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.
40¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$163K 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

FY2023 · 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
40%
of spending
Concern: 40% of spending went to programs; under 50%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$163K
to officers and key staff · 41% of spending
Concern: pay to officers and key staff is 41% of spending; over 30%.
Pt VII · Sec A
<1 mo
of spending, in cash
Concern: 0.4 months of spending in cash; under 2 weeks.
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
$8K
45% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 45% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
11
of 12 voting members
Looks good: 11 of 12 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$210K
-39% vs prior year
Spent
$397K
To programs
40%
Net assets
$10K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$210K
FY2023▼ -39%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$386K
FY2021$178K
FY2022$341K
FY2023$210K
FY2024$332K
FY2025$409K
Expenses
$397K
FY2023▼ -33%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$785K
FY2021$341K
FY2022$595K
FY2023$397K
FY2024$371K
FY2025$448K
Net assets
$10K
FY2023▼ -96%
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 FY2023 Form 990 (year ending September 2023) · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2023 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

40 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 40% · $157K Management & general 32% · $127K Fundraising 29% · $113K

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

23 people listed on the 990; $163K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2022); the FY2023 filing did not itemize Part VII
Artistic Dir
$86,218Pt VII · Sec A
Artistic Director
$76,957Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$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 →

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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

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

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Provided by the organization

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4 programs · $228K · in their own filed words · FY2022
01

The foundry is playpenn's three-year membership program supporting emerging philadelphia playwrights with professional development, networking opportunities, and exposure as they launch their playwriting careers. Five foundry graduates presented workshop readings of their plays in july.

$96Kprogram expense
02

The Foundry is PlayPenn's three-year membership program supporting emerging Philadelphia playwrights with professional development, networking opportunities, and exposure as they launch their playwriting careers. Five foundry graduates presented workshop readings of their plays in July.

$71Kprogram expense
03

At playpenn, we offer classes that encourage writers to bounce ideas off one another, commiserate about industry challenges, and be inspired by the world-class writers and industry experts leading each course.

$33Kprogram expense
04

The playwrights cohort at playpenn is a yearlong professional development program open to emerging philadelphia playwrights with a focus on navigating the industry, conducted in partnership with the dramatists guild. 29 playwrights benefitted from the program.

$27Kprogram 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 FY2023 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$210K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$192K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$12K
Investment incomeLn 3$5K
Money outPt IX
$397K
Ln 25
Programscol B$157K
Managementcol C$127K
Fundraisingcol D$113K
Owns and owesPt X
$10K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$13K
Total assetsLn 16$19K
LiabilitiesLn 26$8K
PeoplePt VI, VII
23
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a12
IndependentVI 1b11
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$192K
Government grantsLn 1e$27K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$12K
Investment incomeLn 3$5K
Other incomeLn 4–11$530
Total revenueLn 12$210K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$13K
Total assetsLn 16$19K
LiabilitiesLn 26$8K
Net assetsLn 32$10K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 54
VolunteersI 611
Fiscal year endsHeaderSeptember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14Yes

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $409K$448K−$39K−$30K 990 PDF
FY2024 $332K$371K−$39K$10K 990 PDF
FY2023 Viewing $210K$397K−$187K$10K 990 PDF
FY2022 $341K$595K−$254K$265K 990 PDF
FY2021 $178K$341K−$164K$521K 990 PDF
FY2020 $386K$785K−$399K$685K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2023 990 (1 part)
Part VI · Governance 11 of 12 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body12
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

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2023 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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