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AMERICAN GUILD OF ORGANISTS
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 130431730 · Form 990 · FY2023 · Medium ($1M-$10M) · agohq.org
revenue
$3.9M
expenses
$3.4M
net assets
$28.5M
employees
14
volunteers
96
program ratio
78%
mission · from form 990

FOSTER A THRIVING COMMUNITY OF MUSICIANS WHO SHARE THEIR KNOWLEDGE & INSPIRE PASSION FOR THE ORGAN.

profile · synthesized from sources

Professional association supporting organists and church musicians through education, competitions, and community-building. Publishes the widely read journal The American Organist and administers certification, scholarships, and national conventions. Founded in 1896, it serves nearly 11,000 members across 247 chapters in the United States and internationally.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2023

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $434K
    SEE SCHEDULE O.
  2. #2 $407K
    THE AMERICAN ORGANIST MAGAZINE (TAO). THE AGO PUBLISHES 12 MONTHLY ISSUES OF THE AMERICAN ORGANIST, THE MONTHLY PROFESSIONAL JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN GUILD OF ORGANISTS AND THE ASSOCIATED PIPE ORGAN BUILDERS OF AMERICA. TAO IS THE WORLD'S MOST WIDELY READ JOURNAL SERVING THE ORGAN AND CHORAL FIELDS. IT CONTAINS EDUCATIONAL ARTICLES, NEWS, MUSIC AND PRODUCT REVIEWS, INTERVIEWS, OPINION COLUMNS, AND ANNOUNCEMENTS OF INTEREST TO ALL MEMBERS AND SUBSCRIBERS. IT ALSO SERVES RESEARCHERS AND SCHOLARS INTERESTED IN ORGANS, ORGAN MUSIC, ORGAN COMPETITIONS, SCHOLARSHIPS FOR ORGAN STUDY, AND THE CRAFT OF ORGAN BUILDING. EACH MONTH, THE MAGAZINE REACHES MORE THAN 11,000 ORGANISTS, ORGAN TEACHERS, ORGAN STUDENTS, ORGAN BUILDERS, AND COMPOSERS FOR THE ORGAN IN THE U.S. AND INTERNATIONALLY THROUGH ITS PRINT AND ONLINE EDITIONS.
named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

Composition Competitions
Series of competitions including the Pogorzelski-Yankee, AGO/ECS Publishing Award, and AGO/Marilyn Mason Award, supporting new works for organ and choral performance
Five-Tier Certification Program
Educational framework assessing and recognizing proficiency in organ performance, improvisation, and theory across multiple levels
National Competitions
Biennial competitions in organ performance and improvisation, including the National Young Artists Competition and National Competition in Organ Improvisation, culminating in performances at the national convention
The American Organist
Monthly professional journal providing educational content, news, and reviews for organ and choral fields, distributed in print and online to members and subscribers worldwide
Virtual Pedagogy Conference
Annual virtual event offering resources and professional development for organ teachers and learners, featuring workshops, panels, and networking opportunities
activities · 9 groups

What they do

  • Educator Conferences & Professional Development Events 1 activity
    • Annual Virtual Pedagogy Conference
      Hosts an annual virtual conference for organ teachers and learners featuring live presentations, workshops, and networking opportunities, with need-based scholarships for attendance and post-conference access to recorded sessions and digital resources.
  • Recognition and Awards Programs 1 activity
    • Chapter Achievement Awards
      Recognizes excellence in local chapter programming, education, membership, outreach, and communications by awarding Chapter Achievement Awards to 26 chapters in 2026, representing all AGO regions.
  • Internal Organizational Elections 1 activity
    • Leadership elections and governance
      Conducts annual national and regional elections for leadership positions including National Council, Secretary, Councillor-at-Large, Councillor for Young Organists, and Regional Ambassadors via email ballot, with results announced publicly in January.
  • Regional Chapter Network Support 1 activity
    • Local chapter programming and member services
      Supports 247 local chapters in organizing regular meetings featuring performances, recitals, lectures, and seminars; provides member benefits including directories of substitute organists, musician placement services, and scholarship programs.
  • Mentorship and Professional Development Programs 1 activity
    • Professional development and career support
      Offers educational programs including webinars, workshops, career development resources, training for job interviews, guidance on higher education pathways, and resources on contracts and professional agreements for organists.
  • Academic Journal and Scholarly Publication 1 activity
    • Publication of The American Organist
      Produces and distributes twelve monthly issues of The American Organist, a professional journal for organists and choral musicians, reaching approximately 11,000–11,500 members and subscribers worldwide in print and online formats.
  • Music Awards and Honors Programs 1 activity
    • Regional Competitions for Young Organists
      Recognizes emerging talent through regional competitions, with four Rising Stars selected in 2025 each receiving a $5,000 award and a performance opportunity at the 2026 AGO National Convention in St. Louis.
  • Arts Education Scholarships 1 activity
    • Student composer-organist grant program
      Funds $1,000 grants annually to four student composer-organist pairs to compose and perform new organ works, requiring a premiere and video recording as part of the award.
  • Uncategorized 2 activities
    • Composition competitions and commissions
      Hosts alternate-year composition competitions awarding $3,000 prizes, publication, and world premiere performances at the AGO National Convention for new choral-organ and organ solo works; also awards a $10,000 prize and gala performance for new works written for a specific tracker organ at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
    • National and regional competitions for organists and composers
      Administers a national program of competitions including the National Young Artists Competition in Organ Performance (ongoing since 1950), the National Competition in Organ Improvisation, and composition awards, culminating in performances at biennial national conventions.
financials · form 990 · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$3.89M
Contributions & grants$2.30M59%
Program service revenue$517K13%
Investment income$1.05M27%
Other revenue$27K
expenses
Total expenses$3.44M
Program expenses78%
Admin / overhead14%
Fundraising8%
Salaries & benefits$1.42M
Grants paid out$115K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$29.22M
Cash$243K
Investments$28.20M
Liabilities$745K
Net assets$28.48M
Liquid reserves99.2 mo
5 years on record · 2019–2023 · YoY revenue +137.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023

Who runs it

paid leadership · 3
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
JAMES E THOMASHOWER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 35 $225K
F ANTHONY THURMAN CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER 35 $155K
ELIZABETH K GEORGE CHIEF MEMBERSHIP OFFICER 35 $127K
board members · 14
  • COLLIN B BOOTHBY — COUNCILLOR
  • EILEEN HUNT — PRESIDENT
  • EMILY DAWN AMOS — COUNCILLOR
  • JOHN S DIXON — TREASURER
  • LESLIE WOLF ROBB — SECRETARY
  • M JONATHAN RYAN — VICE PRESIDENT
  • NICHOLAS KEITH STIGALL — COUNCILLOR
  • NICOLE MARANE — COUNCILLOR
  • PEGGY HAAS HOWELL — VICE PRESIDENT
  • RUSSELL WEISMANN — COUNCILLOR
  • SHERYL L SEBO — COUNCILLOR
  • SUE MITCHELL-WALLACE — COUNCILLOR
  • VICKI J SCHAEFFER — COUNCILLOR
  • VINCENT CARR — COUNCILLOR
relationships · 18

Who they work with

  • AGO Network — Hosts the Virtual Pedagogy Conference as part of its educational programming.
  • AGO Committee on Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Coalition — Administers the Woman Composer Sunday Organ Composition Competition to promote diversity in organ composition.
  • AGO Committee on New Music Coalition — Collaborates with the American Guild of Organists to administer composition competitions and approve new works.
  • American Association of Colleges and Universities Partner — Former employer of incoming Executive Director Cathy Brigham, where she served as Special Projects Advisor to the President.
  • Associated Pipe Organ Builders of America Network — Co-official publisher of The American Organist magazine.
  • Associated Pipe Organ Builders of America Partner — Co-sponsors publication of The American Organist journal with the American Guild of Organists.
  • College Board Partner — Former employer of incoming Executive Director Cathy Brigham, where she led outreach and managed advisory boards.
  • Committee on Membership Development and Chapter Support Partner — Committee responsible for establishing the Chapter Achievement Awards program.
  • Concordia University Texas Partner — Institution where incoming Executive Director Cathy Brigham served as Dean of Adult Education.
  • Council for Adult and Experiential Learning Partner — Organization where incoming Executive Director Cathy Brigham gained experience in adult education and lifelong learning.
  • ECS Publishing Partner — Co-sponsors the AGO/ECS Publishing Award in Choral Composition and publishes winning works.
  • H.T. FitzSimons Co. Partner — Partners with AGO to publish winning compositions from the AGO/Marilyn Mason Award in Organ Composition.
  • National Council Partner — Selects executive leadership, including the Executive Director.
  • National Nominating Committee Partner — Responsible for vetting candidates and managing the nomination process for national and regional leadership elections.
  • Regional Ambassador Network — Regional Ambassadors are elected representatives from each of the seven geographical regions who serve as liaisons within the AGO's regional structure.
  • Texas Folklife Partner — Organization where incoming Executive Director Cathy Brigham served as Folklife Specialist overseeing arts-in-education programming.
  • YouTube Partner — Hosts archived webinars, workshops, and performances on the AGO YouTube channel for public access.
  • Zoom Partner — Uses Zoom as the platform for hosting the virtual pedagogy conference.
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Decentralized Network with Best-Practice Diffusion
    methodology: decentralized_local_network
    By organizing through a decentralized network of local chapters, the organization enables localized program delivery while strengthening the national body through systematic sharing of innovative practices identified from high-performing chapters, because localized experimentation generates adaptable solutions and peer-validated models increase adoption rates.
  • Democratic Governance with Member-Driven Representation
    methodology: democratic_petition_nomination
    By combining member-nominated elections with petition-based expansion of candidate slates, the organization ensures leadership reflects diverse regional and professional perspectives, because inclusive nomination processes increase legitimacy and participation in governance.
  • Inclusive Field Advancement through Competition-Based Commissioning
    methodology: competition-based commissioning
    By using competitive commissions and dedicated calls for scores—especially those targeting underrepresented composers—the organization advances the creation of new organ and choral music and increases diversity in repertoire, because structured incentives with inclusive eligibility criteria drive innovation and broaden cultural representation in a traditionally narrow field.
  • Knowledge Dissemination to Sustain Field Vitality
    methodology: knowledge_dissemination
    By systematically publishing a monthly journal and fostering peer-to-peer knowledge sharing across the network, the organization sustains engagement and professional cohesion in a geographically dispersed and niche field, because regular access to shared expertise and field-wide discourse strengthens individual practice and collective identity.
  • Virtual Pedagogy and Targeted Training for Under-Served Musicians
    methodology: virtual_pedagogy_conference
    By delivering professional development through virtual conferences and targeted webinars, the organization increases access to pedagogical resources for part-time, volunteer, and geographically isolated organists, because flexible, low-barrier digital formats enable sustained engagement among musicians who otherwise lack access to in-person training.