Madison Opera Inc
The mission of Madison Opera is to produce operas of the highest artistic standards.
Madison Opera Inc at a glance
- Total assets
- $2,180,857
- -9.2% vs 2024
- Revenue (2025)
- $2,466,490
- -5.4% vs 2024
- Net investment income (2025)
- $5,403
- +513.3% vs 2024
- Expenses (2025)
- $2,744,146
- -1.0% vs 2024
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who Madison Opera Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
2 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 1 grant of 2 (50%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $30K (2023) to $250K (2019). In 2024 it made 1 grant totaling $100K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Madison Opera Foundation Inc Madison, WI | General Purposes | $100,014 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,180,857 | $2,466,490 | $2,744,146 | — | — | $5,403 |
| 2024 | $2,402,964 | $2,606,760 | $2,771,262 | $100,014 | 1 | $881 |
| 2023 | $2,489,023 | $2,147,945 | $2,378,355 | $30,000 | 1 | $765 |
| 2022 | $2,864,319 | $1,938,281 | $2,066,741 | — | — | $799 |
| 2021 | $3,146,994 | $1,933,886 | $1,124,339 | — | — | $425 |
| 2020 | $2,247,603 | $1,813,345 | $1,680,351 | — | — | $748 |
| 2019 | $2,356,512 | $2,235,363 | $2,338,841 | $250,000 | 1 | $969 |
About Madison Opera Inc
Based on IRS filings
Madison Opera Inc is a public charity focused on Arts, Culture & Humanities, based in Madison, WI. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $2.2M in total assets. Net investment income was $5K.
Focus Areas
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Madison Opera Inc is led by Susan Zaeske, President since 2025 (on filings since 2019); 1 of 32 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Susan Zaeske
President
Treasurer → Vice President, 2021
Vice President → President, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Thomas Terry
Chairman
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kathryn Smith
General Director
On filings since 2019
60 hrs/week
$110K (2019) → $152K (2025)
Brian Haltinner
Trustee
Trustee → Treasurer, 2024
Treasurer → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Flanders
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Fran Klos
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
J. Marshall Osborn
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joyce Hirsch
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Martin Barrett
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Pete Lundberg
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Peyton Engel
Trustee
Vice President → President, 2023
President → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sally Miley
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sharyn Stumpf
Trustee
Trustee → Secretary, 2021
Secretary → Trustee, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stephen Hurley
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Susan Lipp
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Toby Wallach
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carla Alvarado
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Patti Lucas
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Viki Brigham
Trustee
Trustee → Secretary, 2022
Secretary → Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jane Taves
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Selma Vaneyck
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sonja Yde
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Barbara Merz
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cyrena Pondrom
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Larry Bechler
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Debra Anken-Dyer
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kathy Condit
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Susan Thibeault
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Connie Kinsella
Treasurer
Treasurer → Trustee, 2024
Trustee → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Franzo Law II
Secretary
Trustee → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Martha Casey
Vice President
Trustee → Vice President, 2023
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lynn Mecklenburg
Vice President
Trustee → Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (19)
- Former: Aileen Jensen (2019–2024) — Life Trustee
- Former: Brandon Hayes (2019–2024) — Trustee
- Former: John Lemke (2019–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Leanne Cordisco (2019–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Michael McArdle (2019–2023) — Trustee
- Former: John Buscemi (2020–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Rick Nordheim (2023) — Trustee
- Former: Charles Snowdon (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Connie Maxwell (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Deepika Rajesh (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Gary Bennett (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: J. Ashley Taylor (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: R. Roth Judd (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Sonja Micksch (2019–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Maryann Sumi (2019–2020) — Trustee
- Former: Maytee Aspuro (2019–2020) — Trustee
- Former: Kirsten Spira (2019) — Trustee
- Former: Phillip Certain (2019) — Trustee
- Former: Wendy Moore Skinner (2019) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $152K, to Kathryn Smith (General Director).
Frequently asked questions about Madison Opera Inc
How large is Madison Opera Inc?
Madison Opera Inc reported $2.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $2.5M.
What is Madison Opera Inc?
Madison Opera Inc is a public charity focused on Arts, Culture & Humanities, based in Madison, WI. It holds $2.2M in total assets as of 2025.
Where does Madison Opera Inc operate?
Madison Opera Inc has awarded grants in Wisconsin.
What is Madison Opera Inc's EIN?
Madison Opera Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-1789514. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Data update history
(4)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 6, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS December 22, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS December 20, 2024)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Live grants for the work Madison Opera Inc funds
Arts, Culture & Humanities Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Madison Opera Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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