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.
67¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$82K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2020 · 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
67%
of spending
Fine: 67% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$82K
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
4 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 4.4 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
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
$286K
14% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 14% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
20
of 20 voting members
Looks good: 20 of 20 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$1.2M
Spent
$771K
To programs
67%
Net assets
$1.8M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$1.2M
FY2020
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
$771K
FY2020
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
$1.8M
FY2020
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 FY2020 Form 990 (year ending July 2020) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2020 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

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

67 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 67% · $514K Management & general 17% · $133K Fundraising 16% · $124K

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

21 people listed on the 990; $82K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2019); the FY2020 filing did not itemize Part VII
Executive Di
$81,593Pt VII · Sec A
Vice Preside
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Trustee
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Trustee
$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.

See Opera Grand Rapids executive salaries →

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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 · $514K · in their own filed words · FY2019
01

Opera performance and associated educational and outreach programs.

$514Kprogram 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 FY2020 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$1.2M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.1M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$56K
Other incomeLn 4–11$22K
Money outPt IX
$771K
Ln 25
Programscol B$514K
Managementcol C$133K
Fundraisingcol D$124K
Owns and owesPt X
$1.8M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$284K
Total assetsLn 16$2.1M
LiabilitiesLn 26$286K
PeoplePt VI, VII
21
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a20
IndependentVI 1b20
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.1M
Noncash giftsLn 1g$9K
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$28K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$56K
Other incomeLn 4–11$22K
Gains on assetsLn 7−$4K
Total revenueLn 12$1.2M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$284K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$284K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$121K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$1.5M
Total assetsLn 16$2.1M
LiabilitiesLn 26$286K
Net assetsLn 32$1.8M
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 FY20End FY20
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$28K$284K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$100K$121K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$1.6M$1.5M
Total assetsLn 16$1.8M$2.1M
LiabilitiesLn 26$327K$286K
Net assetsLn 32$1.4M$1.8M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$115K$58K$29K$29K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$106K$53K$27K$27K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$3K$1K$735$735
Other employee benefitsLn 9$4K$2K$1K$1K
Payroll taxesLn 10$18K$9K$4K$4K
Accounting feesLn 11c$19K$19K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$59K$24K$35K
Office expensesLn 13$25K$14K$2K$9K
Information technologyLn 14$10K$10K
OccupancyLn 16$55K$34K$10K$10K
TravelLn 17$18K$18K
InterestLn 20$7K$7K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$48K$36K$9K$3K
InsuranceLn 23$10K$10K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$250K$250K
All other expensesLn 24e$23K$15K$4K$4K
Total functional expensesLn 25$771K$514K$133K$124K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $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 Viewing $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 FY2020 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $1,155,150 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $871,966$1,076,389
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $148,794$56,344
I-10 Investment incomePrior year −$1,098−$4,338
I-11 Other revenuePrior year −$46,225$26,755
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $973,437$1,155,150
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $181,752$246,911
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $777,670$523,743
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $959,422$770,654
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $14,015$384,496
Part VI · Governance 20 of 20 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body20
VI-1b Independent voting members20
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 $1,155,150 across 9 lines filed
VIII-1c Fundraising events$27,937
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$1,048,452
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$9,409
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,076,389
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $47,594 · Unrelated business $8,750$56,344
VIII-6 Net rental income or lossExcluded from tax $27,365$27,365
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsExcluded from tax −$4,338−$4,338
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising events−$610
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $47,594 · Unrelated business $8,750 · Excluded from tax $23,027$1,155,150
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $770,654 across 16 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $57,748 · Management $28,874 · Fundraising $28,874$115,496
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $53,177 · Management $26,586 · Fundraising $26,586$106,349
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $1,471 · Management $735 · Fundraising $735$2,941
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $2,245 · Management $1,123 · Fundraising $1,123$4,491
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $8,816 · Management $4,409 · Fundraising $4,409$17,634
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $18,568$18,568
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $23,860 · Fundraising $34,767$58,627
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $13,633 · Management $1,573 · Fundraising $9,423$24,629
IX-14 Information technologyManagement $9,901$9,901
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $34,376 · Management $10,324 · Fundraising $10,324$55,024
IX-17 TravelPrograms $18,074$18,074
IX-20 InterestManagement $7,335$7,335
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $35,958 · Management $8,630 · Fundraising $3,356$47,944
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $10,105$10,105
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $250,357$250,357
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $14,739 · Management $4,382 · Fundraising $4,058$23,179
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $514,454 · Management $132,545 · Fundraising $123,655$770,654
Part X · Balance sheet $2,117,132 assets, 14 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $27,673$284,158
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $62,450$97,400
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $6,204$78,811
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $1,577,659$1,536,218
X-12 Other securitiesStart of year $99,883$120,545
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $1,773,869$2,117,132
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $21,541$33,279
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $34,280$58,045
X-24 Unsecured notes and loans payable$50,132
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $327,498$286,265
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $1,284,038$1,362,922
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $162,333$467,945
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $1,446,371$1,830,867
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $1,773,869$2,117,132
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $1,830,867 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,155,150
XI-2 Total expenses$770,654
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$384,496
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$1,446,371
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$1,830,867

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2020 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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