Mesner Puppet Theater EIN 43-1458119

Mesner Puppet Theater

EIN  43-1458119 Public charity (501(c)(3)) Kansas City, MO Founded 1987
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Size
$100K–1M
What they do
Inspires play and cultivates connections through puppetry.
Leadership
Amanda Kibler · Executive Artistic Director · $71K
Money in and out
$524K revenue, $644K expenses
Bottom line
60% program efficiency

Inspires play and cultivates connections through puppetry. For fiscal year 2024 it reported $524K in revenue, $644K in expenses, and $398K in net assets.Pt I

Where the money goes · FY2024
Total revenue
$524K
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$644K
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$398K
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): −$119K
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
Program services $0.60 Management & general $0.34 Fundraising $0.06
Program efficiency
60%
of spending reaches programs▼ -17% vs prior filing year
Operating runway
5.5mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate▼ -21% vs prior filing year
Surplus margin
-23%
revenue over expenses, this year▼ -302% vs prior filing year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2024 · Form 990
Revenue
$524K
FY2024▼ -36%
Expenses
$644K
FY2024▼ -11%
Total assets
$428K
FY2024▼ -20%
Total liabilities
$30K
FY2024▲ +68%
Total revenue
$524K
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$644K
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$398K
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19−$119K
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$428K
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B60%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 35
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 45
Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

3 program services account for $385K of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

Our Puppets in Education program combines professional puppetry with arts integrated learning strategies for schools and can be facilitated live or digitally. These programs serve 233 classrooms per year with nearly 5,000 youth and adult participants.

$177Kprogram expense
02

As part of our professional services, we collaborate with local arts organizations to create one-of-a-kind puppets and to provide puppeteer training and direction at steeply discounted non-profit rates.

$108Kprogram expense
03

Puppets on Tour is comprised of full-length shows (45-60 minutes) for assemblies or public performances at libraries, festivals, and art centers. Tours are available year-round locally and nationally, and can be presented live. Tours are booked by schools and libraries on an ongoing basis.

$100Kprogram expense

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Identity & Classification

Form 990 Header · IRS Business Master File
Legal nameHdr · item CMesner Puppet Theater
EINHdr · item D43-1458119
Principal addressHdr · item CKansas City, MO
WebsiteHdr · item Jwww.whatifpuppets.org
Year of formationHdr · item L1987
State of legal domicileHdr · item MMO
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
NTEE classificationIRS BMFArts & Culture (A600)
Ruling yearIRS BMFFeb 1988

Governance & Policies

Part VI
Voting members of the governing bodyPt VI · Ln 1a5
Independent voting membersPt VI · Ln 1b5
Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aYes
Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13Yes
Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14Yes
CEO/top-official compensation independently reviewedPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Family or business relationships among officers/directorsPt VI · Ln 2No

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Artistic Director
$71,175Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Amanda Kibler’s $71K as Executive Artistic Director is at the 66th percentile of top reported officer pay among 2213 $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

NameFY2024FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021
Amanda Kibler$71,175$6,394
Meghann Henry$46,459$65,501$61,091$50,828
Andrea Ellis$24,180

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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Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Program service revenue$384K · 73%
Contributions & grants$137K · 26%
Other revenue$3K · 1%
Program service revenue73%$384K
Contributions & grants26%$137K
Other revenue1%$3K
Investment income$301
— government grantsLn 1e$32K
Total revenueLn 12$524K

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.60 Management & general $0.34 Fundraising $0.06
Program services60%$385K
Management & general34%$221K
Fundraising6%$38K
Total functional expensesLn 25$644K

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$294K
Total assetsLn 16$428K
Total liabilitiesLn 26$30K
Total net assetsLn 32$398K
Months of cash on handcomputed5.5

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2024 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $294K · Operating expenses/yr $644K
5.5 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $385K · Total expenses $644K
60%
Management & General
Management & general $221K · Total expenses $644K
34%
Fundraising
Fundraising $38K · Total expenses $644K
6%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (3-yr avg) $26K · Solicited contributions (3-yr avg) $167K
$0.15 to raise $1 (3-yr avg)
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $137K · Total revenue $524K
26%
Government reliance
Government grants $32K · Total revenue $524K
6%
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $384K · Total revenue $524K
73%
Investment reliance
Investment income $301 · Total revenue $524K
0%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $384K · Total expenses $644K
60%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $524K · Prior year $813K
-36%
Revenue CAGR
FY2020 $361K · FY2024 $524K
+10%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $398K · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $524K · Expenses $644K
-23%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $428K
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $398K · Total assets $428K
93%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) $0 · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) $0 · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $428K
0%
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Amanda Kibler · Reported title Executive Artistic Director · Highest reported compensation $71K · Total expenses $644K
11%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $512K · Total expenses $644K
80%
Peer comparison

Same NTEE category, revenue band, and state where available. Descriptive — not a grade.

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 60%
Overhead ratio 34%
Fundraising cost ratio 28%
Revenue growth -36%

Straight from the Form 990 — descriptive, not an evaluation. A ratio is hidden when its base is zero or too small to be meaningful; the dollars are always shown.

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2024
See all 4 funders →

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Filings & Schedule Manifest

Part IV
III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
FY2024$813K revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2023$675K revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2022$585K revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2021$361K revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2024IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
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