Arts, Culture & Humanities (A690) IRS Verified DX Registered 990 on File

FAIRFAX SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

EIN: 54-6052893 · MERRIFIELD, VA 22116-2019 · United States · FY 2023 Data

3 out of 5 52 / 100 Based on 2+ years of filings

Financial strength (30%) 70/100

Reliability (20%) 55/100

Effectiveness (25%) 78/100

Impact (25%) No data yet

Financial data: FY 2023 · Scored 9/13/2026

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Mission Statement

The mission of the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra is to explore and present the symphonic repertoire, both traditional and modern, for the diverse audiences of the Northern Virginia region while building the musicians and audiences of the future through education and outreach programs.

Financial Overview — FY 2023

$710K

Total Revenue

$847K

Total Expenses

$314K

Net Assets

160

Employees

Revenue Sources

Expense Breakdown

Program Expense Ratio 69.6%

Fundraising Efficiency N/A

Operating Reserve 4.45x

Liability-to-Asset 8.5%

Revenue Diversification 67.1%

Executive Compensation $206K

Compared with Peers

FY 2023

Compared with 16,965 similar organizations (United States, Arts, Culture & Humanities, $100K–$1M in expenses), FY 2023.

This organization Middle half of peers (P25–P75) Peer median

Ratio	This org	Peer median	Position (P10 → P90)
Program expense ratio Program expenses / total expenses · higher is better	69.6%	81.8%	P10P90	Below median
Admin expense ratio Management and general / total expenses · lower is better	27.1%	14.0%	P10P90	Bottom quarter
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expenses / total expenses · lower is better	3.4%	0.0%	P10P90	Below median
Operating reserve Months of expenses covered by net assets · higher is better	4.5 mo	10.4 mo	P10P90	Below median
Liabilities to assets Total liabilities / total assets · lower is better	8.5%	1.9%	P10P90	Below median
Revenue concentration Share of revenue from the largest source · lower is better	67.1%	79.8%	P10P90	Above median
Revenue growth Year over year revenue growth	-30.1%	9.6%	P10P90
Expense growth Year over year expense growth	13.8%	13.7%	P10P90
Surplus margin Surplus as a share of revenue	-19.4%	1.2%	P10P90

Financial History

Year	Revenue	Expenses	Net Assets	Program %	Staff
2023	$710K	$847K	$314K	69.6%	160
2022	$1.0M	$745K	$467K	67.2%	104
2021	$434K	$399K	N/A	—	68

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Organization Details

EIN: 54-6052893
State: VA
City: MERRIFIELD
ZIP: 22116-2019
Classification: A690
Category: Arts, Culture & Humanities
Rating: 3★
Coverage: A
Last Updated: Aug 2026
IRS Ruling Year: 1957
Foundation Code: 15
Form 990: On File

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CharityAI™ rates charities from 0 to 100 using public filings (IRS Form 990 and the equivalent registries outside the US) together with the information the charity itself provides on DonationX. Ratings are recalculated every quarter, without human bias, and shown as stars.

Four pillars

Financial strength30%

Program expense ratio, fundraising efficiency, operating reserves, liabilities and revenue diversification, compared with similar organizations.

Reliability20%

Standing with the registry, filing history, verification and how complete the profile is.

Effectiveness25%

How much goes to programs and how consistently the organization delivers them.

Impact25%

The outcomes the charity reports on DonationX: people served, cost per service and results.

Stars

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