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The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Society
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Society reported $15.9 million in revenue and $11.3 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $73.71 went to program services, $15.64 to management and general costs and $10.65 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 65.2% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $328,467 (President & Managing Director). 14 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 66% 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 $11MFor 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 $16M- Contributions & grants (non-government)$61.85 $9.8M
- Government grants$3.30 $525K
- Program service revenue$11.82 $1.9M
- Investment income$23.03 $3.7M
Other revenue was negative: −$5,820. 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) | 73.7% | 78.5% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 15.6% | 13.6% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 10.6% | 6.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.12 | $0.10 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 65.2% | 57.5% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 3.3% | 1.7% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 11.8% | 20.8% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $328,467 | $385,706 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 2.91% | 2.03% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 14 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 76.7 | 36.6 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 42 of 46 | 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 expenseOrganization Summary:Founded in 1959, the Grammy Award-winning Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra (SPCO) is renowned for its artistic excellence, remarkable versatility of musical styles and adventurous programming. SPCO concerts are primarily musician-led and include a broad range of repertoire, from Baroque works to new music, in close collaboration with a dynamic roster of internationally acclaimed Artistic Partners. Through a distinctive musician-led artistic model, SPCO musicians lead and develop the orchestra's programming, determine members and choose artistic collaborators. (Continued on…
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 & Managing Director Director/trustee, officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $284,121 | $0 | $44,346 | $328,467 |
| Musician Highest compensated employee, 30.00 hrs/week | $214,656 | $0 | $46,383 | $261,039 |
| Musician Highest compensated employee, 30.00 hrs/week | $247,436 | $0 | $8,787 | $256,223 |
| Musician Highest compensated employee, 30.00 hrs/week | $145,992 | $0 | $41,269 | $187,261 |
| Chief Financial Officer Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $134,266 | $0 | $28,755 | $163,021 |
| Musician Highest compensated employee, 30.00 hrs/week | $133,107 | $0 | $16,452 | $149,559 |
| Chief People Officer Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $126,392 | $0 | $18,562 | $144,954 |
| Ex-Officio Director/Musician Director/trustee, 30.00 hrs/week | $124,056 | $0 | $20,321 | $144,377 |
14 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Society (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $930K (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–1b46 · 42 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 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bYes
- Employees Part I, line 5241
- Volunteers Part I, line 6250
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| Mission Construction Inc Construction | $395,283 |
| Netrio IT Services | $133,045 |
| Felhaber Larson Legal Services | $129,752 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 3 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
30 private foundations reported grants to The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Society totaling $304K 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 Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Society'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 Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Society, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Society spent in FY2025, $73.71 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Flint Institute of MusicFlint, MI · revenue $16M · programs 87.2% · FY2025
- Sarasota Ballet of FloridaSarasota, FL · revenue $16M · programs 81.1% · FY2025
- The Florida OrchestraSt Petersburg, FL · revenue $16M · programs 83.7% · FY2025
- Pen American CenterNew York, NY · revenue $16M · programs 67.5% · 2024
- Institute of Contemporary Art MiamiMiami, FL · revenue $16M · programs 76.6% · FY2025
All arts, culture & humanities charities · Largest charities in Minnesota
Questions people ask
How much of The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Society's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Society reported that 73.7% of its $11.3 million in expenses went to program services, 15.6% to management and general and 10.6% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Society pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Society reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $328,467, for the role of President & Managing Director (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Society get its money?
Of $15.9 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 65.2% came from contributions and grants (including 3.3% from government grants) and 11.8% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Society a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 41-0829498 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 202610969349300526 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202531079349300413 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202440819349300034 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202330959349301458 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202241229349300849 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202131339349304128 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 41-0829498: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.