Home › Arts, culture & humanities
Metropolitan Opera Association
Metropolitan Opera Association reported $304.1 million in revenue and $325.3 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending July 31, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $85.12 went to program services, $10.61 to management and general costs and $4.27 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 59.1% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $2,227,876 (GENERAL MANAGER). 551 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 3% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending July 31, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $325MFor context, the median across 876 covered arts, culture & humanities charities: $79.98 programs, $13.89 management, $6.13 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending July 31, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $304MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 85.1% | 78.5% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 10.6% | 13.6% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 4.3% | 6.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.08 | $0.10 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 59.1% | 57.5% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.1% | 1.7% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 33.4% | 20.8% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $2,227,876 | $385,706 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.68% | 2.03% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 551 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 6.2 | 36.6 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 46 of 47 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expensePreparation and presentation of opera performances at the Metropolitan Opera house as well as symphonic repertory at carnegie hall. Also includes outdoor presentation of concerts throughout parks in new york city. Parks concerts are presented to the public at no charge. The attendance of these performances is approximately five hundred and sixty-seven thousand people per season. Included in performance revenue is $1.5 million in contributions for the rush discount tickets program and $0.4 million related to in-kind ticket donations
Media presentation of opera performances, live performances broadcast in high definition to movie theaters throughout the world, domestic and international live audio transmissions of performances on radio and the met's website. Past performances broadcast on television, radio stations and the internet globally. Media presentations reached an audience of approximately 10 million
Presentation of events other than opera where the met either presents or co-presents the event or licenses the opera house to third parties. The attendance at these events, principally ballet, was approximately 140,000 people per year
Highest reported compensation
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GENERAL MANAGER Officer, 60.0 hrs/week | $1,446,282 | $0 | $781,594 | $2,227,876 |
| MUSIC DIRECTOR Highest compensated employee, 60.0 hrs/week | $2,035,560 | $0 | $21,190 | $2,056,750 |
| CONCERT MASTER Highest compensated employee, 60.0 hrs/week | $515,613 | $0 | $113,873 | $629,486 |
| MASTER ELECTRICIAN Highest compensated employee, 60.0 hrs/week | $421,570 | $0 | $126,717 | $548,287 |
| CONCERT MASTER Highest compensated employee, 60.0 hrs/week | $426,501 | $0 | $60,590 | $487,091 |
| ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER, PRODUCTION Key employee, 60.0 hrs/week | $412,120 | $0 | $71,921 | $484,041 |
| DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER/CFO/ASSISTANT TREASURER Officer, 59.0 hrs/week | $393,208 | $0 | $73,852 | $467,060 |
| DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER Highest compensated employee, 60.0 hrs/week | $413,512 | $0 | $22,420 | $435,932 |
551 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Metropolitan Opera Association (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $4.2M (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b47 · 46 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aNo
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26Yes
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4Yes
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18Yes
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bYes
- Employees Part I, line 55,455
- Volunteers Part I, line 6831
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| SITUATION INTERACTIVE Marketing and creative | $4,443,604 |
| DAYBREAK FAST FREIGHT INC Container storage and transit | $3,019,081 |
| ALL MOBILE VIDEO INC Video/audio | $2,201,853 |
| PATINA RESTAURANT GROUP Food service | $1,445,476 |
| Tait Towers Manufacturing Production | $1,095,437 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 128 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
216 private foundations reported grants to Metropolitan Opera Association totaling $28M on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Metropolitan Opera Association's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Metropolitan Opera Association, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Metropolitan Opera Association spent in FY2025, $85.12 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
Embed on your site
Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Canada Council for the ArtsCanada, · revenue $296M · programs 92.8% · FY2026
- Harvard Business School Publishing CorporationBrighton, MA · revenue $314M · programs 93.5% · FY2025
- Educational Media FoundationRocklin, CA · revenue $261M · programs 69.1% · 2024
- Trust for the National MallWashington, DC · revenue $322M · programs 99.3% · 2025
- The Museum of Fine Arts HoustonHouston, TX · revenue $255M · programs 75.1% · FY2025
All arts, culture & humanities charities · Largest charities in New York
Questions people ask
How much of Metropolitan Opera Association's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending July 31, 2025, Metropolitan Opera Association reported that 85.1% of its $325.3 million in expenses went to program services, 10.6% to management and general and 4.3% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Metropolitan Opera Association pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Metropolitan Opera Association reported for one person in the fiscal year ending July 31, 2025 was $2,227,876, for the role of GENERAL MANAGER (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Metropolitan Opera Association get its money?
Of $304.1 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending July 31, 2025, 59.1% came from contributions and grants (including 0.1% from government grants) and 33.4% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Metropolitan Opera Association a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 13-1624087 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending July 31, 2025, object 202631669349301848 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending July 31, 2024, object 202501629349300915 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending July 31, 2023, object 202431639349301528 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending July 31, 2022, object 202311599349300631 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending July 31, 2021, object 202201649349300950 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending July 31, 2020, object 202141619349300959 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 13-1624087: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.