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Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York Inc

EIN 13-1664054 · New York, NY

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong90 out of 100GovernanceStrong90 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC'S MISSION IS TO:1. INSPIRE APPRECIATION AND ENGAGEMENT WITH ORCHESTRAL MUSIC; 2. EXPAND ACCESS TO SYMPHONIC MUSIC FOR AUDIENCES IN NEW YORK CITY AND WORLDWIDE; (CONT. ON SCH. O)3. PRESENT LIVE PERFORMANCES AT DAVID GEFFEN HALL AND OTHER VENUES; 4. SHARE PERFORMANCES THROUGH RECORDINGS AND BROADCASTS ACROSS RADIO, TELEVISION, AND DIGITAL PLATFORMS; AND 5. BUILD MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS THROUGH COLLABORATIONS AND SHARED MUSICAL EXPERIENCES.

Income
$101.3 million
Spending
$99.0 million
Spent on programs
65%
Reserves
23.2 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 61%
Employees
747
Volunteers
118
Highest pay
$974,954, former president & ceo (thru 08/24)

Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Strong: 90 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, over $100m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 23.2 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 14% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 2% of income.

  • Income trend

    5 of 15

    Income fell 11% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    65% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 13 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 90 out of 100. Higher than 9% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, over $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    59 of 60 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    0 of 10

    Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (2)
  1. $61.4 million spent. PERFORMANCES, RECORDINGS, AND TOURING:DURING THE 2024-2025 SEASON, THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC PRESENTED 102 SUBSCRIPTION CONCERTS TO AUDIENCES TOTALING APPROXIMATELY 200,500. THESE PERFORMANCES ENGAGED A BROAD AND DIVERSE PUBLIC AND STRENGTHENEDAPPRECIATION FOR ORCHESTRAL MUSIC.THE PHILHARMONIC ALSO RECORDED AND BROADCAST PERFORMANCES NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY, EXTENDING ITS REACH AND MAKING SYMPHONIC MUSIC ACCESSIBLE TO GLOBAL AUDIENCES.IN ADDITION, THE ORCHESTRA TOURED DOMESTICALLY AND (CONT. ON SCH. O) INTERNATIONALLY, PRESENTING 11 CONCERTS TO AUDIENCES OF MORE THAN 19,288. THESE TOURS BROADENED ACCESS TO LIVE ORCHESTRAL MUSIC AND REINFORCED THE PHILHARMONIC'S INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE.
  2. $3.3 million spent. EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC OFFERS A RANGE OF EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS, EDUCATORS, AND FAMILIES:- TEACHER SEMINARS: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS FOR MUSIC AND NON-MUSIC TEACHERS THAT EXPLORE MUSICAL CONCEPTS AND PHILHARMONIC REPERTOIRE, PAIRED WITH ATTENDANCE AT LIVE PERFORMANCES. - SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS: MULTI-YEAR COLLABORATIONS WITH NEW YORK CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAT SUPPORT MUSIC LEARNING FOR STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND FAMILIES THROUGH CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION, WORKSHOPS, (CONT. ON SCH. O) AND ENGAGEMENT WITH PHILHARMONIC TEACHING ARTISTS. - OPEN REHEARSALS: INVITATIONS FOR SCHOOL GROUPS AND SUPPORTERS TO OBSERVE THE REHEARSAL PROCESS AND GAIN INSIGHT INTO THE ORCHESTRA'S WORK. - YOUNG PEOPLE'S CONCERTS: PROGRAMS INTRODUCING YOUNG AUDIENCES TO ORCHESTRAL MUSIC THROUGH LIVE PERFORMANCES, INTERACTIVE PRE-CONCERT ACTIVITIES, AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS. DURING THE SEASON, FOUR CONCERTS SERVED 2,656 ATTENDEES. - VERY YOUNG PEOPLE'S CONCERTS: CONCERTS DESIGNED FOR PRESCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN, ENGAGING 9,342 ATTENDEES ACROSS SIX PERFORMANCES THIS SEASON.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending August 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since February 1928.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.