Houston Symphony Society: $33.4M Revenue, $26.9M Program Expenses

The efficiency rubric puts Houston Symphony Society at a B grade: a composite of 66/100 that lands above the national midpoint. The grade reflects solid program-spending discipline alongside reasonable executive compensation and financial reserves.

Houston Symphony Society reported $33.4M 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. Houston Symphony Society 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. Houston Symphony Society 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.