California › Arts, entertainment and recreation › 100 to 249 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Sep 2024 to 31 Aug 2025
San Francisco Symphony Retirement Plan
Sponsored by San Francisco Symphony Corporation, San Francisco, CA
Form 5500 information is as filed by the plan administrator with the Department of Labor and may be amended. Figures reflect the plan year shown, not current balances. Form 5500 contains no individual account balances. Look up the original filing at EFAST2.
San Francisco Symphony Retirement Plan is a defined benefit pension plan sponsored by San Francisco Symphony Corporation of San Francisco, California. For the plan year ending 31 Aug 2025 it reported 185 participants, 86 of them active, and net assets of $107M.
Net assets came to $579,378 per participant, well above the $80,635 median for defined benefit plans with 100 to 249 participants and well above the $98,070 median for defined benefit plans in arts, entertainment and recreation. The figure is an average across everyone in the plan, including former employees with small balances; Form 5500 holds no individual account data.
Schedule C lists 4 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $665K: $3,593 per participant, well above the same-size median of $451. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $683K. Schedule C does not capture every cost: fees netted from fund returns and fees the employer pays directly are outside it.
Across the filings on record, net assets went from $39.3M in 2009 to $107M in 2024 (up 173%), and participants from 179 to 185 (up 3%).
The independent accountant's opinion on the financial statements was unmodified (unqualified), from an audit whose scope was limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C) to exclude investment information certified by a bank or insurer.
Compared with similar plans
| Measure | This plan | Same size | Same industry | All US DB plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $579,378 | $80,635 | $98,070 | $86,221 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | — | $9,975 | $8,284 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $3,593 | $451 | $440 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.62% | 0.52% | 0.49% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $3,690 | $582 | $715 | $527 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined benefit plans with 100 or more participants: 100 to 249 participants (1,156 plans), arts, entertainment and recreation (119) and all US plans (5,308). Fee medians cover plans that report an amount.
Trend by plan year
| Plan year | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer contributions | Participant contributions | Schedule C compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 185 | $107M | $579,378 | — | — | $665K |
| 2023 | 178 | $101M | $567,590 | — | — | $565K |
| 2022 | 174 | $92.7M | $532,724 | — | — | $518K |
| 2021 | 179 | $94.3M | $526,883 | $516K | — | $217K |
| 2020 | 176 | $106M | $599,938 | $1.7M | — | $125K |
| 2019 | 178 | $91.0M | $511,073 | $2.3M | — | $77K |
| 2018 | 178 | $81.4M | $457,258 | $1.6M | — | $79K |
| 2017 | 173 | $81.5M | $471,098 | $2.7M | — | $113K |
| 2016 | 173 | $75.7M | $437,595 | $3.4M | — | $110K |
| 2015 | 173 | $67.4M | $389,422 | $3.4M | — | $81K |
| 2014 | 176 | $63.1M | $358,250 | $2.8M | — | $181K |
| 2013 | 178 | $64.0M | $359,573 | $5.0M | — | $143K |
| 2012 | 179 | $54.0M | $301,447 | $4.0M | — | $114K |
| 2011 | 180 | $48.1M | $267,156 | $1.7M | — | $155K |
| 2010 | 176 | $45.5M | $258,403 | $4.4M | — | $134K |
| 2009 | 179 | $39.3M | $219,475 | $1.7M | — | $197K |
Years in which the plan filed the full Form 5500 with 100 or more participants, from 2009. Plan year is the year in which the plan year began.
Statement for the year
- Net assets, beginning of year$101,030,932
- Employer contributions—
- Participant contributions—
- Rollovers and other contributions—
- Total contributions$0
- Total income, including investment results$11,955,364
- Benefits paid$5,118,664
- Administrative expenses$682,668
- Total expenses$5,801,332
- Net income$6,154,032
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$107,184,964
Participants
- Active participants86
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits70
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits11
- Total participants, end of year185
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Partners Capital | Investment management | $431,781 | $0 |
| Northern Trust | Trustee (directed) | $117,765 | $0 |
| Milliman, Inc. | Actuarial | $85,844 | $0 |
| Grant Thornton | Accounting (including auditing) | $29,300 | $0 |
Schedule C, Part I line 2: providers that received $5,000 or more, with the form's own service codes. Individuals named on Schedule C (plan employees, individual trustees) are never shown and their compensation is excluded. Eligible indirect compensation disclosed by formula carries no dollar amount. See how to read Schedule C fees.
Administrative expenses on Schedule H
- Investment advisory and management fees$431,781
- Trustee and custodial fees$117,765
- Actuarial fees$85,844
- IQPA audit fees$29,300
- Other administrative expenses$17,978
- Total administrative expenses$682,668
Investment structure
Assets at year end by Schedule H category. The form shows the kind of vehicle holding the money, not the funds on the menu.
- Partnership/joint venture interests$49.1M · 45.6%
- Registered investment companies (mutual funds)$40.8M · 37.8%
- Common/collective trusts$17.6M · 16.3%
- Cash (interest and non-interest bearing)$238K · 0.2%
- Receivables$25K · 0.0%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)Yes
- Accounting firmGrant Thornton
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $500,000
- Blackout period during the yearNo
These are the plan administrator's own answers on Schedule H, Part IV. A reported late transmittal is the filer's disclosure of a timing lapse, usually corrected through the Department of Labor's voluntary program; the amount is the total involved, not a loss.
Plan characteristics
1BBenefits are primarily flat dollar (includes dollars per year of service)
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 711100: Performing Arts Companies.
Other plans of San Francisco Symphony Corporation
| Plan | Participants | Net assets |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco Symphony Tsa Thrift Plan | 1,030 | $87.1M |
| Retirement Plan for Employees of San Francisco Symphony Corporation | 170 | $22.1M |
Similar plans in California
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Turf Club, Incorporated Retirement Income Plan | Los Angeles Turf Club, Incorporated | 210 | $23.7M | $112,652 |
| Concession & Program Employees Local 468 Pension Plan | Board of Trustees of Concession & Program Employees Local 468 Pension | 183 | $961K | $5,253 |
| San Diego Symphony Orchestra Musicians' Pension Plan | San Diego Symphony Orchestra Association | 229 | $13.8M | $60,198 |
| Retirement Plan for Employees of San Francisco Symphony Corporation | San Francisco Symphony Corporaton | 170 | $22.1M | $129,823 |
| Performing Arts Center Retirement Plan | Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County | 301 | $17.6M | $58,389 |
| The Retirement Income Plan of the Corporation of Fine Arts Museums | Corporation of the Fine Arts Museums | 151 | $28.5M | $188,562 |
Defined benefit plans in arts, entertainment and recreation closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is San Francisco Symphony Retirement Plan?
185 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Aug 2025, of whom 86 were active employees, with net assets of $107,184,964. Among defined benefit plans that places it in the 100 to 249 participants band, which held 1,156 plans in plan year 2024.
What does San Francisco Symphony Corporation contribute per participant?
This filing has no Schedule H financial statement, so employer contributions are not reported here.
What fees does the plan pay and how do they compare?
Schedule C reports $664,690 in compensation to service provider organisations, $3,593 per participant or 0.62% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $451 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $682,668. Investment costs deducted inside mutual funds and other pooled vehicles are not itemised on Form 5500, so these figures are a floor rather than a full cost.
Who runs the plan?
The sponsor is San Francisco Symphony Corporation. Investment advisory or management: Partners Capital. Trustee or custodian: Northern Trust. The financial statements were audited by Grant Thornton. Form 5500 also names the plan administrator's signer and other individuals; this site publishes organisations only.
Was the audit opinion unqualified?
The filing reports an unmodified (unqualified) opinion from a limited-scope audit, in which the accountant did not audit investment information certified by a bank or insurance company. Unmodified (formerly "unqualified") is the standard clean opinion.
How current is this, and does it show my balance?
This is the Form 5500 for the plan year 1 Sep 2024 to 31 Aug 2025, received by the Department of Labor on 12 Jun 2026. Filings are due seven months after the plan year ends, or nine and a half with an extension, so the public record always runs a year or more behind. It contains plan-level totals only: no individual balances, contributions or names of participants exist in the data.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Form 5500 research files (Form 5500, Schedule H, Schedule C) for plan years 2009 to 2025, public domain, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. This page shows the latest filing on record for EIN 94-1156284, plan 002, received 12 Jun 2026; an amended filing replaces it at the next build. Medians and percentiles are computed by this site; see the methodology. Report an error through corrections.