Virginia Symphony Foundation
Provide financial support to Virginia symphony orchestra by administering funds and property, engaging in other activities as qualify for an exempt organization, solicit and receive funds and property by gift, transfer, devise or bequest and administering and applying such funds and property only in furtherance of these purposes.the foundation also receives restricted gifts whose investment income is distributed to the symphony annually for certain programming activities including family concerts, education, master classes, programming and outreach in the suffolk area and to underwrite guest artists.
Virginia Symphony Foundation at a glance
In short: Virginia Symphony Foundation gave $446K across 1 grant in 2025 (avg $446K), mostly in Virginia. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $446,008
- +17.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 1
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $446,008
- +17.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $446,008
- Total assets
- $11,833,535
- +6.8% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Virginia (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who Virginia Symphony Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top recipient in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Virginia Symphony Orchestra ($446K).
Grant Size Distribution
5 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $250–500K range: 3 grants of 5 (60%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of the 2025 grant dollars on its one itemized grant.
States
Cities
How Virginia Symphony Foundation gives
- Giving grew 79% from 2022 to 2025. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $206K (2021) to $446K (2025). In 2025 it made 1 grant totaling $446K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia Symphony Orchestra Norfolk, VA | Operating Support | $446,008 |
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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 | $11,833,535 | $251,795 | $505,751 | $446,008 | 1 | $251,795 |
| 2024 | $11,080,833 | $521,089 | $439,652 | $380,553 | 1 | $250,347 |
| 2023 | $9,902,382 | $1,358,445 | $366,054 | $308,313 | 1 | $-23,241 |
| 2022 | $7,875,824 | $1,917,405 | $306,216 | $249,133 | 1 | $216,062 |
| 2021 | $7,541,686 | $1,832,881 | $242,888 | $205,505 | 1 | $184,666 |
| 2020 | $4,727,364 | $36,172 | $254,855 | $206,886 | 1 | $15,788 |
About Virginia Symphony Foundation
Based on IRS filings
Virginia Symphony Foundation is a public charity, based in Norfolk, VA. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $11.8M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 1 grant totaling $446K. Net investment income was $252K.
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Virginia Symphony Foundation is led by Winthrop Short Jr., President on every filing since 2020; none of the 14 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Winthrop Short Jr.
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shannon Kelley
Executive Director
Vice President of Development → Executive Director, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chris Johnson
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Howard Kern
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jane Short
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael McClellan
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Patrick McDermott
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Steve Winter
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gordon Robertson
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tim Faulkner
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Yolanda Sponney
Director of Finance
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bette Minette Cooper
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bob Petterson
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrea Warren
Executive Director - Former
Executive Director → Executive Director Effect, 2024
Executive Director Effect → Executive Director - Former, 2025
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (5)
- Former: Teresa Kraus (2020–2024) — CFO
- Former: Karen Philion (2020–2023) — Executive Director
- Former: Monica Meyer Beale (2023) — Interim Executive Director & Cro
- Former: Christina Goode (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Elizabeth Baroody (2020–2021) — Vice President of Development
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Virginia Symphony Foundation
How much does Virginia Symphony Foundation give each year?
Virginia Symphony Foundation gave $446K across 1 grant in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $381K across 1 grant.
How large is Virginia Symphony Foundation?
Virginia Symphony Foundation reported $11.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $252K.
Where does Virginia Symphony Foundation operate?
Virginia Symphony Foundation has awarded grants in Virginia.
What is Virginia Symphony Foundation's EIN?
Virginia Symphony Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1597415. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS December 2, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 22, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from Virginia Symphony Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Virginia Symphony Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?