Is it real?
Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Mar 2004.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File
Where the money goes
67 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.
Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.
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Who runs it and what they're paid
11 people listed on the 990; $111K paid to officers and key staff.
Ann Watts’s $125K as Executive Dir. is at the 48th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1552 $1–10M youth development nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.
Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 1 named individual · Part VII
| Name | FY2025 | FY2024 | FY2023 | FY2022 | FY2021 | FY2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ann Watts | $124,632 | $133,433 | $111,288 | $111,288 | $111,294 | $106,000 |
Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.
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Questions the 990 asks
The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.
- Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
- Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Programs and updates
Promotes public education in theater, dance, music, and visual arts.
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Theatre ProductionsUnder the direction of professional directors, choreographers and music directors, students in grades 3-12 rehearse for 10-12 weeks in preparation for a professional stage production, complete with costumes, props, lights, sound and sets. This program teaches students theatre skills, teamwork and discipline.
School ProgramsDuring School Arts Programs are designed to support and enhance general education goals and incorporate the California Visual and Performing Arts Standards. The Rotating Arts Wheel is our most comprehensive program.
Professional Performance TrainingStarting Arts Studios offer dance, theater, music and visual arts classes during the school year for all ages as well as Summer Dance and Music Intensives, Summer Musical Theatre Camps for students in grades K-3 & 4-12, Theatre Tech Training for students in grades 5-12 interested in working behind the…
Funders
Who pays for it.
From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.
Grants
By the numbers
The FY2021 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | Start FY21 | End FY21 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $1.1M | $828K |
| InvestmentsLn 11–13 | $0 | |
| Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c | $47K | $41K |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $1.2M | $926K |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $88K | $75K |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $1.1M | $851K |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1 | $0 | |||
| Grants to domestic individualsLn 2 | $0 | |||
| Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsLn 3 | $0 | |||
| Benefits paid to or for membersLn 4 | $0 | |||
| Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5 | $111K | $61K | $45K | $6K |
| Pay of disqualified personsLn 6 | $0 | |||
| Other salaries and wagesLn 7 | $534K | $370K | $105K | $59K |
| Pension plan contributionsLn 8 | $0 | |||
| Other employee benefitsLn 9 | $24K | $16K | $6K | $2K |
| Payroll taxesLn 10 | $51K | $34K | $12K | $5K |
| Management feesLn 11a | $0 | |||
| Legal feesLn 11b | $0 | |||
| Accounting feesLn 11c | $0 | |||
| Lobbying feesLn 11d | $0 | |||
| Professional fundraising feesLn 11e | $0 | |||
| Investment management feesLn 11f | $0 | |||
| Other fees for servicesLn 11g | $246K | $162K | $32K | $52K |
| Advertising and promotionLn 12 | $2K | $75 | $1K | $100 |
| Office expensesLn 13 | $21K | $3K | $15K | $3K |
| Information technologyLn 14 | $0 | |||
| RoyaltiesLn 15 | $21K | $21K | ||
| OccupancyLn 16 | $235K | $173K | $61K | $2K |
| TravelLn 17 | $0 | |||
| Travel and entertainment for public officialsLn 18 | $0 | |||
| Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19 | $2K | $2K | ||
| InterestLn 20 | $0 | |||
| Payments to affiliatesLn 21 | $0 | |||
| Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22 | $6K | $6K | $628 | |
| InsuranceLn 23 | $9K | $9K | ||
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $46K | $36K | $3K | $8K |
| All other expensesLn 24e | $17K | $8K | $8K | $150 |
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $1.3M | $889K | $299K | $137K |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 Latest | $2.6M | $2.6M | $42K | $937K | 990 PDF |
| FY2024 | $2.4M | $2.6M | −$129K | $895K | 990 PDF |
| FY2023 | $2.3M | $2.4M | −$94K | $1.0M | 990 PDF |
| FY2022 | $2.3M | $2.0M | $267K | $1.1M | 990 PDF |
| FY2021 Viewing | $1.1M | $1.3M | −$272K | $851K | 990 PDF |
| FY2020 | $2.2M | $2.2M | $17K | $1.1M | 990 PDF |
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Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $1,052,847 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 8 of 8 board members independent, no flags
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $1,052,847 across 10 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,324,798 across 31 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $926,336 assets, 20 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $851,138 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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