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Oregon Symphony Association

EIN 93-0446527 · Portland, OR

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak35 out of 100GovernanceStrong90 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE OREGON SYMPHONY IS DEDICATED TO MOVING MUSIC FORWARD. OUR VISION IS BOLD AND ADVENTUROUS: TO INSPIRE AUDIENCES WITH EXHILARATING PERFORMANCES, PRESENT THE BEST MUSICIANS IN A WIDE RANGE OF STYLES, EXPLORE NEW ART FORMS, SHINE LIGHT ON CONTEMPORARY ISSUES AND BUILD A STRONGER COMMUNITY.

Income
$19.4 million
Spending
$25.7 million
Spent on programs
82%
Reserves
0.5 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 49%
Employees
345
Volunteers
97
Highest pay
$423,791, president/ceo

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

Weak: 35 out of 100. Higher than 4% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    4 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 0.5 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 28% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 32% of income.

  • Income trend

    0 of 15

    Income fell 26% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    82% 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: 90 out of 100. Higher than 13% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    45 of 48 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

    0 of 10

    Did not give 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, 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 (3)
  1. $18.5 million spent. CONCERT SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: THE HARMONY, RHYTHM, AND POWER OF NATURE TOOK CENTER STAGE IN THE OREGON SYMPHONY'S 2024/25 SEASON, THE NATURE OF MUSIC. LED BY JEAN VOLLUM MUSIC DIRECTOR DAVID DANZMAYR AND PERFORMED BY THE SYMPHONY'S 77 FULL-TIME MUSICIANS, THE ORCHESTRA EMBARKED ON A THRILLING EXPLORATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HUMANITY AND THE NATURAL WORLD, FROM CLASSICAL FAVORITES LIKE VIVALDI'S FOUR SEASONS AND COPLAND'S APPALACHIAN SPRING TO CONTEMPORARY WORKS BY COMPOSERS SUCH AS DERRICK SKYE AND KATHERINE BALCH. SPANNING WONDER, AWE, AND TERROR ALIKE, THE SEASON OFFERED A PROFOUND MEDITATION ON OUR DEEP BOND WITH NATURE. IN TOTAL, THE OREGON SYMPHONY PRESENTED 118 PERFORMANCES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.THE SYMPHONY CONTINUED ITS COMMITMENT TO REPRESENTATION AND ARTISTIC EQUITY: 83% OF CLASSICAL CONCERTS FEATURED WORKS BY WOMEN OR COMPOSERS OF COLOR, REFLECTING ONGOING EFFORTS TO BROADEN THE ORCHESTRAL CANON. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO CHAMPIONED NEW MUSIC THROUGH THREE COMMISSIONED WORKS, FURTHER ADVANCING THE CREATIVITY AND VIBRANCY OF TODAY'S ORCHESTRAL LANDSCAPE.BEYOND OUR CLASSICAL SERIES, WE CONTINUED TO INNOVATE AND PUSH THE BOUNDS OF ORCHESTRAL MUSIC. WE WELCOMED SOME OF THE GREATEST MUSICIANS IN THE WORLD TO THE ARLENE SCHNITZER CONCERT HALL, INCLUDING THE LEGENDARY ITZHAK PERLMAN, RAPPER AND ACTIVIST KILLER MIKE, GRAMMY-WINNING COMPOSER JESSIE MONTGOMERY, FUNK FAVORITES TOWER OF POWER, AND THE GENRE-SMASHING VIRTUOSO LINDSEY STIRLING. OUR EVER-POPULAR FILM SERIES TRAVELED BACK TO THE FUTURE, WHILE OUR ONE-NIGHT-ONLY SPECIALS PAID A VISIT TO TWIN PEAKS AND FUSED BEYONCE'S GREATEST HITS WITH BEETHOVEN'S SEVENTH. FROM THE YOUNGEST CONCERTGOERS TO LONGTIME SUBSCRIBERS, THE SEASON OFFERED MUSIC TO RESONATE WITH EVERYONE.
  2. $2.1 million spent. AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT: THE OREGON SYMPHONY CONTINUED TO ADAPT TO EVOLVING AUDIENCE PREFERENCES IN THE 2024/25 SEASON, RESULTING IN SIGNIFICANT GROWTH IN ATTENDANCE, ENGAGEMENT, AND OVERALL REACH. THROUGH DIVERSE PROGRAMMING AND TARGETED OUTREACH, WE SUCCESSFULLY CONNECTED WITH NEW AUDIENCE MEMBERS WHILE DEEPENING RELATIONSHIPS WITH LONGTIME PATRONS.THE SEASON WELCOMED NEARLY 200,000 CONCERT ATTENDEES ACROSS 118 PERFORMANCES, REFLECTING THE STRONG AND GROWING DEMAND FOR LIVE ORCHESTRAL EXPERIENCES. OF THESE, 24,622 WERE FIRST-TIME ATTENDEES, DEMONSTRATING THE SUCCESS OF OUR EFFORTS TO BROADEN ACCESS AND INVITE NEW COMMUNITIES INTO THE HALL.IN ADDITION TO FIRST-TIME ATTENDANCE GROWTH, WE SAW A REMARKABLE 134% INCREASE IN CHOOSE-YOUR-OWN SUBSCRIPTION PACKAGES, INDICATING GREATER FLEXIBILITY IN HOW AUDIENCES WANT TO EXPERIENCE THE SYMPHONY. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO CELEBRATED 993 FIRST-TIME SUBSCRIBERS. DIVERSE PROGRAM OFFERINGS, SPANNING CLASSICAL MASTERWORKS, FILM SCORES, CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS, GENRE-BLENDING SPECIALS, AND FAMILY-FRIENDLY EVENTS, CONTINUED TO DRAW NEW AND RETURNING PATRONS. STRATEGIC MARKETING CAMPAIGNS, INNOVATIVE DIGITAL CONTENT, AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH GUEST ARTISTS FURTHER AMPLIFIED OUR VISIBILITY AND IMPACT.
  3. $420,671 spent. EDUCATION & ACCESS: AT THE OREGON SYMPHONY, WE'RE COMMITTED TO EXPANDING ACCESS TO MUSIC THROUGHOUT OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY, FROM THE YOUNGEST CHILDREN TO OUR MOST VULNERABLE NEIGHBORS. BECAUSE WE KNOW A MUSICAL CITY IS A STRONGER CITY. LAST YEAR, WE PARTNERED WITH 334 SCHOOLS AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, WORKING SIDE-BY-SIDE TO BRING FREE MUSICAL EXPERIENCES TO MORE THAN 35,000 ADULTS AND CHILDREN. THIS INCLUDED 22,731 K12 STUDENTS, 77% OF WHOM CAME FROM LOW-INCOME SCHOOLS, ENSURING THAT YOUNG PEOPLE ACROSS OUR REGION HAVE ACCESS TO THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF LIVE ORCHESTRAL MUSIC. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, THE SYMPHONY DELIVERED 231 FREE EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES, REACHING AUDIENCES IN CLASSROOMS, COMMUNITY CENTERS, SHELTERS, AND PUBLIC SPACES THROUGHOUT OREGON.WE HELD THE EIGHTH ANNUAL LULLABY PROJECT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PATH HOME FAMILY VILLAGE, ALLOWING PARENTS EXPERIENCING HOUSELESSNESS TO WRITE AND RECORD ORIGINAL LULLABIES FOR THEIR CHILDREN. WE WELCOMED MORE THAN 7,000 FOURTH GRADERS TO THE SCHNITZ FOR OUR SPRING LINK UP CONCERT, WHERE THEY SANG, CLAPPED, AND PLAYED ALONG WITH THE ORCHESTRA ON RECORDERS. AND WE PROVIDED FREE CONCERT TICKETS TO HUNDREDS OF VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES, HONORING THEIR SERVICE THROUGH MUSIC.

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

  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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 2026.

  4. 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 September 7, 2026.

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

    Recognized by the IRS since June 1954.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 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.