Opera Reading Project
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Opera Reading Project (ORP) was established in 2018 to provide financially accessible, professional-quality arts education opportunities for Minnesotans to engage in opera. We offer both auditioned and non-auditioned, affordable, and integrative programs, ensuring aspiring Minnesota singers can access professional training, hone their craft, and connect with other opera artists and audiences.
- Income
- $73,142
- Spending
- $56,880
- Reserves
- 10.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 85%
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending July 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 90 out of 100. Higher than 73% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 10.2 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 22% of income.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending July 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
This organization files the short tax form, which does not ask about boards, policies or audits. That is normal for a small charity and is not a mark against it.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending July 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 (1)
- $45,842 spent. Opera Reading Project (ORP) provides financially accessible, professional-quality arts education experiences for Minnesotans to engage in opera and the vocal arts. ORP's goals are to provide a place where (1) The generosity of the artistic experience is shared with all; (2) Storytelling is enlivened through music and (3) Resilience is built through and beyond the creative process. To further our mission in our FY 2025 season, we presented 2 of our standard opera reading programs with public performances, engaging and educating 24 artists and 50-100 attendees per reading; these opera readings were Transformations (Susa) and a double-bill presentation of Alice Tierney (Dunphy) and Pagliacci (Puccini). We additionally presented two special public performance programs: one reading of an in-development opera by Jorge Sosa and John De Los Santos, entitled Ofrenda, which served as the opera's official piano-vocal workshop and engaged 5 additional artists and an audience of 50; and VOXSPEX, a genre fusion project developed by ORP's Music Director Lara Bolton and featuring both local artists and special guests, designed to challenge and enhance the audience's understanding of what the experience of opera music can be. Alongside our public performance opportunities, we presented two community music education classes that were completely free to attend, with the goal of making the craft of opera and the vocal arts approachable and informative for our community; our featured topics this season were The Art of Better Practice and The Integrated Singing Actor. Both our opera readings and community music education classes included outreach activities for youth and the elderly with our various community partners including Neighborhood House, El Rio Vista Recreation Center, and the Carondelet Village Retirement Community.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending July 31, 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 July 2026.
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 October 2023.
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.
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.