Grounded in the belief that excellent opera making should build community and radiate beauty, Heartbeat Opera creates incisive adaptations, revelatory arrangements of classics, and interdisciplinary collaboration. We reckon with the harmful aspects of opera's past and pioneer an equitable and inclusive future for our art form, centered in love.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
54¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$58K 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
3 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $16K a year · 2% of revenue · last 6 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
54%
of spending
Worth a look: 54% of spending went to programs; under 65%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$58K
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
5 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 5.0 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
12
named funders · $480K
Looks good: 12 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$248
0.1% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
6
of 8 voting members
Looks good: 6 of 8 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$631K
Spent
$514K
To programs
54%
Net assets
$215K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$631K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$631K
FY2021$614K
FY2022$977K
FY2023$658K
FY2024$843K
FY2025$1.0M
Expenses
$514K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$514K
FY2021$434K
FY2022$890K
FY2023$735K
FY2024$913K
FY2025$1.1M
Net assets
$215K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$215K
FY2021$394K
FY2022$482K
FY2023$404K
FY2024$333K
FY2025$196K

From the FY2020 Form 990 (year ending June 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 Jun 2015.

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

Where the money goes

54 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 54% · $279K Management & general 40% · $207K Fundraising 5% · $28K

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; $58K 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
Co-Artist Di
$31,500Pt VII · Sec A
Co-Artist Di
$26,912Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Chairp
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Jacob Ashworth’s $78K as Artistic Dir. is at the 17th percentile of top reported officer pay among 3924 $1–10M 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 · 4 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Jacob Ashworth$78,200$69,950$54,250———
Ethan Heard——$32,850$51,494$37,955$31,500
Louisa Proske————$26,749$26,912
Louise Proske———$10,468——

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 Heartbeat Opera Ltd 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

Creates opera that builds community, reimagines classics, and pioneers an equitable future for the art form.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $276K · in their own filed words · FY2019
01

Heartbeat Opera Mainstage Production

A full theatrical rendition of "der freischutz": written at the onset of industrialization in germany, this unique take on the famous wolf canyon scene was presented at the rose nagelberg theatre and achieved critical acclaim in the press.

$182Kprogram expense
02

Benefit Performance

"hot mama: singing gays saving gaia": heartbeat's beloved tradition of mixing opera, drag, and pastiche returned this year to celebrate mother earth in all her beauty and biodiversity. Through virtuosic renditions of arias by wagner, vivaldi, bernstein, adams, and more, this halloween drag extravaganza confronted issues around climate…

$55Kprogram expense
03

Heartbeat Opera Mainstage Production, Presented Virtually

"lady m." originally planned to be presented as part of the mainstage season in a theater, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, "lady m" was presented virtually through zoom. This adaptation of verdi's "macbeth"(based on shakespeare's play) is an online nightmare-fantasia, featuring six singers, six instrumentalists, and electronic sound…

$39Kprogram 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
$631K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$527K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$92K
Other incomeLn 4–11$12K
Money outPt IX
$514K
Ln 25
Programscol B$279K
Managementcol C$207K
Fundraisingcol D$28K
Owns and owesPt X
$215K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$215K
Total assetsLn 16$215K
LiabilitiesLn 26$248
PeoplePt VI, VII
8
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a8
IndependentVI 1b6
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$527K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$92K
Other incomeLn 4–11$12K
Total revenueLn 12$631K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$215K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$215K
Total assetsLn 16$215K
LiabilitiesLn 26$248
Net assetsLn 32$215K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 561
VolunteersI 630
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY20End FY20
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$65K$215K
Total assetsLn 16$101K$215K
LiabilitiesLn 26$3K$248
Net assetsLn 32$98K$215K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$58K$58K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$93K$78K$15K
Payroll taxesLn 10$19K$18K$1K
Accounting feesLn 11c$36K$36K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$22K$22K
Office expensesLn 13$7K$7K
TravelLn 17$2K$2K
InsuranceLn 23$7K$2K$4K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$267K$254K$1K$12K
All other expensesLn 24e$3K$871$2K
Total functional expensesLn 25$514K$279K$207K$28K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $1.0M$1.1M−$137K$196K 990 PDF
FY2024 $843K$913K−$71K$333K 990 PDF
FY2023 $658K$735K−$78K$404K 990 PDF
FY2022 $977K$890K$87K$482K 990 PDF
FY2021 $614K$434K$180K$394K 990 PDF
FY2020 Viewing $631K$514K$117K$215K 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 $630,570 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $274,896$526,939
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $59,584$92,064
I-10 Investment income$0
I-11 Other revenue$11,567
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $334,480$630,570
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $114,537$170,386
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $187,292$343,670
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $301,829$514,056
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $32,651$116,514
Part VI · Governance 6 of 8 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body8
VI-1b Independent voting members6
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $630,570 across 5 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$526,939
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$526,939
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $92,064$92,064
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $11,567$11,567
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $103,631$630,570
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $514,056 across 10 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffManagement $58,412$58,412
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesManagement $77,658 · Fundraising $15,000$92,658
IX-10 Payroll taxesManagement $18,168 · Fundraising $1,148$19,316
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $36,295$36,295
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $21,910$21,910
IX-13 Office expensesManagement $6,697$6,697
IX-17 TravelManagement $1,698$1,698
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $2,395 · Management $4,435$6,830
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $254,157 · Management $1,407 · Fundraising $11,638$267,202
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $871 · Management $2,167$3,038
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $279,333 · Management $206,937 · Fundraising $27,786$514,056
Part X · Balance sheet $214,990 assets, 7 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $65,313$214,990
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $101,318$214,990
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $3,090$248
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $3,090$248
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $98,228$214,742
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $98,228$214,742
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $101,318$214,990
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $214,742 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$630,570
XI-2 Total expenses$514,056
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$116,514
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$98,228
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$214,742

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

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