Local Philanthropic

JACKSONVILLE SYMPHONY ASSOCIATION
Using data as of: June 2015

Rating: RECOMMEND

About
The Jacksonville Symphony was founded in 1949 and is one of the country’s top regional orchestras. Last year they saw a record attendance of 255,000, which is sure to be broken this year with an expanded concert season.

The Symphony is one of the few in America to have their own, dedicated concert halls. The Robert E. Jacoby Hall is described as an acoustic gem.

They also have music education programs for children and offer free or discounted admission to their performances.

More information on the Jacksonville Symphony can be found here:
https://www.jaxsymphony.org/

Symphony Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/jaxsymphony

Our Analysis

The Jacksonville Symphony brought in $7.8 million in revenue according to their latest report, which is a significant deficit from their $9.9 million in expenses.

The majority of the $7.8 million in revenue came from donor contributions, which added $3.2 million. $3.1 million was generated from their concerts and music programs.

It’s impossible to evaluate a nonprofit like the Symphony like a regular nonprofit due to their operating style. Normally, we like to see charities spend at least 75% on their mission, but symphonies have much larger overhead due to their concert hall expenses, musician salaries, etc. The Jax Symphony still spends above that 75% level, which is a testament to how well they are run.

Spending on mission
7,933,449 ÷ 9,927,343 = 79.9%

Spending on administrative costs
1,495,981 ÷ 9,927,343 = 15.1%

Spending on fundraising
497,913 ÷ 9,927,343 = 5.0%

Our Conclusion
The Jacksonville Symphony is a great program and is well run, though we do worry about their deficits. Not only do we recommend a donation, but also recommend catching a performance. We give them a RECOMMEND rating.

Contact:
Jacksonville Symphony
Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts
300 Water Street, Suite 200
Jacksonville, FL 32202
(904) 354-2767

Form 990: LINK

Link to Form 990 for the Symphony Foundation: LINK

Financial information comes from the latest Form 990 filing. This review is the opinion of Local Philanthropic and is provided for general information purposes only. Please conduct your own due diligence before donating to any nonprofit.