An artistdriven organization dedicated to the development of new plays and playwrights. Playpenn fully supports the needs of the writer and the demands of the play in an everevolving process within which playwrights can engage in risktaking, boundarypushing work.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
36¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$39K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2021 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
0 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $180K a year · 58% of revenue · last 6 filings
Concern: a surplus in 0 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
36%
of spending
Concern: 36% of spending went to programs; under 50%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$39K
to officers and key staff · 11% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 11% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
5 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 5.4 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
9
named funders · $144K
Looks good: 9 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$48K
8% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 8% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
11
of 11 voting members
Looks good: 11 of 11 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$178K
-54% vs prior year
Spent
$341K
To programs
36%
Net assets
$521K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$178K
FY2021▼ -54%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$386K
FY2021$178K
FY2022$341K
FY2023$210K
FY2024$332K
FY2025$409K
Expenses
$341K
FY2021▼ -57%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$785K
FY2021$341K
FY2022$595K
FY2023$397K
FY2024$371K
FY2025$448K
Net assets
$521K
FY2021▼ -24%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$685K
FY2021$521K
FY2022$265K
FY2023$10K
FY2024$10K
FY2025−$30K

From the FY2021 Form 990 (year ending September 2021) · see the original

Give Claim
You’re viewing the FY2021 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Jun 2004.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

36 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 36% · $123K Management & general 50% · $169K Fundraising 14% · $49K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

Something off? Claim to add context

Who runs it and what they're paid

12 people listed on the 990; $39K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2020); the FY2021 filing did not itemize Part VII
Acting Exec Dir Until 6/30
$38,667Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Che'rae Adams’s $66K as Artistic Dir is at the 60th percentile of top reported officer pay among 2215 $100K–1M arts & culture 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 · 3 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Che'rae Adams$65,527$76,957$76,957$6,000——
Paul Meshejian—————$59,375
Sabrina Profitt————$38,667—

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.

See Playpenn INC executive salaries →

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

Develops new plays and playwrights through artist-driven support and risk-taking.

Questions for Playpenn INC

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Your first name shows with your question. Playpenn INC answers here, for everyone.

1 program · $123K · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

The organization's flagship annual new play development conference and year-round development workshops in cooperation with producing theatres result in staged readings of at least 10 new plays each year for over 1,800 artists, producers, and theatergoers.

$123Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2024
See all 9 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$178K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$172K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$4K
Investment incomeLn 3$1K
Money outPt IX
$341K
Ln 25
Programscol B$123K
Managementcol C$169K
Fundraisingcol D$49K
Owns and owesPt X
$521K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$155K
Total assetsLn 16$569K
LiabilitiesLn 26$48K
PeoplePt VI, VII
12
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a11
IndependentVI 1b11
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$172K
Government grantsLn 1e$119K
Noncash giftsLn 1g$15K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$4K
Investment incomeLn 3$1K
Other incomeLn 4–11$574
Total revenueLn 12$178K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$98K
SavingsLn 2$56K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$155K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$134K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$1K
Total assetsLn 16$569K
LiabilitiesLn 26$48K
Net assetsLn 32$521K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 54
VolunteersI 611
Fiscal year endsHeaderSeptember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY21End FY21
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$398K$155K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$118K$134K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$3K$1K
Total assetsLn 16$907K$569K
LiabilitiesLn 26$222K$48K
Net assetsLn 32$685K$521K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$52K$26K$21K$5K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$39K$30K$9K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$3K$2K$889$144
Payroll taxesLn 10$20K$12K$6K$1K
Legal feesLn 11b$8K$8K
Accounting feesLn 11c$17K$17K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$125K$18K$66K$42K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$10K$179$10K
OccupancyLn 16$7K$7K$353
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$2K$2K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$4K$4K
InsuranceLn 23$5K$932$4K$76
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$47K$24K$22K$80
All other expensesLn 24e$2K$744$724$581
Total functional expensesLn 25$341K$123K$169K$49K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $409K$448K−$39K−$30K 990 PDF
FY2024Filed with the IRS Mar 4, 2025 $332K$371K−$39K$10K 990 PDF
FY2023Filed with the IRS Jun 1, 2024 $210K$397K−$187K$10K 990 PDF
FY2022Filed with the IRS Aug 10, 2023 $341K$595K−$254K$265K 990 PDF
FY2021 ViewingFiled with the IRS Feb 8, 2022 $178K$341K−$164K$521K 990 PDF
FY2020Filed with the IRS Feb 21, 2021 $386K$785K−$399K$685K 990 PDF

Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $177,866 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $357,738$171,893
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $25,508$4,181
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $2,685$1,218
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$574
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $385,931$177,866
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $427,809$114,242
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $357,367$227,206
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $785,176$341,448
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$399,245−$163,582
Part VI · Governance 11 of 11 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body11
VI-1b Independent voting members11
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $177,866 across 8 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$118,752
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$53,141
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$15,193
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$171,893
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $4,181$4,181
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $1,218$1,218
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $574$574
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $4,755 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $1,218$177,866
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $341,448 across 14 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $26,250 · Management $21,000 · Fundraising $5,250$52,500
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $29,923 · Management $9,154$39,077
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $1,745 · Management $889 · Fundraising $144$2,778
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $12,495 · Management $6,363 · Fundraising $1,029$19,887
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $7,711$7,711
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $17,183$17,183
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $17,500 · Management $65,970 · Fundraising $42,001$125,471
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $179 · Management $9,570$9,749
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $6,700 · Management $353$7,053
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $2,100$2,100
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationManagement $3,711$3,711
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $932 · Management $4,403 · Fundraising $76$5,411
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $24,273 · Management $22,415 · Fundraising $80$46,768
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $744 · Management $724 · Fundraising $581$2,049
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $122,841 · Management $169,446 · Fundraising $49,161$341,448
Part X · Balance sheet $568,948 assets, 16 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $341,730$98,250
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $56,219$56,303
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $384,150$277,354
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $541$725
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $2,543$1,317
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $118,146$133,756
X-14 Intangible assetsStart of year $3,728$1,243
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $907,057$568,948
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $181,566$646
X-19 Deferred revenue$3,225
X-24 Unsecured notes and loans payableStart of year $40,713$44,264
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $222,279$48,135
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $274,786$245,317
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $409,992$275,496
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $684,778$520,813
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $907,057$568,948
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $520,813 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$177,866
XI-2 Total expenses$341,448
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$163,582
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$684,778
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments−$383
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$520,813

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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