“The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra ended its 2017-18 year in the black, building audiences and getting donations with inexpensive—and for students, free—tickets,” writes Jenna Ross in Wednesday’s (12/12) Star Tribune (Minneapolis). “About 10 percent more young people caught an SPCO concert than the year before, according to a new annual report. Those younger concertgoers are a big focus for the nonprofit: Since 2016, the chamber orchestra has lured school and college students with free tickets. The number of unique households attending, too, hit a record high in the fiscal year ending in 2018…. The SPCO balanced its $10.2 million budget in fiscal year 2018, with a surplus of about $153,000…. Last year, the nonprofit used its surplus to eliminate an accumulated deficit and create a rainy-day fund. In 2018, the SPCO added to that fund, bringing its total to more than $450,000 and nearly halfway to its goal of $1 million…. About 22.4 percent of the SPCO’s income was ‘earned,’ a category that includes ticket sales, compared with 20.5 percent last year. About 61.4 percent of the SPCO’s income came from contributions from foundations, corporations and people, with individual contributions reaching an all-time high.”
Posted December 17, 2018
