Peninsula Music Festival Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE PENINSULA MUSIC FESTIVAL, INC. IS COMMITTED TO PRODUCING WORLD-CLASS PERFORMANCES REALIZED THROUGH THE PRESENTATION OF THE RECITAL SERIES, A CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES, AND THE SYMPHONY SERIES IN ADDITION TO THE PROMOTION OF MUSIC APPRECIATION, AND EDUCATION THROUGHOUT DOOR COUNTY, WISCONSIN.
- Income
- $1.1 million
- Spending
- $978,655
- Spent on programs
- 85%
- Reserves
- -2.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 85%
- Employees
- 4
- Volunteers
- 75
- Highest pay
- $61,750, president and ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 50 out of 100. Higher than 20% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 59% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 12% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 46% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1585% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 6 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2513 of 13 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 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 (1)
- $831,108 spent. THE PENINSULA MUSIC FESTIVAL, INC. (PMF) FINANCES AND PRODUCES WORLD-CLASS PERFORMANCES REALIZED THROUGH THE PRESENTATION OF THE RECITAL SERIES, A CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES, AND THE SYMPHONY SERIES IN DOOR COUNTY, WI. PMF PRESENTS BROAD REPERTOIRE, PROMOTES YOUNG ARTISTS, AND THE APPRECIATION OF GREAT MUSIC. PMF WAS FOUNDED IN 1953 BY LORENZ HEISE, KAY WILSON, AND THOR JOHNSON WHO WAS INSPIRED BY THE EARLY MORAVIAN MUSIC FESTIVAL. CURRENTLY IN ITS 73RD SEASON, THE 90-MEMBER FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA IS COMPRISED OF PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS WHO REPRESENT LEADING SYMPHONIC AND OPERATIC INSTITUTIONS AROUND THE WORLD, INCLUDING THOSE OF MONTREAL, TORONTO, BOSTON, HOUSTON, ST. LOUIS, MILWAUKEE, OMAHA, PITTSBURGH, HOUSTON GRAND OPERA, THE DALLAS OPERA AND LYRIC OPERA OF CHICAGO. THE FESTIVAL PRESENTS A NINE-CONCERT SYMPHONY SERIES EVERY AUGUST, WITH YEAR-ROUND PROGRAMMING THAT INCLUDES RECITAL SERIES CONCERTS, CHAMBER MUSIC PERFORMANCES, AND SPECIAL CONCERT EVENTS THAT FEATURE MEMBERS OF THE FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA AND OTHER RENOWNED ARTISTS. EACH SYMPHONY SERIES CONCERT FEATURES A GUEST ARTIST OF NATIONAL OR INTERNATIONAL STATURE, AND THE FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA IS THE ONLY PROFESSIONAL ORCHESTRA IN NORTHEAST WISCONSIN. OVER 6,000 PATRONS ATTEND THE NINE-CONCERT SYMPHONY SERIES EVERY SUMMER. IN THE LAST 30 YEARS, THE OPERATING BUDGET HAS GROWN SUBSTANTIALLY, AND THE ENDOWMENT HAS GROWN FROM $450,000 TO $6.5 MILLION OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS. THE CONSERVATIVE STRATEGY SET BY THE TRUSTEES FOCUSES LONG-TERM STABILITY RATHER THAN QUICK GROWTH, WHICH AS A STRATEGY HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL. PMF PRIDES ITSELF ON THE HIGH ARTISTIC QUALITY OF THE ORCHESTRA AND CONTINUING TO OPERATE WITH LOW ADMINISTRATIVE OVERHEAD. THE ENDOWMENT HAS CONTINUED TO GROW THROUGH STRONG, STABLE INVESTMENTS AND ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS. PMF AWARDS COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS EACH YEAR AND NUMEROUS SUMMER MUSIC STUDY GRANTS TO ENCOURAGE MUSIC STUDENTS TO ATTEND SUMMER CAMPS AND STUDY PRIVATELY. THIS WAS THE TENTH YEAR OF THE FESTIVAL'S $10 STUDENT/CHILDREN TICKET PROGRAM. PMF'S YEAR-ROUND PROGRAMMING HELPS TO ELEVATE THE FESTIVAL'S BRAND, INCREASE VISIBILITY, AND REMAIN RELEVANT TO THOSE ON THE PENINSULA AND BEYOND. THE EMERGING CONDUCTOR PROGRAM PROVIDES WELL-ROUNDED TRAINING AND EXPOSURE TO ASPIRING CONDUCTORS WITH A PROFESSIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND CONTINUES AS PART OF THE FESTIVAL'S EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH ACTIVITIES.THE PMF SUSTAINING COMMITTEE (PMF'S VOLUNTEER SOCIETY) CONTINUES TO SERVE AS THE BACKBONE OF THE ORGANIZATION. VOLUNTEERS PROVIDE THOUSANDS OF HOURS OF SERVICE TO THE ORGANIZATION BY PICKING UP GUEST ARTISTS FROM THE AIRPORT, CHAUFFEURING TO/FROM ENGAGEMENT RELATED ACTIVITIES/REHEARSALS AND PERFORMANCES, PROVIDING FOOD FOR MUSICIANS, AND WORKING AS USHERS AND PARKING ATTENDANTS FOR THE CONCERTS. FOR EVALUATION PURPOSES, THE PMF CURRENTLY USES A THREE-PHASE EVALUATION SYSTEM SET FORTH BY THE LEAGUE OF AMERICAN ORCHESTRAS. THE COMPONENTS INCLUDE: ADMINISTRATIVE - ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE, BOARD, STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS AS WELL AS MARKETING AND DEVELOPMENT; FINANCIAL - PLANNING AND REPORTING; AND ARTISTIC - REPERTOIRE, OPERATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. PMF CONTINUES TO ACHIEVE ITS GOALS AND FULFILL ITS MISSION THANKS TO A STRONG BOARD OF DIRECTORS, A WELL-TRAINED ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF, AND A GREAT CORE OF VOLUNTEERS. THIS TRIO HAS PROVIDED THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES FOR THE PMF TO GROW WHERE IT COUNTS - IN THE QUALITY OF ITS ARTISTIC PRODUCT AND ITS OUTREACH TO THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT IT SERVES.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
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.
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.
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.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending September 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since November 1991.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
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.
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