Duluth-Superior Symphony Association
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
OUR MISSION IS TO ENHANCE OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH THE PERFORMANCE OF SYMPHONIC MUSIC THAT ENGAGES AND INSPIRES. OUR VISION IS THAT WE ENVISION A STRONGER COMMUNITY THROUGH THE POWER OF MUSIC AND MUSICIAN ARTISRY. OUR GOALS INCLUDE: WITH THE POWER OF SYMPHONIC MUSIC, WE WILL CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT NURTURES MUSIC-MAKING AT THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE LEVELS. WE WILL BE AN ORGANIZATION CREATING MOVING AND ENGAGING EXPERIENCES FOR OUR AUDIENCES. WE WILL BECOME DEEPLY INTERGRATED INTO THE COMMUNITY AND ASSUME A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN ORDER TO ENGAGE AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.
- Income
- $1.3 million
- Spending
- $1.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 77%
- Reserves
- -4.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 69%
- Employees
- 171
- Volunteers
- 175
- Highest pay
- $80,662, executive di
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 55 out of 100. Higher than 26% 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
10 of 20It owes 41% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 19% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 7% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1577% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 2 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, 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 2522 of 22 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 June 30, 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 (1)
- $818,270 spent. DURING THE 2024-25 SEASON, THE DSSO PERFORMED 8 PROGRAMS OVER 10 CONCERTS AT THE DECC (6 MASTERWORKS AND 2 POPS, WITH THE HOLIDAY POPS CONCERT OPEN TO FAMILIES AS PART OF OUR CASUAL CONCERT SERIES). FOR THE 2024-2025 SEASON WE HAD 837 SUBSCRIBERS AND SAW TOTAL TICKET SALES OF 305,374.50 OVER THE COURSE OF THE SEASON. HAVING REALIZED IT WAS AN UNSUSTAINABLE OBJECTIVE, WE NO LONGER OFFER SUBSCRIPTIONS THAT INCLUDED 10 TICKETS. WE WILL REVISE THE SEATING CHART AND THE TICKET PRICING SCHEME FOR THE 2025-2026 SEASON. THE DSSO SUPPORTS A ROBUST YOUTH ORCHESTRA PROGRAM WITH MORE THAN 120 STUDENTS ENROLLED EACH YEAR ACROSS FOUR ENSEMBLES. OUR PROGRAMMING FOR 24-25 CONTINUED IN THE SPIRIT OF INCLUSIVITY WE BEGAN IN 2022 FEATURING WORKS BY CONTEMPORARY UNDERREPRESENTED COMPOSERS. COMPOSERS INCLUDED PETER BOYER, JAMES LEE, III, OSVALDO GOLIJOV, JONATHAN LESHNOFF, AND GABRIELA LENA FRANK. WE WERE ABLE TO BRING IN SEVERAL EXCEPTIONAL SOLOISTS THIS SEASON FROM NEAR AND FAR. THESE INCLUDED JEFFREY BIEGEL AND NATASHA PAREMSKI FROM AFAR, AND JULIE ALBERS, ERIN ALDRIDGE, AND DARCI GAMERL FROM NEAR. THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE SEASON WAS A WEEKEND OF STAR WARS PERFORMANCES WHICH WERE PERFORMED SATURDAY NIGHT AND AGAIN SUNDAY AFTERNOON. SATURDAY NIGHT WE HAD 2,246 TICKETS OUT AND SUNDAY AFTERNOON WE HAD 1,769 TICKETS OUT. OUR MOVIE OFFERINGS WILL NOW BE CONSIDERED A "DSSO FILM SERIES." THIS HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL EVENT INTRODUCED A WHOLE NEW CONSTITUENCY TO LIVE ORCHESTRAL MUSIC. THE DSSO SPORTS AN ALL-VOLUNTEER CHORUS WHICH PERFORMS 2 OR 3 TIMES EACH SEASON AND HAS A MEMBERSHIP OF AROUND 150. DURING THE 2024-25 SEASON, THE DSSO PERFORMED 8 PROGRAMS OVER 10 CONCERTS AT THE DECC (6 MASTERWORKS AND 2 POPS, WITH THE HOLIDAY POPS CONCERT OPEN TO FAMILIES AS PART OF OUR CASUAL CONCERT SERIES). FOR THE 2024-2025 SEASON WE HAD 837 SUBSCRIBERS AND SAW TOTAL TICKET SALES OF 305,374.50 OVER THE COURSE OF THE SEASON. HAVING REALIZED IT WAS AN UNSUSTAINABLE OBJECTIVE, WE NO LONGER OFFER SUBSCRIPTIONS THAT INCLUDED 10 TICKETS. WE WILL REVISE THE SEATING CHART AND THE TICKET PRICING SCHEME FOR THE 2025-2026 SEASON. THE DSSO SUPPORTS A ROBUST YOUTH ORCHESTRA PROGRAM WITH MORE THAN 120 STUDENTS ENROLLED EACH YEAR ACROSS FOUR ENSEMBLES. OUR PROGRAMMING FOR 24-25 CONTINUED IN THE SPIRIT OF INCLUSIVITY WE BEGAN IN 2022 FEATURING WORKS BY CONTEMPORARY UNDERREPRESENTED COMPOSERS. COMPOSERS INCLUDED PETER BOYER, JAMES LEE, III, OSVALDO GOLIJOV, JONATHAN LESHNOFF, AND GABRIELA LENA FRANK. WE WERE ABLE TO BRING IN SEVERAL EXCEPTIONAL SOLOISTS THIS SEASON FROM NEAR AND FAR. THESE INCLUDED JEFFREY BIEGEL AND NATASHA PAREMSKI FROM AFAR, AND JULIE ALBERS, ERIN ALDRIDGE, AND DARCI GAMERL FROM NEAR. THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE SEASON WAS A WEEKEND OF STAR WARS PERFORMANCES WHICH WERE PERFORMED SATURDAY NIGHT AND AGAIN SUNDAY AFTERNOON. SATURDAY NIGHT WE HAD 2,246 TICKETS OUT AND SUNDAY AFTERNOON WE HAD 1,769 TICKETS OUT. OUR MOVIE OFFERINGS WILL NOW BE CONSIDERED A "DSSO FILM SERIES." THIS HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL EVENT INTRODUCED A WHOLE NEW CONSTITUENCY TO LIVE ORCHESTRAL MUSIC. THE DSSO SPORTS AN ALL-VOLUNTEER CHORUS WHICH PERFORMS 2 OR 3 TIMES EACH SEASON AND HAS A MEMBERSHIP OF AROUND 150.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since March 1944.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 21, 2026.
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