Boston Childrens Chorus Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
BOSTON CHILDREN'S CHORUS HARNESSES THE POWER OF MUSIC TO CONNECT OUR CITY'S DIVERSE COMMUNITIES, CULTIVATE EMPATHY, AND INSPIRE SOCIAL INQUIRY.
- Income
- $2.9 million
- Spending
- $2.9 million
- Spent on programs
- 53%
- Reserves
- 1.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 71%
- Employees
- 55
- Volunteers
- 30
- Highest pay
- $183,101, 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
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.4 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 11% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 1% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 12% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1553% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 23 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 2515 of 16 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)
- $1.5 million spent. BCC ACCOMPLISHMENTS (2024-2025 SEASON) IN THE 2024-2025 SEASON, PEOPLE, GET READY, BOSTON CHILDREN'S CHORUS (BCC) SERVED MORE THAN 2,900 YOUNG PEOPLE THROUGH PERFORMANCES, SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS, REHEARSALS, AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS ACROSS GREATER BOSTON. BCC CONTINUED TO USE THE POWER OF MUSIC TO UNITE DIVERSE COMMUNITIES, AMPLIFY YOUTH VOICES, AND CREATE TRANSFORMATIVE ARTISTIC EXPERIENCES. THIS SEASON'S THEME, PEOPLE, GET READY, EXPLORED THE WAYS MUSIC INSPIRES SOCIAL CHANGE, UPLIFTS COMMUNITY VOICES, AND EMPOWERS YOUNG ARTISTS TO SEE THEMSELVES AS LEADERS IN BUILDING A MORE JUST WORLD. PROGRAMS HIGHLIGHTED RESILIENCE, PROTEST, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, AND FEATURED NEW COMMISSIONS THAT DEEPENED THE REPERTOIRE FOR YOUTH VOICES. ACROSS THE YEAR, BCC PRESENTED APPROXIMATELY 41 PERFORMANCES IN VENUES FROM NEIGHBORHOOD STAGES TO SYMPHONY HALL. MLK TRIBUTE CONCERT - BCC'S 22ND ANNUAL DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. TRIBUTE CONCERT, ROAD TO FREEDOM, WAS A SOLD-OUT PERFORMANCE AT SYMPHONY HALL ATTENDED BY NEARLY 2,000 AUDIENCE MEMBERS. THE PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTED THEMES OF LIBERATION AND RESILIENCE THROUGH REPERTOIRE SPANNING SPIRITUALS, CONTEMPORARY WORKS, AND PROTEST SONGS. GUEST ARTIST ANASTASIA TALLEY JOINED BCC IN THIS POWERFUL MUSICAL CELEBRATION. BIG SING - SPONSORED BY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF ARTS AND CULTURE, THE 2025 BIG SING WAS THE LARGEST IN BCC HISTORY, CONVENING MORE THAN 700 STUDENTS FROM 10 BOSTON PUBLIC AND CHARTER SCHOOLS AT THE STRAND THEATRE. GUEST ARTIST TAMAR GREENE (BROADWAY'S HAMILTON) JOINED THE EVENT, WHICH BROUGHT TOGETHER CHILDREN ACROSS NEIGHBORHOODS TO SING AND BUILD COMMUNITY. COMMISSIONS AND PREMIERES - AS PART OF THE OPUS NUOVO COMMISSIONING PROJECT, BCC PREMIERED NEW WORKS BY VICTOR C. JOHNSON AND DR. TRACY WONG, EXPANDING THE REPERTOIRE FOR YOUTH VOICES WITH POWERFUL MUSIC ROOTED IN COMMUNITY AND IDENTITY. ARTISTIC COLLABORATIONS - PARTNERED WITH THE BOSTON ARTS ACADEMY SPIRITUALS ENSEMBLE FOR THE NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE OF WEATHER BY ROLLO DILWORTH. COLLABORATED WITH BOSTON LYRIC OPERA ON A COMMUNITY PRODUCTION OF BRITTEN'S NOAH'S FLOOD AT SYMPHONY HALL. SHARED THE STAGE WITH THE MILLENNIUM GOSPEL CHOIR FOR BCC'S SEASON FINALE CONCERT AT THE STRAND THEATRE. TOURING AND EXCHANGE - BCC'S UPPER CHOIRS TOURED TO NEW YORK CITY AND WASHINGTON, DC, WHERE SINGERS PERFORMED, ATTENDED CULTURAL PROGRAMS, AND EXPLORED THE INTERSECTION OF MUSIC AND SOCIAL CHANGE. BCC PARTNERED WITH THE CHILDREN'S CHORUS OF WASHINGTON IN AN EXCHANGE HIGHLIGHTING THE POWER OF YOUNG VOICES TO SHAPE A MORE JUST AND COMPASSIONATE WORLD, CULMINATING IN A PERFORMANCE ON SIRIUSXM DC'S 'SYMPHONY HALL' PROGRAM. NOTABLE PERFORMANCES - BCC RETURNED TO THE NATIONALLY TELEVISED BOSTON POPS FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER A DECADE, PERFORMING ALONGSIDE TONY AWARD-WINNER LESLIE ODOM, JR. THE SEASON ALSO INCLUDED CONCERTS AT THE GARDNER MUSEUM, SHALIN LIU PERFORMANCE CENTER, AND SYMPHONY HALL, AMONG OTHERS. SINGER DEVELOPMENT - BCC DEEPENED ITS INVESTMENT IN THE GROWTH OF YOUNG ARTISTS THROUGH RETREAT EXPERIENCES. HIGH SCHOOL SINGERS PARTICIPATED IN AN OVERNIGHT RETREAT AT THE RON BURTON TRAINING VILLAGE, WHILE LOWER CHOIR SINGERS GATHERED AT THE BLUE HILL BOYS & GIRLS CLUB FOR A DAY RETREAT CENTERED ON TEAM-BUILDING, ARTISTRY, AND COMMUNITY. SERVING THE COMMUNITY - BCC CONTINUED TO STRENGTHEN ITS DECENTRALIZED REHEARSAL MODEL, OFFERING REHEARSALS IN LOCATIONS ACROSS BOSTON. IN THE 2024-2025 SEASON, THE ORGANIZATION EXPANDED TO TWO NEW SITES: THE MENINO ARTS CENTER IN HYDE PARK AND THE PSF COMMUNITY CENTER IN BRIGHTON. THESE PARTNERSHIPS, ALONGSIDE EXISTING SITES IN THE SOUTH END, JAMAICA PLAIN, AND ROXBURY, ENSURE THAT MORE CHILDREN CAN ACCESS HIGH-QUALITY MUSIC EDUCATION IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY LIVE. SOCIAL INQUIRY PRIME - BCC BEGAN ITS VENTURE INTO DEFINING WHAT SOCIAL INQUIRY MEANS TO BCC, AND WHAT IT'S FUNCTION WITHIN OUR MISSION IS: BCC DEFINES SOCIAL INQUIRY AS AN APPROACH THAT "VALUES THE EXPLORATION OF QUESTIONS, GATHERING INFORMATION, AND REFLECTING ON/EVALUATING THE FINDINGS" (WOOD, 2013). THIS APPROACH WHEN EMBEDDED INTO NONPROFIT ORGANIZING AND MUSIC EDUCATION WILL DEEPEN THE "CONCEPTUAL, CRITICAL, AND AFFECTIVE UNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT HOW SOCIETIES OPERATE AND HOW INDIVIDUALS CAN PARTICIPATE AND TAKE SOCIAL ACTION AS CRITICAL, INFORMED AND CONFIDENT CITIZENS" (MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, 2007, P. 2). THE CORE OUTPUTS ARE TO "SUPPORT INFORMATIONAL AND TRANSFORMATIONAL/CITIZENSHIP OUTCOMES" (WOOD, 2013) FOR BCC'S YOUTH, CONDUCTORS, AND STAFF. SOCIAL INQUIRY IS ROOTED IN THE FRAMEWORKS OF SOCIAL JUSTICE LEARNING STANDARDS1AND AESTHETICS PERSPECTIVES2. BBC'S SOCIAL INQUIRY PRIME SERVES TO FOCUS TEAMS AND DISCUSSIONS BACK TO THE IMPACT OF CHORAL ORGANIZING, CONDUCTING, AND BCC'S MISSION. BELOW IS A LIST OF DOMAINS AND GUIDING QUESTIONS THAT ENSURE ACCOUNTABILITY IN DECISION MAKING INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO PARTNERSHIPS, PROGRAMMING DESIGN, HR POLICIES & PROCEDURES, AND/OR PROMOTING." IN THE COMING YEAR, WE WILL UTILIZE THIS STANCE TO DEFINE OUR YOUTH EVALUATION AND IMPACT GOALS. BCC ACCOMPLISHMENTS (2024-2025 SEASON) IN THE 2024-2025 SEASON, PEOPLE, GET READY, BOSTON CHILDREN'S CHORUS (BCC) SERVED MORE THAN 2,900 YOUNG PEOPLE THROUGH PERFORMANCES, SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS, REHEARSALS, AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS ACROSS GREATER BOSTON. BCC CONTINUED TO USE THE POWER OF MUSIC TO UNITE DIVERSE COMMUNITIES, AMPLIFY YOUTH VOICES, AND CREATE TRANSFORMATIVE ARTISTIC EXPERIENCES. THIS SEASON'S THEME, PEOPLE, GET READY, EXPLORED THE WAYS MUSIC INSPIRES SOCIAL CHANGE, UPLIFTS COMMUNITY VOICES, AND EMPOWERS YOUNG ARTISTS TO SEE THEMSELVES AS LEADERS IN BUILDING A MORE JUST WORLD. PROGRAMS HIGHLIGHTED RESILIENCE, PROTEST, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, AND FEATURED NEW COMMISSIONS THAT DEEPENED THE REPERTOIRE FOR YOUTH VOICES. ACROSS THE YEAR, BCC PRESENTED APPROXIMATELY 41 PERFORMANCES IN VENUES FROM NEIGHBORHOOD STAGES TO SYMPHONY HALL. MLK TRIBUTE CONCERT - BCC'S 22ND ANNUAL DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. TRI
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 November 6, 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 June 2003.
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 November 4, 2026.
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