Arts, Culture & Humanities (A690) IRS Verified DX Registered 990 on File

CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

EIN: 36-2167823 · CHICAGO, IL 60604-2596 · United States · FY 2023 Data

3 out of 5 58 / 100 Based on 2+ years of filings

Financial strength (30%) 70/100

Reliability (20%) 70/100

Effectiveness (25%) 93/100

Impact (25%) No data yet

Financial data: FY 2023 · Scored 9/13/2026

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CharityAI™ Score

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Mission Statement

The central mission of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association (CSOA) is to present classical music through the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to Chicago, national and international audiences. Corporate Night is a fundraising event presented in partnership by the CSOA and the League of the CSOA. Proceeds benefit the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's artistic, education and community engagement programs in Chicago and across the globe.

Financial Overview — FY 2023

$80.8M

Total Revenue

$85.6M

Total Expenses

$342.8M

Net Assets

1140

Employees

Revenue Sources

Expense Breakdown

Program Expense Ratio 76.8%

Fundraising Efficiency 921.2%

Operating Reserve 48.05x

Liability-to-Asset 33.5%

Revenue Diversification 36.2%

Executive Compensation $2.1M

Compared with Peers

FY 2023

Compared with 655 similar organizations (United States, Arts, Culture & Humanities, $10M–$100M in expenses), FY 2023.

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	76.8%	79.6%	P10P90	Below median
Admin expense ratio Management and general / total expenses · lower is better	18.0%	13.1%	P10P90	Below median
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expenses / total expenses · lower is better	5.2%	6.0%	P10P90	Above median
Fundraising efficiency Fundraising expenses / gross fundraising income · lower is better	921.2%	814.0%	P10P90	Below median
Operating reserve Months of expenses covered by net assets · higher is better	48.1 mo	28.2 mo	P10P90	Above median
Liabilities to assets Total liabilities / total assets · lower is better	33.5%	13.6%	P10P90	Bottom quarter
Revenue concentration Share of revenue from the largest source · lower is better	36.2%	72.1%	P10P90	Top quarter
Revenue growth Year over year revenue growth	-21.1%	-2.2%	P10P90
Expense growth Year over year expense growth	14.0%	12.7%	P10P90
Surplus margin Surplus as a share of revenue	-5.9%	0.3%	P10P90

Financial History

Year	Revenue	Expenses	Net Assets	Program %	Staff
2023	$80.8M	$85.6M	$342.8M	76.8%	1140
2022	$102.4M	$75.1M	$330.4M	76.7%	785
2021	$109.9M	$47.2M	N/A	—	927

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Organization Details

EIN: 36-2167823
State: IL
City: CHICAGO
ZIP: 60604-2596
Classification: A690
Category: Arts, Culture & Humanities
Rating: 3★
Coverage: A
Last Updated: Aug 2026
IRS Ruling Year: 1891
Foundation Code: 15
Form 990: On File

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CharityAI™ rates charities from 0 to 100 using public filings (IRS Form 990 and the equivalent registries outside the US) together with the information the charity itself provides on DonationX. Ratings are recalculated every quarter, without human bias, and shown as stars.

Four pillars

Financial strength30%

Program expense ratio, fundraising efficiency, operating reserves, liabilities and revenue diversification, compared with similar organizations.

Reliability20%

Standing with the registry, filing history, verification and how complete the profile is.

Effectiveness25%

How much goes to programs and how consistently the organization delivers them.

Impact25%

The outcomes the charity reports on DonationX: people served, cost per service and results.

Stars

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