The mission of the Opera Grand Rapids is to produce professional opera of the highest possible quality and to effectively share the art with a broad and diverse audience.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
73¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 30 volunteers and 5 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2025 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
1 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $108K a year · 10% of revenue · last 6 filings
Concern: a surplus in 1 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
73%
of spending
Fine: 73% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$115K
to officers and key staff · 11% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 11% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
<1 mo
of spending, in cash
Plus $210K in investments, Pt X · Ln 11–13
Fine: 0.1 months of spending in cash, plus $210K in investments.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
12
named funders · $607K
Looks good: 12 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$710K
46% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 46% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
14
of 14 voting members
Looks good: 14 of 14 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$802K
-24% vs prior year
Spent
$1.0M
To programs
73%
Net assets
$823K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$802K
FY2025▼ -24%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$1.2M
FY2021$785K
FY2022$1.4M
FY2023$1.2M
FY2024$1.1M
FY2025$802K
Expenses
$1.0M
FY2025▼ -14%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$771K
FY2021$988K
FY2022$1.6M
FY2023$1.5M
FY2024$1.2M
FY2025$1.0M
Net assets
$823K
FY2025▼ -21%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$1.8M
FY2021$1.7M
FY2022$1.4M
FY2023$1.2M
FY2024$1.0M
FY2025$823K

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending July 2025) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in May 1967.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

73 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 73% · $752K Management & general 19% · $197K Fundraising 8% · $84K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

15 people listed on the 990; $115K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
Executive Director
$114,844Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
President
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Emilee Shen’s $115K as Executive Director is at the 93rd percentile of top reported officer pay among 2216 $100K–1M arts & culture nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Emilee Shen$114,844—————
Emilee Syrewicze—$105,656$110,250$107,188$105,843$81,593

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Presents high-quality professional opera to a diverse audience.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $752K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Opera performance and associated educational and outreach programs. The Opera produced two mainstage productions, including four total shows. Three out of the four shows sold out.

$752Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2024
See all 12 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$802K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$789K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$53K
Money outPt IX
$1.0M
Ln 25
Programscol B$752K
Managementcol C$197K
Fundraisingcol D$84K
Owns and owesPt X
$823K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$9K
Total assetsLn 16$1.5M
LiabilitiesLn 26$710K
PeoplePt VI, VII
15
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a14
IndependentVI 1b14
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$789K
Government grantsLn 1e$2K
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$86K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$53K
Total revenueLn 12$802K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$9K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$9K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$210K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$1.3M
Total assetsLn 16$1.5M
LiabilitiesLn 26$710K
Net assetsLn 32$823K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 55
VolunteersI 630
Fiscal year endsHeaderJuly
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$282K$9K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$206K$210K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$1.4M$1.3M
Total assetsLn 16$1.9M$1.5M
LiabilitiesLn 26$835K$710K
Net assetsLn 32$1.0M$823K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$110K$55K$28K$28K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$57K$29K$14K$14K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$16K$8K$4K$4K
Payroll taxesLn 10$12K$6K$3K$3K
Accounting feesLn 11c$29K$0$29K$0
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$25K$325$24K$162
Advertising and promotionLn 12$11K$7K$0$4K
Office expensesLn 13$22K$8K$10K$4K
OccupancyLn 16$45K$32K$6K$6K
TravelLn 17$81K$81K$0$0
InterestLn 20$41K$0$41K$0
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$51K$35K$12K$3K
InsuranceLn 23$19K$0$19K$0
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$435K$417K$3K$14K
All other expensesLn 24e$81K$73K$4K$4K
Total functional expensesLn 25$1.0M$752K$197K$84K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $802K$1.0M−$232K$823K 990 PDF
FY2024 $1.1M$1.2M−$142K$1.0M 990 PDF
FY2023 $1.2M$1.5M−$246K$1.2M 990 PDF
FY2022 $1.4M$1.6M−$211K$1.4M 990 PDF
FY2021 $785K$988K−$203K$1.7M 990 PDF
FY2020 $1.2M$771K$384K$1.8M 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $802,264 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $941,711$789,387
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $127,823$53,408
I-10 Investment income$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year −$13,699−$40,531
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $1,055,835$802,264
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $172,544$196,060
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $1,025,469$837,898
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $1,198,013$1,033,958
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$142,178−$231,694
Part VI · Governance 14 of 14 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body14
VI-1b Independent voting members14
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $802,264 across 8 lines filed
VIII-1c Fundraising events$85,745
VIII-1e Government grants$1,500
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$702,142
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$789,387
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Unrelated business $350 · Excluded from tax $0$53,408
VIII-6 Net rental income or lossExcluded from tax $5,793$5,793
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsUnrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax −$46,324−$46,324
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $53,058 · Unrelated business $350 · Excluded from tax −$40,531$802,264
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,033,958 across 15 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $55,126 · Management $27,562 · Fundraising $27,562$110,250
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $28,534 · Management $14,268 · Fundraising $14,268$57,070
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $8,120 · Management $4,060 · Fundraising $4,060$16,240
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $6,250 · Management $3,125 · Fundraising $3,125$12,500
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $0 · Management $28,848 · Fundraising $0$28,848
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $325 · Management $24,160 · Fundraising $162$24,647
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $7,407 · Management $0 · Fundraising $3,522$10,929
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $8,191 · Management $9,565 · Fundraising $3,834$21,590
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $31,974 · Management $6,286 · Fundraising $6,286$44,546
IX-17 TravelPrograms $81,105 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$81,105
IX-20 InterestPrograms $0 · Management $40,938 · Fundraising $0$40,938
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $35,147 · Management $12,435 · Fundraising $3,280$50,862
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $0 · Management $18,906 · Fundraising $0$18,906
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $417,120 · Management $3,229 · Fundraising $14,264$434,613
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $72,852 · Management $4,067 · Fundraising $3,995$80,914
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $752,151 · Management $197,449 · Fundraising $84,358$1,033,958
Part X · Balance sheet $1,532,859 assets, 13 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $282,427$8,713
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $2,455$5,271
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $1,359,979$1,309,117
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $72,831$64,375
X-12 Other securitiesStart of year $133,359$145,383
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $1,871,051$1,532,859
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $86,932$81,639
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $280,132$25,626
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $834,701$709,635
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $795,159$605,319
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $241,191$217,905
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $1,036,350$823,224
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $1,871,051$1,532,859
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $823,224 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$802,264
XI-2 Total expenses$1,033,958
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$231,694
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$1,036,350
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$18,568
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$823,224

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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