“Thanks partly to an uptick in donations, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra ended fiscal year 2019 with a small surplus—about $143,000—that it’s saving for tougher times,” writes Jenna Ross in Wednesday’s (12/11) Star Tribune (Minneapolis). “The SPCO balanced its $10.8 million budget for the fiscal year that ended June 30…. Donations from individuals hit a high: to $2.9 million, up 2.7%…. Like other Minnesota arts organizations, the SPCO has been grappling with shifts in funding from corporate foundations. In May, it announced that … changes to grant programs would result in the loss of $230,000 to $300,000 annually. To make up that difference, the nonprofit eliminated three positions and cut loose its Liquid Music series…. The loss of foundation funding … will show up in next year’s fiscal results. Despite that challenge, [SPCO’s Managing Director and President Jon] Limbacher is optimistic…. More and more, the SPCO is relying on donations, rather than tickets, to make its bottom line…. The number of households that saw at least one show … hit a record. The SPCO counted about 13,424 households, an increase of 51 from last year. ‘To me, this is the most important number in classical music,’ Limbacher said.”
Posted December 13, 2019
