The Colburn School EIN 95-2501387 Form 990 (PDF) Claim this org

The Colburn School

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Educates students in performing arts with acclaimed faculty. For fiscal year 2024 it reported $69.7M in revenue, $56.9M in expenses, and $615.9M in net assets.Pt I

Founded
1951
Type
Public charity (501(c)(3)) · Arts & Culture
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Website
www.colburnschool.edu
Filings
5 on file (2020–2024)
Revenue
$69.7MFY2024
Expenses
$56.9M
Net assets
$615.9M
People
44
Filings
5
Updates
0
More identity details & actions ⌄
EIN  95-2501387 Public charity (501(c)(3)) Los Angeles, CA Founded 1951
Form 990 (PDF)
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Figures match the IRS filing checked 7/6/26 · see original: IRS
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Size
$10–100M
What they do
Educates students in performing arts with acclaimed faculty.
Leadership
Sel Kardan · President & CEO · $746K
Money in and out
$69.7M revenue, $56.9M expenses
Bottom line
81% program efficiency
Where the money goes · FY2024
Total revenue
$69.7M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$56.9M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$615.9M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): $12.9M
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
Program services $0.81 Management & general $0.14 Fundraising $0.05
Program efficiency
81%
of spending reaches programs▲ +2% vs prior filing year
Operating runway
87.8mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate▼ -13% vs prior filing year
Surplus margin
+18%
revenue over expenses, this year▼ -68% vs prior filing year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2024 · Form 990
Revenue
$69.7M
FY2024▼ -47%
Expenses
$56.9M
FY2024▲ +4%
Total assets
$761.5M
FY2024▲ +4%
Total liabilities
$145.7M
FY2024▲ +3%
Total revenue
$69.7M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$56.9M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$615.9M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19$12.9M
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$761.5M
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B81%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 332
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 432
Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

1 program service account for $46.2M of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

See schedule othe colburn school (the "school") is a california not-for-profit corporation located in the heart of downtown los angeles, california. Led by an outstanding faculty, the school provides dedicated students the highest quality performing arts education with an emphasis on PERFORMANCE.THE school was founded in 1950 as a…

$46.2Mprogram expense

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Identity & Classification

Form 990 Header · IRS Business Master File
Legal nameHdr · item CThe Colburn School
EINHdr · item D95-2501387
Principal addressHdr · item CLos Angeles, CA
WebsiteHdr · item Jwww.colburnschool.edu
Year of formationHdr · item L1951
State of legal domicileHdr · item MCA
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
NTEE classificationIRS BMFArts & Culture (A6E0)
Ruling yearIRS BMFMar 1981

Governance & Policies

Part VI
Voting members of the governing bodyPt VI · Ln 1a32
Independent voting membersPt VI · Ln 1b32
Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aYes
Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13Yes
Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14Yes
CEO/top-official compensation independently reviewedPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Family or business relationships among officers/directorsPt VI · Ln 2Yes

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
President & CEO
$745,808Pt VII · Sec A
$490,440Pt VII · Sec A
EVP, CFO/COO/Treasurer
$461,017Pt VII · Sec A
Professor
$421,765Pt VII · Sec A
Philanthropy/Director, Cap Campaign
$375,460Pt VII · Sec A
$333,355Pt VII · Sec A
$324,244Pt VII · Sec A
$285,343Pt VII · Sec A

Sel Kardan’s $746K as President & CEO is at the 94th percentile of top reported officer pay among 749 $10–100M 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

NameFY2024FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Sel Kardan$745,808
Seljuk Kardan$697,138$583,831$575,717$430,000$642,384
Robert Lipsett$490,440$471,179$450,887$424,908$390,958$396,795
Fabio Bidini$421,765$462,733$429,236$386,706$357,608$359,053
Maeesha Merchant$461,017$416,912$318,580$303,635$100,682
Annie E Wickert - SVP of$375,460
Linda Cormier$335,460$284,651$276,581$217,843$205,310
Clive Greensmith$333,355$315,970$293,475$265,889$249,945$264,304

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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Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Contributions & grants$24.1M · 35%
Investment income$24.1M · 35%
Program service revenue$19.7M · 28%
Other revenue$1.9M · 3%
Contributions & grants35%$24.1M
Investment income35%$24.1M
Program service revenue28%$19.7M
Other revenue3%$1.9M
— government grantsLn 1e$228K
Total revenueLn 12$69.7M

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.81 Management & general $0.14 Fundraising $0.05
Program services81%$46.2M
Management & general14%$7.8M
Fundraising5%$2.9M
Total functional expensesLn 25$56.9M

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$113.8M
Total assetsLn 16$761.5M
Total liabilitiesLn 26$145.7M
Total net assetsLn 32$615.9M
Months of cash on handcomputed24.0

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2024 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $412.5M · Operating expenses (Pt IX) $56.9M · Less non-cash grants $507K · Cash operating expenses/yr $56.4M
87.8 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $46.2M · Total expenses $56.9M
81%
Management & General
Management & general $7.8M · Total expenses $56.9M
14%
Fundraising
Fundraising $2.9M · Total expenses $56.9M
5%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (3-yr avg) $2.6M · Solicited contributions (3-yr avg) $45.1M
$0.06 to raise $1 (3-yr avg)
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $24.1M · Total revenue $69.7M
35%
Government reliance
Government grants $228K · Total revenue $69.7M
0.3%
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $19.7M · Total revenue $69.7M
28%
Investment reliance
Investment income $24.1M · Total revenue $69.7M
+35%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $19.7M · Total expenses $56.9M
35%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $69.7M · Prior year $130.7M
-47%
Revenue CAGR
FY2019 $44.1M · FY2024 $69.7M
+10%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $615.9M · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $69.7M · Expenses $56.9M
+18%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $761.5M
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $615.9M · Total assets $761.5M
81%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) $21.9M · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) $276.8M · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $761.5M
39%
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Sel Kardan · Reported title PRESIDENT & CEO · Highest reported compensation $746K · Total expenses $56.9M
1%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $25.0M · Total expenses $56.9M
44%
Peer comparison

Same NTEE category, revenue band, and state where available. Descriptive — not a grade.

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 81%
Overhead ratio 14%
Fundraising cost ratio 12%
Revenue growth -47%

Straight from the Form 990 — descriptive, not an evaluation. A ratio is hidden when its base is zero or too small to be meaningful; the dollars are always shown.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 2 funders$130K
Grants paid · 18 grants · $62.8M · 2019–2024
Unitemized GrantFY2024$10,297,100
Unitemized GrantFY2024$1,122,270
Unitemized GrantFY2024$456,198
Unitemized GrantFY2023$10,056,970
Unitemized GrantFY2023$1,102,344
Unitemized GrantFY2023$454,251
Unitemized GrantFY2022$10,034,765
Unitemized GrantFY2022$1,065,222
Unitemized GrantFY2022$404,356
Unitemized GrantFY2021$9,395,325
Unitemized GrantFY2021$938,789
Unitemized GrantFY2021$399,531
Unitemized GrantFY2020$4,208,832
Unitemized GrantFY2020$3,467,769
Unitemized GrantFY2020$172,511
Unitemized GrantFY2019$7,948,087
Unitemized GrantFY2019$856,571
Unitemized GrantFY2019$435,635

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Filings & Schedule Manifest

Part IV
III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
FY2024$130.7M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2023$74.2M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2022$293.9M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2021$59.4M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2020$44.1M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2024IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
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