Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra: $51.1M Revenue, $30.0M Program Expenses

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra earns a C on the efficiency rubric — the median bucket on the LakeQuality scale, indicating performance close to the national midpoint across program spending, executive compensation, and financial reserves. Composite score: 63/100.

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra reported $51.1M in 2023 revenue — a mid-sized nonprofit by U.S. standards. Organizations in this bracket typically operate with a small permanent staff, project-based program structures, and modest reserves. Program-spending efficiency is strong: 80% of total expenses flow to program activities, above the 75% benchmark most third-party charity raters use.

Five-year revenue has grown modestly. Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is not expanding rapidly but is not shrinking either; the trajectory is consistent with stable donor and grant relationships. CEO compensation is reported as zero in the filing — typical for nonprofits where the chief executive is paid through a related entity (parent system, university, or foundation) rather than the filing organization itself, or for small organizations whose chief is a volunteer or board member. Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra sits in the cultural-nonprofit sector (Arts, Culture & Humanities). Museum, performing-arts, and cultural organizations carry distinctive financial patterns — earned revenue from ticket sales and admissions, plus a heavy reliance on endowment income and major donor cycles.