, Board of Governors | 3 | — |
| Aida M Alvarez | Member, Board of Governors | 3 | — |
| A John Gambs | Member, Board of Governors | 3 | — |
| Alan May | Member, Board of Governors | 3 | — |
| Andrea Palmer | Member, Board of Governors | 1 | — |
| Ann Paras | Member, Board of Governors | 4 | — |
| Basheer Janjua | Member, Board of Governors | 2 | — |
| Carol Casey | Member, Board of Governors | 1 | — |
| Dan Cooperman | Member, Board of Governors | 4 | — |
| David J Berger | Member, Board of Governors | 3 | — |
| Dean Cash | Member, Board of Governors | 2 | — |
| Debra Mccoy | Member, Board of Governors | 4 | — |
| Eleanor Pollak - Member | Board of Governors (as of 9/23) | 3 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2023)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Mark Cavagnero Associates | Architect Consultant | $2,618,299 |
| Mark Cavagnero Associates | Architect Consultant | $2,618,299 |
| Karawane Inc | Music Conductor | $1,543,842 |
| Karawane Inc | Music Conductor | $1,543,842 |
| Bpm | Outsourced Staffing | $1,362,243 |
| Bpm | Outsourced Staffing | $1,362,243 |
| Mcdermott Will & Emery | General Counsel | $1,003,009 |
| Mcdermott Will & Emery | General Counsel | $1,003,009 |
| Gehry Partners LLP | Architect Consultant | $449,334 |
| Gehry Partners LLP | Architect Consultant | $449,334 |
Grants received · $55.5M total
167 grants to San Francisco Symphony totaling $55.5M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silicon Valley Community Foundation | Arts & culture | 2024 | $855,970 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2024 | $402,184 |
| Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund For Wealth Management Inc | Arts and culture | 2024 | $312,500 |
| American Endowment Foundation | Arts, culture | 2024 | $134,477 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $100,072 |
| Ayco Charitable Foundation | Arts and culture | 2024 | $57,400 |
| The Us Charitable Gift Trust | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2024 | $28,375 |
| Community Foundation of New Jersey | Performing arts & education | 2024 | $25,000 |
| Daffy Charitable Fund | General support of mission | 2024 | $15,440 |
| T Rowe Price Program For Charitable Giving Inc | Multiple | 2024 | $5,150 |
| Jewish Communal Fund | In furtherance of grantee's tax-exempt purpose | 2024 | $5,050 |
| San Francisco Foundation | For general support. to support the symphony's radio broadcast. to support the shenson spotlight series for the san francisco symphony. for the fiscal year 2023-24 annual fund. for the fiscal year 2022-23 annual fund. for the annual gift. for the annual fund. for the 2024 contribution for the maestro's circle annual fund. for general support. for general support of the san francisco symphony youth orchestra program. | 2023 | $1,202,555 |
| Silicon Valley Community Foundation | Arts & culture | 2023 | $934,150 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Arts, culture & humanities | 2023 | $820,800 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $742,459 |
Grants made · $86K in FY2023
6 grants totaling $86K in FY2023. All grants made by San Francisco Symphony →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Northern California Chamber Music Academy | Encourage participation in the arts | $18,000 |
| Northern California Chamber Music Academy | Encourage participation in the arts | $18,000 |
| Oakland School For the Arts | Encourage participation in the arts | $15,000 |
| Oakland School For the Arts | Encourage participation in the arts | $15,000 |
| Tides Center | Encourage participation in the arts | $10,000 |
| Tides Center | Encourage participation in the arts | $10,000 |
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Compare San Francisco Symphony
Frequently asked questions
- Is San Francisco Symphony a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. San Francisco Symphony is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 94-1156284, based in San Francisco, California. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is San Francisco Symphony's EIN?
- San Francisco Symphony's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 94-1156284.
- How much revenue does San Francisco Symphony report?
- San Francisco Symphony reported $67,804,953 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2023 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of San Francisco Symphony's spending goes to programs?
- San Francisco Symphony spends about 76% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does San Francisco Symphony have?
- CharityIndex grades San Francisco Symphony B+, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does San Francisco Symphony's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on San Francisco Symphony's latest Form 990 is $724,481, paid to Matthew Spivey (Chief Executive Officer).
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Data for San Francisco Symphony (EIN 94-1156284) 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.