Arts, Culture & Humanities
(A690)
IRS Verified
DX Registered
990 on File
BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA INC
Financial strength (30%)
84/100
Reliability (20%)
55/100
Effectiveness (25%)
88/100
Impact (25%)
No data yet
CharityAI™ Score
Not yet evaluated
Mission Statement
The mission of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is to foster and maintain an organization dedicated to the making of music consonant with the highest aspirations of musical art, creating performances and providing educational and training programs at the highest level of excellence.
Financial Overview — FY 2025
$155.4M
Total Revenue
$127.9M
Total Expenses
$701.8M
Net Assets
1051
Employees
Revenue Sources
Expense Breakdown
Program Expense Ratio
81.8%
Fundraising Efficiency
1405.0%
Operating Reserve
65.83x
Liability-to-Asset
4.9%
Revenue Diversification
38.1%
Executive Compensation
$2.0M
Compared with Peers
FY 2025
Compared with 12 similar organizations
(United States, Arts, Culture & Humanities, $100M and over in expenses), FY 2025.
This organization
Middle half of peers (P25–P75)
Peer median
| Ratio | This org | Peer median | Position (P10 → P90) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Program expense ratio
Program expenses / total expenses
· higher is better
|
81.8% | 79.1% |
P10P90
|
Above median |
|
Admin expense ratio
Management and general / total expenses
· lower is better
|
11.8% | 11.2% |
P10P90
|
Below median |
|
Fundraising expense ratio
Fundraising expenses / total expenses
· lower is better
|
6.4% | 4.5% |
P10P90
|
Below median |
|
Fundraising efficiency
Fundraising expenses / gross fundraising income
· lower is better
|
1405.0% | 1405.0% |
P10P90
|
Below median |
|
Operating reserve
Months of expenses covered by net assets
· higher is better
|
65.8 mo | 14.0 mo |
P10P90
|
Top quarter |
|
Liabilities to assets
Total liabilities / total assets
· lower is better
|
4.9% | 32.5% |
P10P90
|
Top quarter |
|
Revenue concentration
Share of revenue from the largest source
· lower is better
|
38.1% | 63.8% |
P10P90
|
Top quarter |
|
Revenue growth
Year over year revenue growth
|
32.7% | 7.1% |
P10P90
|
|
|
Expense growth
Year over year expense growth
|
3.4% | 3.4% |
P10P90
|
|
|
Surplus margin
Surplus as a share of revenue
|
17.7% | 1.9% |
P10P90
|
Financial History
| Year | Revenue | Expenses | Net Assets | Program % | Staff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $155.4M | $127.9M | $701.8M | 81.8% | 1051 |
| 2024 | $117.1M | $123.7M | $618.4M | 80.1% | 949 |
| 2023 | $93.2M | $110.6M | $587.1M | 79.6% | 949 |
| 2022 | $116.0M | $98.6M | $581.7M | 80.1% | 794 |
| 2021 | $89.9M | $64.0M | N/A | — | 741 |
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