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Chicago IL | IRS ruling year: 1979 | EIN: 36-3028768
Merit is dedicated to helping young people transform their lives by providing equal access to a high-quality music education, with nearly 70 percent of students bene ... (More)
Merit is dedicated to helping young people transform their lives by providing equal access to a high-quality music education, with nearly 70 percent of students benefitting from need-based financial aid and low-cost instrument rental. Merit enables motivated students, regardless of economic circumstance, to develop their talent and to use music as a springboard for achieving their full personal potential, with virtually 100 percent of our conservatory graduates going on to college. (Less)
Great
This charity's score is 90%, earning it a Four-Star rating. If this organization aligns with your passions and values, you can give with confidence.
This overall score is calculated from multiple beacon scores: 80% Accountability & Finance, 10% Leadership & Adaptability, 10% Culture & Community. Learn more about our criteria and methodology.
We recognize that not all metrics and beacons equally predict a charity’s success. The percentage each beacon contributes to the organization’s overall rating depends on the number of beacons an organization has earned.
Use the tool below to select different beacons to see how the weighting shifts when only one, two, or three beacons are earned.
| Date Published | Form 990 FYE | Overall Score | Overall Rating |
| Rating Version: 2.1 | |||
| 2/1/2021 | 2019 | 87.30 |  |
| 11/1/2019 | 2018 | 90.98 | |
| 8/1/2019 | 2018 | 89.74 | |
This organization received multiple star ratings within this fiscal year, due to an update to its Accountability and Transparency data and/or the receipt of an amended Form 990. | |||
| 11/1/2018 | 2017 | 90.31 | |
| 10/1/2017 | 2016 | 91.86 | |
| 7/1/2016 | 2015 | 91.41 | |
| 6/1/2016 | 2014 | 93.08 | |
| Rating Version: 2.0 | |||
| 11/1/2015 | 2014 | 90.63 | |
| 11/1/2014 | 2013 | 84.02 | |
| 10/1/2013 | 2012 | 89.07 | |
| 10/1/2012 | 2011 | 89.70 | |
| 12/23/2011 | 2010 | 89.07 | |
| 12/1/2011 | 2010 | 87.83 | |
| 9/20/2011 | 2009 | 82.70 | |
| Rating Version: 1.0 | |||
| 11/1/2010 | 2009 | 80.43 | |
| 12/1/2009 | 2008 | 80.38 | |
| 3/1/2009 | 2007 | 91.54 | |
| 2/1/2008 | 2006 | 81.26 | |
The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits' annual tax filings (Forms 990). As a result, the Accountability & Finance score for Merit School of Music is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations. Please check with the charity directly for any questions you may have.
Merit School of Music has earned a 87% for the Accountability & Finance beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies.
This Accountability & Finance score represents IRS Form 990 data up until FY 2019, which is the most recent Form 990 currently available to us.
Learn more
Full Credit
Partial Credit
No Credit
Not Applicable
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990 that the organization has these governance practices in place.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990
| Independent Voting Board Members ... (More) The presence of an independent governing body is strongly recommended by many industry professionals to allow for full deliberation and diversity of thinking on governance and other organizational matters. Our analysts check the Form 990 to determine if the independent Board members are a voting majority and also at least five in number. (Less) | |
| No Material Diversion of Assets ... (More) A diversion of assets – any unauthorized conversion or use of the organization's assets other than for the organization's authorized purposes, including but not limited to embezzlement or theft – can seriously call into question a charity's financial integrity. We check the charity's last two Forms 990 to see if the charity has reported any diversion of assets. If the charity does report a diversion, then we check to see if it complied with the Form 990 instructions by describing what happened and its corrective action. This metric will be assigned to one of the following categories:
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| Audited Financials Prepared by Independent Accountant ... (More) Audited financial statements provide important information about financial accountability and accuracy. They should be prepared by an independent accountant with oversight from an audit committee. (It is not necessary that the audit committee be a separate committee. Often at smaller charities, it falls within the responsibilities of the finance committee or the executive committee.) The committee provides an important oversight layer between the management of the organization, which is responsible for the financial information reported, and the independent accountant, who reviews the financials and issues an opinion based on its findings. We check the charity's Form 990 reporting to see if it meets this criteria.
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| Does Not Provide Loan(s) to or Receive Loan(s) From Related Parties ... (More) Making loans to related parties such as key officers, staff, or Board members, is not standard practice in the sector as it may divert the charity's funds away from its charitable mission and can lead to real and perceived conflict-of-interest problems. This practice is discouraged by sector trade groups which point to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act when they call for charities to refrain from making loans to directors and executives. And the IRS is concerned enough with the practice that it requires charities to disclose on their Form 990 any loans to or from current and former officers, directors, trustees, key employees, and other "disqualified persons." Furthermore, some state laws go so far as to prohibit loans to board members and officers. And although employees and trustees are permitted to make loans to charities, this practice can also result in real and/or perceived conflict of interest problems for the charity. Furthermore, it is problematic because it is an indicator that the organization is not financially secure. (Less) | |
| Documents Board Meeting Minutes ... (More) An official record of the events that take place during a board meeting ensures that a contemporaneous document exists for future reference. Charities are not required to make their Board meeting minutes available to the public. As such, we are not able to review and critique their minutes. For this performance metric, we are checking to see if the charity reports on its Form 990 that it does keep those minutes. In the future, we will also track and rate whether or not a charity keeps minutes for its committee meetings. (Less) | |
| Distributes 990 to Board Before Filing ... (More) Providing copies of the Form to the governing body in advance of filing is considered a best practice, as it allows for thorough review by the individuals charged with overseeing the organization. The Form 990 asks the charity to disclose whether or not it has followed this best practice. If the charity has not distributed its Form 990 to the board before filing, then we deduct 4 points from its Accountability and Transparency score. (Less) | |
| Does not Compensate Board Members ... (More) The IRS requires that any compensation paid to members of the charity's governing body be listed on the Form 990. Furthermore, all members of the governing body need to be listed whether or not they are compensated. It is not unusual for some members of the board to have compensation listed. The executive director of the organization frequently has a seat on the board, for instance, and is compensated for being a full time staff member. However, it is rare for a charity to compensate individuals only for serving on its Board of Directors. Although this sort of board compensation is not illegal, it is not considered a best practice. (Less) | |
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990, or for some metrics on the charity's website, that the organization has these policies in place.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990 and organization's website
| Conflict of Interest ... (More) Such a policy protects the organization, and by extension those it serves, when it is considering entering into a transaction that may benefit the private interest of an officer or director of the organization. Charities are not required to share their conflict of interest policies with the public. Although we can not evaluate the substance of its policy, we can tell you if the charity has one in place based on the information it reports on its Form 990. If the charity does not have a Conflict of Interest policy, then we deduct 4 points from its Accountability and Transparency score. (Less) | |
| Whistleblower ... (More) This policy outlines procedures for handling employee complaints, as well as a confidential way for employees to report any financial mismanagement. Here we are reporting on the existence of a policy as reported by the charity on its Form 990. (Less) | |
| Records Retention and Destruction ... (More) Such a policy establishes guidelines for handling, backing up, archiving and destruction of documents. These guidelines foster good record keeping procedures that promotes data integrity. Here we are reporting on the existence of a policy as reported by the charity on its Form 990. If the charity does not have a Records Retention and Destruction Policy, then we deduct 4 points from its Accountability and Transparency score. (Less) | |
| CEO Compensation Process ... (More) This process indicates that the organization has a documented policy that it follows year after year. The policy should indicate that an objective and independent review process of the CEO's compensation has been conducted which includes benchmarking against comparable organizations. We check to be sure that the charity has reported on its Form 990 its process for determining its CEO pay. (Less) | |
| Donor Privacy ... (More) Donors can be reluctant to contribute to a charity when their name, address, or other basic information may become part of donor lists that are exchanged or sold, resulting in an influx of charitable solicitations from other organizations. Our analysts check the charity's website to see if the organization has a donor privacy policy in place and what it does and does not cover. Privacy policies are assigned to one of the following categories:
The privacy policy must be specific to donor information. A general website policy which references "visitor" or "user" personal information will not suffice. A policy that refers to donor information collected on the website is also not sufficient as the policy must be comprehensive and applicable to both online and offline donors. The existence of a privacy policy of any type does not prohibit the charity itself from contacting the donor for informational, educational, or solicitation purposes. (Less) | |
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990, or for some metrics on the charity's website, that the organization makes this information easily accessible.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990 and organization's website
| CEO Salary Listed on 990 ... (More) Charities are required to list their CEO's name and compensation on the Form 990. Our analysts check to be sure that the charities complied with the Form 990 instructions and included this information in their filing. (Less) | |
| Board of Directors Listed on Website ... (More) Our analysts check to see if the charity lists Board members on its website. Publishing this information enables donors and other stakeholders to ascertain the make up of the charity's governing body. This enables stakeholders to report concerns to the Board. Charity Navigator does not cross-check the Board members listed on the website with that reported on the Form 990, because the latter often isn't available until more than a year after the charity's fiscal year ends. In that time, the charity's Board members may have changed, and the charity typically reflects those more recent changes on the website. (Less) | |
| Key Staff Listed on Website ... (More) It is important for donors and other stakeholders to know who runs the organization day-to-day. Charity Navigator does not cross-check the leadership listed on the website with that reported on the Form 990 because the latter often isn't available until more than a year after the charity's fiscal year ends. In that time, the charity's leadership may have changed and the charity typically reflects those more recent changes on the website. In other words, since the Form 990 isn't especially timely, it can not be used to verify the leadership information published on the charity's site. (Less) | |
| Audited Financial Statements Listed on Website ... (More) We check the charity's website to see if it has published its audited financial statements for the fiscal year represented by the most recently filed IRS Form 990. It is important for donors to have easy access to this financial report to help determine if the organization is managing its financial resources well. We currently rate charities on whether or not they publish their audit on their website. (Less) | |
| Form 990 Available on Website ... (More) We check the charity's website to see if it has published its most recently filed IRS Form 990 (a direct link to the charity's 990 on an external site is sufficient). It is important for donors to have easy access to this financial report to help determine if the organization is managing its financial resources well. (Less) | |
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableLiabilities to Assets Ratio - 1.79% - 10/10 ptsLiabilities to Assets Ratio - 1.79% - 10/10 pts
The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent 990).
Part of our goal in rating the financial performance of charities is to help donors assess the financial capacity and sustainability of a charity. As do organizations in other sectors, charities must be mindful of their management of total liabilites in relation to their total assets. This ratio is an indicator of an organization’s solvency and or long term sustainability. Dividing a charity's total liabilities by its total assets yields this percentage.
Source: IRS Form 990
Working Capital Ratio - 3.25 years - 10/10 ptsWorking Capital Ratio - 3.25 years - 10/10 pts
Determines how long a charity could sustain its level of spending using its net available assets, or working capital, as reported on its most recently filed Form 990. We include in a charity's working capital unrestricted and temporarily restricted net assets, and exclude permanently restricted net assets. Dividing these net available assets in the most recent year by a charity's average total expenses, yields the working capital ratio. We calculate the charity's average total expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Fundraising Efficiency - $0.11 - 7.5/10 ptsFundraising Efficiency - $0.11 - 7.5/10 pts
The amount spent to raise $1 in charitable contributions. To calculate a charity's fundraising efficiency, we divide its average fundraising expenses by the average total contributions it receives. We calculate the charity's average expenses and average contributions over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Administrative Expense Ratio - 17.89% - 7.5/10 ptsAdministrative Expense Ratio - 17.89% - 7.5/10 pts
As reported by charities on their IRS Form 990, this measure reflects what percent of its total budget a charity spends on overhead, administrative staff and associated costs, and organizational meetings. Dividing a charity's average administrative expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Fundraising Expense Ratio - 7.30% - 10/10 ptsFundraising Expense Ratio - 7.30% - 10/10 pts
This measure reflects what a charity spends to raise money. Fundraising expenses can include campaign printing, publicity, mailing, and staffing and costs incurred in soliciting donations, memberships, and grants. Dividing a charity's average fundraising expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Program Expense Ratio - 74.70% - 7.05/10 ptsProgram Expense Ratio - 74.70% - 7.05/10 pts
The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three 990s).
This measure reflects the percent of its total expenses a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver. Dividing a charity's average program expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Program Expense Growth - -6.06% - 0/10 ptsProgram Expense Growth - -6.06% - 0/10 pts
Organizations that demonstrate consistent annual growth in program expenses are able to outpace inflation and thus sustain their programs year to year. These organizations also supply givers with greater confidence by maintaining broad public support for their programs. We compute the average annual growth of program expenses using the following formula: [(Yn/Y0)(1/n)]-1, where Y0 is a charity's program expenses in the first year of the interval analyzed, Yn is the charity's program expenses in the most recent year, and n is the interval of years passed between Y0 and Yn.
Source: IRS Form 990
This chart displays the trend of revenue and expenses over the past several years for this organization, as reported on their IRS Form 990.
Presented here are this organizations key compensated staff members as identified by our analysts. This compensation data includes salary, cash bonuses and expense accounts and is displayed exactly how it is reported to the IRS. The amounts do not include nontaxable benefits, deferred compensation, or other amounts not reported on Form W-2. In some cases, these amounts may include compensation from related organizations. Read the IRS policies for compensation reporting
Charles Grode, President and Executive Director
$181,744 (2.66% of Total Expenses)
Current CEO and Board Chair can be found in the Leadership & Adaptability report below.
Source: IRS Form 990 (page 7), filing year 2019
Below are some key data points from the Exempt Organization IRS Business Master File (BMF) for this organization. Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website
Activities:
Other school related activities (BMF activity code: 059)
Other instruction and training (BMF activity code: 149)
Vocational counseling (BMF activity code: 568)
Foundation Status:
School 170(b)(1)(A)(ii) (BMF foundation code: 11)
Affiliation:
Independent - the organization is an independent organization or an independent auxiliary (i.e., not affiliated with a National, Regional, or Geographic grouping of organizations). (BMF affiliation code: 3)
The Form 990 is a document that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS annually. We leverage finance and accountability data from it to form Encompass ratings. Click here to search for this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website (if any are available). Simply enter the organization's name (Merit School of Music) or EIN (363028768) in the 'Search Term' field.
This organization was impacted by COVID-19 in a way that effected their financial health in 2020. This normally would have reduced their star rating. Due to the unprecedented nature of the pandemic, we give charities such as this one the opportunity to share the story of COVID's impact on them, and doing this pauses our revision of their rating. Charities may submit their own pandemic responses through their nonprofit portal.
Merit School of Music reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Fundraising Capacity
Revenue
Staffing
Administrative Capacity
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
Merit lost revenue from school contracts, class tuition & space rental. Despite these conditions, we committed to maintaining full payroll through June 30, 2020. Subsequently, only a few staff related to building operations were laid-off. Pre-COVID, Merit projected an operating surplus for the year. As the implications of closed schools & closed facility unfolded, we were forecasting a deficit of as much as $500K for FY20. However, a combination of factors—loyal individual donors/board, the generosity & flexibility of institutional funders, & lower operating costs from a closed facility resulted in ending FY20 in the black. We also benefited from two tranches of PPP funding (both forgiven). Meanwhile, need for financial aid increased as many families' finances suffered. Merit offered a substantial COVID discount to help families continue in programs. We anticipate the impact of the pandemic to be felt going forward as we continue to rebuild enrollment & secure new tenants through 2022.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
Though the impact was profound, leadership, staff, & students responded with resilience & creativity. With local schools closed, Merit Music in Communities program activities were suspended as of March 2020 affecting 1400 students. Fortunately, we were able to resume nearly all school-based activities virtually for the 2020/21 school year. Activities in all other programs (1500+ students) continued through virtual channels. Conservatory program ensembles met online to make music in new innovative ways & focus on non-performance subjects such as songwriting, sound engineering, & music history. Early Childhood, Group Class, & Private Lesson programs continued with up to 90+% participation. Overall reduction in enrollment was approximately 25%. Enrollment of beginning students in all programs was our greatest challenge & has the potential for the most ongoing impact to recovery. As of September 2021, we are seeing engagement of beginners in onsite & school-based programs.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
When “shelter in place” was announced, Merit formed a leadership-staff-faculty task force which met daily to explore options for program adaptation& continuity with students. Faculty immediately began testing different platforms for virtual learning. Programming staff maintained close contact with students & families, creating a weekly family e-newsletter to communicate changes & new class formats, ensuring that Merit’s ‘family’ were kept aware of all developments. Students were included in decision-making to the greatest extent possible. (E.g., It was the members of Merit’s Philharmonic who conceived & executed a video performance in tribute to healthcare workers & broadcast at Merit’s Virtual Gala). Loss of the traditional Conservatory graduation ceremony was held online & the new format was embraced by all. Summer programming & the creation of new virtual electives also grew directly out of conversations with students & the results of a widely disseminated parent/family survey.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
As faculty gained experience online, new ‘best practices’ emerged which optimized the distance learning environment. Merit invested in “teaching carts,” consisting of mobile stations with laptops, monitors, high-quality microphones, & speakers . Merit also identified specific software programs that reduce or eliminate lag time & allow effective synchronizing of ensembles in real-time. The success of particular programs & classes (notably small-group class & private lessons) offer the possibility of continuing online classes in these areas, or offering hybrid classes which would allow students living farther from Chicago to take advantage of Merit programming, taking most classes from home and only traveling to Chicago occasionally. The increased focus on music theory & score study & the opportunity to explore “non-performance” topics on occasion is something our students very much enjoyed & that our faculty plans to incorporate into future planning.
Not Currently Scored
Merit School of Music cannot currently be evaluated by our Impact & Results methodology because either (A) it is eligible, but we have not yet received data; (B) we have not yet developed an algorithm to estimate its programmatic impact; (C) its programs are not direct services; or (D) it is not heavily reliant on contributions from individual donors.
Note: The absence of a score does not indicate a positive or negative assessment, it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated the organization.
Learn More
Merit School of Music reported its three largest programs on its FY 2019 Form 990 as:
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
Private Music Lessons
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
The Merit Music in Communities (MMiC) Program
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
Instrumental & Vocal Music Program
Merit School of Music has earned a 100% for the Culture & Community beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's culture and connectedness to the community it serves.
Learn more
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableConstituent Feedback - Data Available - 100/100 ptsConstituent Feedback - Data Available - 100/100 pts
30% of beacon score
This organization reported that it is collecting feedback from the constituents and/or communities it serves. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations that engage in inclusive practices, such as collecting feedback from the people and communities they serve, may be more effective.
Who are the people you serve with your mission? Describe briefly.
Merit’s range of programs serve students and families of many different communities with a diversity of ethnic, cultural, and economic backgrounds and, therefore, needs and interests. In general, our community-based sites are characterized by under-investment, lack of locally available arts education opportunities, and schools that are under-resourced and unable to fill those gaps, or to do so with consistency, continuity, and quality. At Merit’s downtown home in Chicago’s West Loop community, students come from both city and suburbs, and the diverse student body includes those from both lower-income communities and those from economically stable ones.
How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Community meetings or town halls, Constituent (client or resident, etc.) advisory committees, Suggestion box/email
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
With whom does your organization share the feedback you got from the people you serve?
The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners
How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship with them or shifted power - over decisions, resources, rules or in other ways - to them?
By surveying our conservatory students in our annual senior survey, we are constantly monitoring what about our institution can be supported and improved upon. We have used this feedback to make different decisions about repertoire programmed for our students to learn, increased booking of professionals for masterclasses, and other musical content related decisions that put the decision making power of their musical educations back into the hands of our served community--our students.
What challenges does your organization face in collecting feedback from the people you serve?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Briefly describe a recent change that your organization made in response to feedback from the people you serve.
Our COVID responses, including the decision to continue in-person instruction during Omicron, was truly based on feedback from our community of students and parents. Additionally, based on their feedback, we opted not to lift our mask mandate inside our building, despite the Chicago Public Schools system and city itself lifting indoor mask mandates. The ability to quickly gather feedback from our population on this issue allowed us to make a choice to best support the people we serve, and we will continue to seek feedback on this so that when the time comes for us to lift our indoor mask requirement, we will be ready and comfortable doing so.
Equity Practices - Data Available - 100/100 ptsEquity Practices - Data Available - 100/100 pts
70% of beacon score
This organization's score of 100 is a passing score. The organization reported that it is implementing 13 Equity Practices. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations implementing effective equity policies and practices can enhance a nonprofit's decision-making, staff motivation, innovation, and effectiveness.
Equity Practices (7/7) | |
|---|---|
We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race. | |
We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and/or portfolios. | |
We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization/'s programs, portfolios, and the populations served. | |
We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support. | |
We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders. | |
We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured | |
We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization. | |
Equity Policies and Procedures (6/7) | |
|---|---|
We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity. | |
We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions. | |
We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization. | |
We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board. | |
We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability. | |
We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team. | |
We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization. | |
Merit School of Music has earned a 100% for the Leadership & Adaptability beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's leadership capacity, strategic thinking and planning, and ability to innovate or respond to changes in constituent demand/need or other relevant social and economic conditions to achieve the organization's mission.
Learn more
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableMission - 10/10 ptsMission - 10/10 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization's mission
Merit School of Music is dedicated to helping young people transform their lives by providing equal access to a high-quality music education, with nearly 70 percent of students benefitting from need-based financial aid and low-cost instrument rental. Merit enables motivated students, regardless of economic circumstance, to develop their talent and to use music as a springboard for achieving their full personal potential, with virtually 100 percent of our Conservatory graduates going on to college.
Vision - 10/10 ptsVision - 10/10 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
Merit School of Music is Chicago’s destination for excellence and belonging in music education.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Goals - 20/20 ptsGoals - 20/20 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: First & foremost, we must rebuild our enrollment to pre-COVID levels. Our goal is to reach 100% pre-pandemic levels by FY23 through a focus on brand awareness, community engagement, & more.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Two: We’re committed to becoming a more inclusive, multi-cultural institution that represents the demographics of Chicago & delivers on its mission to remove barriers to excellent music instruction.
Goal Type: This goal reflects our commitment to further our advocacy work for our organization and or cause area.
Goal Three: Merit is committed to deepening parent engagement in order to help drive increased commitment at our community partner sites & support retention in programs overall.
Goal Type: Focus on core programs to achieve mission and scale back on programs not seen as core.
Leadership Development - 15/15 ptsLeadership Development - 15/15 pts
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
Merit is dedicated to promoting leadership development, with a particular focus on ensuring that entry level employees have the opportunities to grow & learn in their roles. Most recently, we engaged all staff in evaluating their strengths through the CliftonStrengths Assessment. This tool empowers individuals to be their best by understanding their innate talents & unlocking their full potential. Staff had the opportunity to engage in rigorous discussions collectively & one-on-one with their supervisors post assessment to make plans for growth & exploration of their leadership skills based on the assessment. Further, as a part of our inclusivity, diversity, equity & antiracism (IDEA) efforts, Merit has provided all staff the opportunity to participate in Enrich Chicago/CROAR’s intensive 2.5-day seminar, Understanding & Analyzing Systemic Racism. Our Director of IDEA & Human Resources provides leadership on these issues across training, policy, & professional development.
Mobilizing for Mission - 15/15 ptsMobilizing for Mission - 15/15 pts
The nonprofit provides evidence of leadership through focusing externally and mobilizing resources for the mission.
Strategic Partnerships
Networks of Collective Impact Efforts
Thought Leadership
Raising Awareness
Community Building
External mobilization offers an array of benefits to our students & organization, including engaging a wider audience, increasing impact of programs, introducing students to new approaches, & sharing teaching practices across organizations. Highlights of recent collaborations include: + Working with the Foundation for Hearing & Speech Resources to launch music classes for deaf/hearing impaired students. + DanceVision 2020: The Music of Black Voices, a collaboration between Merit students & Ballet Chicago dancers. + Hosting a series of performances in public parks throughout Chicago during - summer 2021. + The most extensive & impactful collaboration in Merit’s history is the Mellon Foundation-funded Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative (CMPI). CMPI’s objective is to provide intensive, long-term support to talented young musicians from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in classical music. CMPI comprises a Merit-led steering team of 7 leading Chicago-area music organizations.
Adaptability Story - 30/30 ptsAdaptability Story - 30/30 pts
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
While COVID represents the single greatest challenge of Merit’s 42-year history, it has also spurred ideas & innovations never before imagined. Highlights of COVID’s impact & Merit’s response include: + Virtual instruction: Merit revamped its curriculum to better meet the needs & capabilities of students in a virtual world. Additional learning opportunities included composition, music history, sound engineering, & in-depth audition techniques. + Live From Gottlieb: Merit reimagined this weekly live event as a series of virtual gatherings of our musical community, streaming recorded appearances by local & national artists. + Financial aid: Merit offered substantial additional aid under the rubric of a “COVID discount” to accommodate the increased need for aid among Merit families financially hurt by the impact of COVID. + Student retention: Merit is proud to have retained 90% of private lesson students, 80% of group lesson students, & 75% of our community partners. However, recruitment has been particularly affected by the pandemic with repercussions not only in the current year, but with uncertain medium-term impact, as there are now fewer students on the pathway. Thus, recruitment is a significant focus for fall 2021. + Although income from tuition revenue, school contracts, & space rental was significantly reduced, Merit has maintained a small surplus; this is due to PPP loans & strong fundraising. + Merit’s virtual Gala exceeded its fundraising target with over $1.1 million raised. + Merit’s board grew in diversity, with trustees of color now comprising 36%. + Merit maintained nearly all staff on payroll since March 2020; only two building staff were furloughed whose roles were defined by direct visitor contact.
Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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