Mesner Puppet Theater EIN 43-1458119 Form 990 (PDF) Claim this org

Mesner Puppet Theater FY2023 filing

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Inspires play and cultivates connections through puppetry. For fiscal year 2023 it reported $675K in revenue, $642K in expenses, and $426K in net assets.Pt I

Founded
1987
Type
Public charity (501(c)(3)) · Arts & Culture
Location
Kansas City, MO
Website
www.whatifpuppets.org
Filings
4 on file (2021–2023)
Revenue
$675KFY2023
Expenses
$642K
Net assets
$426K
People
6
Filings
4
Updates
0
More identity details & actions ⌄
EIN  43-1458119 Public charity (501(c)(3)) Kansas City, MO Founded 1987
Form 990 (PDF)
You’re viewing the FY2023 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2024) →
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Size
$100K–1M
What they do
Inspires play and cultivates connections through puppetry.
Leadership
Meghann Henry · Executive Artistic Director · $66K
Money in and out
$675K revenue, $642K expenses
Bottom line
81% program efficiency
Where the money goes · FY2023
Total revenue
$675K
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$642K
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$426K
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): $33K
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
Program services $0.81 Management & general $0.16 Fundraising $0.03
Program efficiency
81%
of spending reaches programs
Operating runway
8.1mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate
Surplus margin
+5%
revenue over expenses, this year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2023 · Form 990
Revenue
$675K
FY2023▲ +15%
Expenses
$642K
FY2023▲ +77%
Total assets
$489K
FY2023▲ +21%
Total liabilities
$63K
FY2023▲ +446%
Total revenue
$675K
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$642K
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$426K
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19$33K
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$489K
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B81%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 35
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 45

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 · most recent filed roster (FY2022); the FY2023 filing did not itemize Part VII
Executive Artistic Director
$65,501Pt VII · Sec A
President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$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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Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

3 program services account for $519K of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2022.
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 147 classrooms per year with more than 2,500 youth and adults participants.

$333Kprogram expense
02

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 or On Demand (digitally). Tours are booked by schools and libraries on an ongoing basis.

$150Kprogram expense
03

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.

$36Kprogram expense

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Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Program service revenue$444K · 66%
Contributions & grants$230K · 34%
Program service revenue66%$444K
Contributions & grants34%$230K
Investment income$216
— government grantsLn 1e$20K
Total revenueLn 12$675K

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.81 Management & general $0.16 Fundraising $0.03
Program services81%$519K
Management & general16%$103K
Fundraising3%$20K
Total functional expensesLn 25$642K

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$435K
Total assetsLn 16$489K
Total liabilitiesLn 26$63K
Total net assetsLn 32$426K
Months of cash on handcomputed8.1

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2023 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $435K · Operating expenses/yr $642K
8.1 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $519K · Total expenses $642K
81%
Management & General
Management & general $103K · Total expenses $642K
16%
Fundraising
Fundraising $20K · Total expenses $642K
3%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (3-yr avg) $19K · Solicited contributions (3-yr avg) $184K
$0.10 to raise $1 (3-yr avg)
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $230K · Total revenue $675K
34%
Government reliance
Government grants $20K · Total revenue $675K
3%
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $444K · Total revenue $675K
66%
Investment reliance
Investment income $216 · Total revenue $675K
+0.03%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $444K · Total expenses $642K
69%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $675K · Prior year $585K
+15%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $426K · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $675K · Expenses $642K
+5%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $489K
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $426K · Total assets $489K
87%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) $0 · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) $0 · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $489K
0%
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Meghann Henry · Reported title Executive Artistic Director · Highest reported compensation $66K · Total expenses $642K
10%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $509K · Total expenses $642K
79%
Peer comparison

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

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 81%
Overhead ratio 16%
Fundraising cost ratio 9%
Revenue growth 15%
Investment management fee ratio 0%
Legal fee ratio 0%
Accounting fee ratio 2%
Fundraising fee ratio 1%

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 · viewing · ⤓ 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) · FY2023IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
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