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Opera Project Columbus Incorporated

Tax-deductible

Worthington, OH501(c)(3)Since 2011Arts & Culture EIN 45-2324535Revenue $201K in FY2025

On file with the IRSoperaprojectcolumbus.comPo Box 242, 43085-0242 · Worthington, OHTax-exempt since Oct 2011Publicly supported — 509(a)(2)

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We seek out, find, and nurture raw and emerging operatic talent as we reinvent the art form to appeal to contemporary audiences. We also aim to grow and raise the standards of the Central Ohio arts community by infusing it with our unique brand of opera.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
80¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 15 volunteers.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

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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 4
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $32K a year · 14% of revenue · last 4 filings
Concern: a surplus in 1 of the last 4 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 4 filings
Spent on programs
80%
of spending
Looks good: 80% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$41K
to officers and key staff · 17% of spending
Top officer’s pay lower than 64% of similar orgs
Fine: pay to officers and key staff is 17% of spending; 15% to 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
<1 mo
of spending, in cash
Worth a look: 0.7 months of spending in cash; under 1.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $65K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$11K
72% of total assets
Worth a look: liabilities are 72% of assets; over 65%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
6
of 6 voting members
Looks good: 6 of 6 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$201K
+14% vs prior year
Spent
$238K
To programs
80%
Net assets
$4K
By yearFY2021–FY2025
Revenue
$201K
FY2025▲ +14%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$220K
FY2022$284K
FY2023$217K
FY2024$176K
FY2025$201K
Expenses
$238K
FY2025▼ -13%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021$158K
FY2022$381K
FY2023$274K
FY2024Not on file
FY2025$238K
Net assets
$4K
FY2025▼ -90%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$250K
FY2022$152K
FY2023$96K
FY2024$42K
FY2025$4K

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending June 2025) · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Oct 2011.

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

Where the money goes

80 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 80% · $189K Management & general 15% · $35K Fundraising 6% · $13K

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

8 people listed on the 990; $41K 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
Eric Gibson
Executive Director
$41,200Pt VII · Sec A
Shawn Kenney
Vpsecretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Al Waddell
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Tobi Furman
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Michael Smith
President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Eric Gibson’s $41K as Executive Director is at the 36th 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 · 8 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021
Eric Gibson$41,200$12,000———
Gregory Eldridge—$21,000———
Leslie McBride————$11,994
Megan Wetzel—$9,640$7,600$5,400$5,200
Karen Barnick Pfeifer————$4,050
Hannah Minner—$2,400$2,600——
Pavana Stetzik————$1,490
Chelsea Hart Melcher————$750

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

Produces local operas, supporting Central Ohio talent and enriching audiences.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $189K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

The 2024-2025 season began with an intimate gathering as OPC hosted a Spring Soiree in April with a seated event of music, community, food and drink. OPC Executive Director Eric Gibson accompanied on the piano while Kate Merryman sang operatic repertoire and well known musical numbers.

$189Kprogram 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 · FY2025
Greater Columbus Arts Council INCFY2025$65K
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$65K

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

Download 990
from philanthropy.org
1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$201K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$161K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$40K
Investment incomeLn 3$945
Money outPt IX
$238K
Ln 25
Programscol B$189K
Managementcol C$35K
Fundraisingcol D$13K
Owns and owesPt X
$4K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$15K
Total assetsLn 16$15K
LiabilitiesLn 26$11K
PeoplePt VI, VII
8
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a6
IndependentVI 1b6
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$161K
Government grantsLn 1e$107K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$40K
Investment incomeLn 3$945
Total revenueLn 12$201K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$10K
SavingsLn 2$5K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$15K
Total assetsLn 16$15K
LiabilitiesLn 26$11K
Net assetsLn 32$4K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
VolunteersI 615
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aNo
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$42K$15K
Total assetsLn 16$42K$15K
LiabilitiesLn 26$178$11K
Net assetsLn 32$42K$4K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$41K$31K$4K$6K
Management feesLn 11a$2K$2K
Accounting feesLn 11c$3K$3K
Professional fundraising feesLn 11e$7K$7K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$42K$21K$21K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$3K$3K
Office expensesLn 13$4K$94$4K
Information technologyLn 14$2K$1K$863
OccupancyLn 16$13K$13K
InterestLn 20$176$176
InsuranceLn 23$2K$2K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$119K$118K$775$307
Total functional expensesLn 25$238K$189K$35K$13K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $201K$238K−$37K$4K 990 PDF
FY2024 $176K$42K 990 PDF
FY2023 $217K$274K−$57K$96K 990 PDF
FY2022 $284K$381K−$97K$152K 990 PDF
FY2021 $220K$158K$63K$250K 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 $200,625 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $178,240$161,175
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $1,435$40,047
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $58$945
I-11 Other revenuePrior year −$3,275−$1,542
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $176,458$200,625
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $45,040$41,200
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$6,667
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $185,637$190,192
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $230,677$238,059
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$54,219−$37,434
Part VI · Governance 6 of 6 board members independent, 3 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body6
VI-1b Independent voting members6
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyNo
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $200,625 across 7 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$106,845
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$51,130
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$161,175
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $40,047$40,047
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $945$945
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax −$1,542−$1,542
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $40,047 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax −$597$200,625
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $238,059 across 12 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $30,900 · Management $4,120 · Fundraising $6,180$41,200
IX-11a Management feesPrograms $2,400$2,400
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $3,000$3,000
IX-11e Professional fundraising feesFundraising $6,667$6,667
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $21,243 · Management $20,600$41,843
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $2,959$2,959
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $94 · Management $3,571$3,665
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $1,362 · Management $863$2,225
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $12,814$12,814
IX-20 InterestManagement $176$176
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $2,353$2,353
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $117,675 · Management $775 · Fundraising $307$118,757
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $189,447 · Management $35,458 · Fundraising $13,154$238,059
Part X · Balance sheet $14,740 assets, 8 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $10,200$9,968
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $31,564$4,772
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $41,764$14,740
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $178$10,588
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $178$10,588
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $41,586$4,152
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $41,586$4,152
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $41,764$14,740
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $4,152 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$200,625
XI-2 Total expenses$238,059
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$37,434
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$41,586
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$4,152

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

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