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The Musical Arts Association
Also known as The Cleveland Orchestra
The Musical Arts Association reported $78.8 million in revenue and $72.4 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $80.74 went to program services, $13.43 to management and general costs and $5.83 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 53.3% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $1,309,932 (President & CEO). 125 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 45% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $72MFor 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 June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $79M- Contributions & grants (non-government)$49.97 $39M
- Government grants$3.24 $2.6M
- Program service revenue$31.75 $25M
- Investment income$15.04 $12M
Other revenue was negative: −$167K. The bar shows the positive sources only.
The 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 80.7% | 78.5% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 13.4% | 13.6% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 5.8% | 6.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.10 | $0.10 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 53.3% | 57.5% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 3.2% | 1.7% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 31.8% | 20.8% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $1,309,932 | $385,706 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.81% | 2.03% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 125 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 57.5 | 36.6 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 65 of 65 | 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 expenseSeverance Music Center, Northeast Ohio, and Digital InitiativesRegarded by many music-lovers as one of the world's most beautiful concert halls, Severance opened in 1931 as the home of The Cleveland Orchestra. Today, the main concert hall is known as the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Concert Hall, in recognition of a historic $50 million grant from the Cleveland-based Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation. Severance Music Center serves as the home of The Cleveland Orchestra for concerts, rehearsals, and administration. The building is also rented by a variety of local organizations and…
Touring and ResidenciesEach year, the Orchestra allocates several weeks of its performance schedule to residencies and touring activities beyond Northeast Ohio, nationally and internationally. These are designed to enhance both the artistic and financial strength of the organization and extend the Orchestra's worldwide reputation. The season started with the Orchestra's 80th international tour and the 22nd under the baton of Music Director Franz Welser-Most, with a concert recognizing the 200th anniversary of Anton Bruckner's birth in his home city of Ansfelden, Austria as part of a year-long…
Blossom Musical Festival and Blossom Music CenterThe 2024 Blossom Music Festival featured a wide range of concerts at The Cleveland Orchestra's summer home in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Cleveland Orchestra Music Director Franz Welser-Most returned to Blossom to conduct Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5, and pianist Vikingur Olafsson in Robert Schumann's Piano Concerto. The festival also welcomed conductors Domingo Hindoyan and Antonello Manacorda in their Cleveland Orchestra debuts and spotlighted two Cleveland Orchestra soloists: Principal Trumpet Michael Sachs in Arutiunian's Trumpet…
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| President & CEO Officer, 60.00 hrs/week | $1,080,869 | $0 | $229,063 | $1,309,932 |
| Musician Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $352,300 | $0 | $27,567 | $379,867 |
| CDO until 10/24 Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $331,261 | $0 | $43,334 | $374,595 |
| Musician Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $315,098 | $0 | $52,997 | $368,095 |
| Musician until 9/24 Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $333,026 | $0 | $32,393 | $365,419 |
| Musician Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $309,054 | $0 | $40,094 | $349,148 |
| Musician Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $306,082 | $0 | $37,530 | $343,612 |
| Asst. Treasurer, CFO Officer, 50.00 hrs/week | $294,718 | $0 | $29,334 | $324,052 |
125 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from The Musical Arts Association (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $1.3M (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–1b65 · 65 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 2Yes
- 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 5688
- Volunteers Part I, line 61,060
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| Opus 3 Artists Artists | $539,000 |
| Wasserman Music LLC Artists | $515,000 |
| Allied Global Marketing Marketing | $378,383 |
| Digital River Media LLC Digital video services | $222,241 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 10 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
68 private foundations reported grants to The Musical Arts Association totaling $22M 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 The Musical Arts 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 The Musical Arts Association, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 The Musical Arts Association spent in FY2025, $80.74 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Museum of the BibleOklahoma City, OK · revenue $79M · programs 74.6% · 2025
- Friends of United HatzalahNew York, NY · revenue $79M · programs 72.0% · 2024
- Historic Haymarket MilwaukeeMilwaukee, WI · revenue $76M · programs 99.8% · 2025
- San Francisco SymphonySan Francisco, CA · revenue $80M · programs 74.1% · FY2025
- Museum of Flight FoundationSeattle, WA · revenue $76M · programs 79.0% · 2024
All arts, culture & humanities charities · Largest charities in Ohio
Questions people ask
How much of The Musical Arts Association's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, The Musical Arts Association reported that 80.7% of its $72.4 million in expenses went to program services, 13.4% to management and general and 5.8% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does The Musical Arts Association pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation The Musical Arts Association reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $1,309,932, for the role of President & CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does The Musical Arts Association get its money?
Of $78.8 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 53.3% came from contributions and grants (including 3.2% from government grants) and 31.8% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is The Musical Arts Association a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 34-0714468 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 June 30, 2025, object 202601359349303760 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202501229349301620 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202421299349303757 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202321319349302022 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202221309349303582 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202141339349302184 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 34-0714468: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.