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Symphony Space Inc

EIN 13-2941455 · New York, NY

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair60 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

SYMPHONY SPACE IS A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER WHERE ADVENTUROUS PROGRAMMING, PRESENTED IN A UNIQUELY WARM AND WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT, FORGES INDELIBLE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ARTISTS AND AUDIENCES. OUR FUNDAMENTAL MISSION IS TO CONNECT ART, IDEAS, AND COMMUNITY THROUGH OUR PROGRAMS AND OUR COMMITMENT TO LITERACY AND EDUCATION THROUGH THE ARTS. ON OUR NEW YORK CITY STAGES, THROUGH OUR NATIONAL BROADCASTS, AND IN THE CLASSROOMS AND COMMUNITIES WE SERVE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, WE FOSTER ACCESS TO THE ARTS THROUGH ALL DISCIPLINES. OUR EMBRACE OF THE ARTS IS WIDE, AND THE EXPERIENCES OF OUR AUDIENCES ARE DEEP AND ENRICHED.

Income
$5.6 million
Spending
$7.4 million
Spent on programs
83%
Reserves
1.7 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 53%
Employees
146
Volunteers
23
Highest pay
$207,986, executive director

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Fair: 60 out of 100.

  • Reserves

    10 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 1.7 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 4% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 32% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 1% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    83% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 28 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100.

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    21 of 21 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

    10 of 10

    Gave 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 June 30, 2024, 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 (4)
  1. $2.0 million spent. LITERATURESYMPHONY SPACE PRESENTS A FULL SLATE OF ARTISTICALLY AND CULTURALLY DIVERSE LITERARY PROGRAMS THAT FEATURE CLASSIC AND CONTEMPORARY WORKS BY ESTABLISHED AND EMERGING AUTHORS. OUR SELECTED SHORTS LITERARY SERIES WAS CONCEIVED WITH A SIMPLE PREMISE-GREAT STORIES PERFORMED BY GREAT ACTORS-AND IT HAS INFLUENCED GENERATIONS OF READERS THROUGH LIVE PERFORMANCES ON STAGES IN NEW YORK CITY AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THE SELECTED SHORTS RADIO HOUR AIRS ON 120 PUBLIC RADIO STATIONS, ATTRACTING 225,000 LISTENERS EACH WEEK; MORE THAN 50,000 PEOPLE DOWNLOAD THE PODCAST EVERY WEEK. AT THE THALIA BOOK CLUB, READERS AND WRITERS REVISIT CHERISHED CLASSICS AND EXPLORE NEW AND NOTEWORTHY WORKS THROUGHOUT EVENTS THAT FEATURE WIDE-RANGING AUTHOR INTERVIEWS, A VIVID PERFORMANCE OF AN EXCERPT BY AN ACTOR, AND A LIVELY Q & A WITH THE AUDIENCE.
  2. $1.5 million spent. RENTALSSYMPHONY SPACE FOSTERS COMMUNITY AND ARTISTIC EXPRESSION BEYOND OUR OWN PROGRAMMING, FROM TOWN HALLS TO MUSIC PERFORMANCES, FROM SCHOOL GRADUATIONS TO INTERNATIONAL DANCE COMPETITIONS. BY OFFERING FULLY-EQUIPPED THEATERS, AS WELL AS BOX OFFICE, MARKETING, AND HOUSE MANAGEMENT SERVICES AT RENTAL RATES LOWER THAN COMPARABLE VENUES, WE PROVIDE AN AFFORDABLE HOME TO MORE THAN 170 COMMUNITY AND PERFORMING ARTS ORGANIZATIONS IN NEW YORK CITY, INCLUDING THE WORLD MUSIC INSTITUTE, THE NEW AMSTERDAM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, THE AFRO-LATIN JAZZ ORCHESTRA, AND MANY, MANY MORE.
  3. $718,612 spent. ARTS EDUCATIONOUR GLOBAL ARTS: CULTURAL LITERACY AND HERITAGE ARTS EDUCATION PROGRAM TAKES CHILDREN ON A JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY AND EXPLORATION TO CELEBRATE THE BEAUTY OF THE ART AND HISTORY OF DIVERSE CULTURES - ASIAN, AFRICAN, LATIN AMERICAN, NATIVE AMERICAN, AND EARLY AMERICAN. GLOBAL ARTS USES THE ARTS TO HELP PRE-K-12 STUDENTS OPEN A WINDOW ON A NEW CULTURE, SEE THEIR OWN CULTURE REFLECTED ON STAGE, AND OFFER THEM A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THEMSELVES AND OTHERS. OUR CURRICULUM-BASED ARTS EDUCATION BRINGS ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ARTS OF GLOBAL CULTURES INTO THE CLASSROOM. FOR SOME, THESE WORKSHOPS, AND THE FIELD TRIPS TO OUR THEATER FOR VIBRANT AND INTERACTIVE LIVE PERFORMANCES, ARE A WINDOW ONTO UNFAMILIAR CULTURES. FOR OTHERS, THEY PROVIDE A MIRROR IN WHICH THEY SEE THEIR OWN HISTORIES REPRESENTED, SOMETHING THEY DO NOT TYPICALLY EXPERIENCE IN THEIR SCHOOLS.SINCE 1993, SYMPHONY SPACE HAS PARTNERED WITH COLLEGES, LIBRARIES, AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO OPEN A WORLD OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR MORE THAN 30,000 ADULT LITERACY LEARNERS - COMPLETELY FREE OF CHARGE. ALL WRITE! CELEBRATES THE WRITTEN WORD WHILE AMPLIFYING ADULT VOICES THROUGH IMPROVED WRITTEN AND VERBAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS. PARTICIPANTS INCLUDE ADULT BASIC EDUCATION (ABE), ENGLISH SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES (ESOL), AND HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY (HSE) STUDENTS; MORE THAN 50% OF THESE LEARNERS IMMIGRATED TO THE UNITED STATES AND CONFRONT LANGUAGE BARRIERS ON A DAILY BASIS.
  4. $1.9 million spent. BROADCASTING, FILM, MUSIC, WALL TO WALL AND OTHER PROGRAMS.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2024, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 2026.

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

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2024.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

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

    Recognized by the IRS since August 1978.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 21, 2026.

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