Charity Impact Media

Home › Arts, culture & humanities

Glimmerglass Opera Theatre

Also known as Glimmerglass Festival

Cooperstown, NY · EIN 16-1053970 · 501(c)(3) · Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))
Latest filing: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 (tax year 2024) · View the filing · Correct or respond

Glimmerglass Opera Theatre reported $11.2 million in revenue and $11.6 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $75.24 went to program services, $12.60 to management and general costs and $12.16 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 64.1% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $233,962 (ARTISTIC & GENERAL DIRECTO). 2 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 87% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.

Where $100 of spending went

The fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $12M

For context, the median across 874 covered arts, culture & humanities charities: $79.92 programs, $13.89 management, $6.19 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).

Where $100 of revenue came from

The fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $11M

The 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades

FY2025 filing. Median across 874 covered charities in this category, from their latest filings.
MeasureFY2025Median
Program services
Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A)
75.2%78.3%
Management & general
Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A)
12.6%13.6%
Fundraising
Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A)
12.2%6.1%
Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions
Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h
$0.20$0.10
Contributions & grants share of revenue
Part VIII 1h ÷ 12
64.1%57.9%
Government grants share of revenue
Part VIII 1e ÷ 12
0.4%1.7%
Program service revenue share
Part VIII 2g ÷ 12
24.8%20.8%
Highest reported compensation
Part VII-A, columns D–F
$233,962$385,706
Highest compensation as share of expenses
Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A)
2.02%2.03%
People paid over $100,000
Part VII, line 2
28
Net assets, in months of expenses
Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses
14.336.6
Independent voting board members
Part VI 1a–1b
23 of 24100.0%

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 expense
$8.7M expenses · 100.0% of program spending · revenue $2.8M

Glimmerglass is an eight-week summer festival, annually presenting 32-to-36 performances of four original productions of opera and classic broadway in rotating repertory in its 900-seat theater. Glimmerglass has earned an international reputation as a creative center for the development of rare and familiar repertory presented in innovative stagings, bringing together acclaimed artistic teams to generate new productions during uniquely-lengthy rehearsal periods. These main stage performances are augmented by an array of ancillary programs to create a festival atmosphere: concerts by…

Highest reported compensation

FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here
RoleFrom this orgFrom related orgsOtherTotal
ARTISTIC & GENERAL DIRECTO
Officer, 30.00 hrs/week
$221,478$0$12,484$233,962
DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL
Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week
$113,617$0$14,251$127,868
COO/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Officer, 40.00 hrs/week
$92,262$0$14,674$106,936
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE
Officer, 40.00 hrs/week
$78,842$0$13,869$92,711

2 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Glimmerglass Opera Theatre (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $431K (Part IX, line 5).

6 years of filings

Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linked
RevenueExpenses
$0$5.0M$10M$15M$20MFY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025$11M$12M
FilingRevenueExpensesProgramsNet assetsTop pay
FY2025 ⓘ$11M$12M75.2%$14M$233,962
FY2024 ⓘ$8.4M$10M78.3%$14M$241,495
FY2023 ⓘ$7.7M$11M82.6%$14M$128,913
FY2022 ⓘ$10.0M$11M82.7%$16M$128,803
FY2021 ⓘ$8.6M$6.9M76.5%$18M$139,038
FY2020 ⓘ$6.0M$5.6M71.7%$15M$90,071

Governance 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–1b24 · 23 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 11aYes
  • 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 26No
  • Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4No
  • Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18Yes
  • Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
  • Employees Part I, line 5314
  • Volunteers Part I, line 697

Largest outside contractors

FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only
BELLO ELECTRIC LLC
Electrical
$190,174
DONORLY INC
Fundraising counsel
$120,000
CENTRAL SECURITY SYSTEMS INC
Security
$111,502
METROPOLITAN CLUB
Gala location
$106,535

Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 6 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.

Private foundation grants it received

19 private foundations reported grants to Glimmerglass Opera Theatre totaling $799K 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 Glimmerglass Opera Theatre's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Glimmerglass Opera Theatre, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.

Similar-sized charities in this cause

All arts, culture & humanities charities · Largest charities in New York

Questions people ask

How much of Glimmerglass Opera Theatre's spending goes to programs?

In the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, Glimmerglass Opera Theatre reported that 75.2% of its $11.6 million in expenses went to program services, 12.6% to management and general and 12.2% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).

How much does Glimmerglass Opera Theatre pay its top executive?

The largest total compensation Glimmerglass Opera Theatre reported for one person in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 was $233,962, for the role of ARTISTIC & GENERAL DIRECTO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).

Where does Glimmerglass Opera Theatre get its money?

Of $11.2 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, 64.1% came from contributions and grants (including 0.4% from government grants) and 24.8% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).

Is Glimmerglass Opera Theatre a registered charity?

The IRS lists EIN 16-1053970 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 September 30, 2025, object 202642179349300914 · read the filing · XML
  • FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, object 202501619349301525 · read the filing
  • FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2023, object 202442189349301364 · read the filing
  • FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, object 202331649349300048 · read the filing
  • FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021, object 202240989349301604 · read the filing
  • FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, object 202102019349300545 · read the filing

All filings for EIN 16-1053970: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.