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Seattle Opera
Seattle Opera reported $22.2 million in revenue and $25.3 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $78.86 went to program services, $15.31 to management and general costs and $5.83 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 61.3% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $304,409 (GENERAL DIRECTOR UNTIL 10/31/24). 12 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue fell 23% 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 $25MFor 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 $22MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 78.9% | 78.5% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 15.3% | 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 | $0.11 | $0.10 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 61.3% | 57.5% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 3.0% | 1.7% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 36.2% | 20.8% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $304,409 | $385,706 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.20% | 2.03% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 12 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 27.7 | 36.6 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 46 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 expenseDuring Seattle Opera's 2024/25 season, the company witnessed continued growth of in-person attendence at mccaw hall, tagney jones hall, and other venues. The company increased the number of performances significantly from the prior season (32 vs 24), especially for blockbuster shows like the magic flute, tosca, and pagliacci. We sold more single tickets than any season in our history and sold as many tickets per performance (~2,000 on average) as we did in the last year before COVID. The season featured four mainstage operas, among them all-time favorites like "pagliacci", "the magic flute"…
Seattle Opera's commitment to community engagement and education continued throughout the 2024/2025 season. Through new and long-standing partnerships with civic and arts organizations, schools and community centers, and dozens of local institutions we strive to make living in washington state healthier, smarter, more peaceful and more enjoyable. In the fall of 2024 the company hosted its first school day matinee since the 1970s with more than 1500 school students attending jubilee. Nearly 700 people attended our annual open house. What's more, our school program visited 60 schools and…
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 DIRECTOR UNTIL 10/31/24 Officer, 60 hrs/week | $289,956 | $0 | $14,453 | $304,409 |
| DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS Key employee, 60 hrs/week | $168,830 | $0 | $10,661 | $179,491 |
| DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION UNTIL 11/20/24 Key employee, 60 hrs/week | $168,392 | $0 | $10,841 | $179,233 |
| GENERAL & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR FROM 11/1/24 Officer, 60 hrs/week | $165,123 | $0 | $11,414 | $176,537 |
| CFO Officer, 60 hrs/week | $161,494 | $0 | $12,500 | $173,994 |
| DIRECTOR OF ARTISTIC ADMINISTRATION AND PLANNING Highest compensated employee, 60 hrs/week | $149,126 | $0 | $10,218 | $159,344 |
| COO Officer, 60 hrs/week | $148,542 | $0 | $10,652 | $159,194 |
| DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Highest compensated employee, 60 hrs/week | $137,342 | $0 | $11,852 | $149,194 |
12 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Seattle Opera (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–1b46 · 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 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 5597
- Volunteers Part I, line 6171
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses onlyIndividuals listed as contractors are left out. 8 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
21 private foundations reported grants to Seattle Opera totaling $1.1M 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 Seattle Opera's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Seattle Opera, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Seattle Opera spent in FY2025, $78.86 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- The Childrens MuseumBoston, MA · revenue $22M · programs 76.3% · FY2025
- Children's MuseumHouston, TX · revenue $22M · programs 77.0% · FY2025
- Historical Society of Western PennsylvaniaPittsburgh, PA · revenue $22M · programs 74.8% · FY2025
- Worcester Art MuseumWorcester, MA · revenue $22M · programs 75.7% · FY2025
- Technology ReviewCambridge, MA · revenue $22M · programs 85.4% · FY2025
All arts, culture & humanities charities · Largest charities in Washington
Questions people ask
How much of Seattle Opera's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Seattle Opera reported that 78.9% of its $25.3 million in expenses went to program services, 15.3% to management and general and 5.8% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Seattle Opera pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Seattle Opera reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $304,409, for the role of GENERAL DIRECTOR UNTIL 10/31/24 (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Seattle Opera get its money?
Of $22.2 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 61.3% came from contributions and grants (including 3.0% from government grants) and 36.2% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Seattle Opera a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 91-0760426 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (509(a)(2))), 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 202503399349300700 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202540919349301654 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202431229349301648 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202311009349301006 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202220759349300037 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202110779349301656 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 91-0760426: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.