Mesner Puppet Theater FY2024 filing

Kansas City, MO · Public charity (501(c)(3)) · Since 1987 · Arts & Culture

✓ Tax-deductible Latest data FY2024
Revenue
$813K
▲ +20% vs prior year
Spent
$721K
To programs
72%
Net assets
$518K
By yearFY2021–FY2024
Revenue
$813K
FY2024▲ +20%
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$361K
FY2022$585K
FY2023$675K
FY2024$813K
FY2024$524K
Expenses
$721K
FY2024▲ +12%
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021$294K
FY2022$363K
FY2023$642K
FY2024$721K
FY2024$644K
Net assets
$518K
FY2024▲ +22%
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$155K
FY2022$393K
FY2023$426K
FY2024$518K
FY2024$398K
You’re viewing the FY2024 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2024) →

Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 2024 (IRS tax year 2023).

Status and standing

Tax-deductible?
Yes
Per the IRS master file.
Can I give now?
No revocation on IRS record
Not on the IRS revocation list.
Filing up to date?
Filed FY2024 (typical filing lag)
Foundation funders?
4 funders, incl. Mid-America Arts Alliance
$41K in the latest grant year.
Spent on programs?
72% to programs
Form 990 Part IX, latest filing.
Size and trend
$100K–1M
↑ +20% vs prior year
Legal name (IRS)Hdr · item CMesner Puppet Theater
EINHdr · item D43-1458119
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
Ruling yearIRS BMFFeb 1988
Year of formationHdr · item L1987
Latest filingForm 990FY2024 · Form 990
Principal addressHdr · item CKansas City, MO
NTEE classificationIRS BMFArts & Culture (A600)
WebsiteHdr · item Jwww.whatifpuppets.org

Where the money goes

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.72 Management & general $0.26 Fundraising $0.03
Program services72%$517K
Management & general26%$185K
Fundraising3%$19K
Total functional expensesLn 25$721K

Financial health

Program efficiency
72%
of spending reaches programs
Operating runway
7.0mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate
Surplus margin
+11%
revenue over expenses, this year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2024 · Form 990
Total assets
$535K
FY2024▲ +9%
Total assets by fiscal year
FY2021$200K
FY2022$404K
FY2023$489K
FY2024$535K
FY2024$428K
Total liabilities
$18K
FY2024▼ -72%
Total liabilities by fiscal year
FY2021$45K
FY2022$12K
FY2023$63K
FY2024$18K
FY2024$30K
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19$92K
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$535K
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B72%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 35
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 45

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$420K
Total assetsLn 16$535K
Total liabilitiesLn 26$18K
Total net assetsLn 32$518K
Months of cash on handcomputed7.0

Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Program service revenue$602K · 74%
Contributions & grants$211K · 26%
Program service revenue74%$602K
Contributions & grants26%$211K
Investment income$570
Other revenue$410
— government grantsLn 1e$24K
Total revenueLn 12$813K

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2024 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $420K · Operating expenses/yr $721K
7.0 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $517K · Total expenses $721K
72%
Management & General
Management & general $185K · Total expenses $721K
26%
Fundraising
Fundraising $19K · Total expenses $721K
3%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (3-yr avg) $20K · Solicited contributions (3-yr avg) $193K
$0.10 to raise $1 (3-yr avg)
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $211K · Total revenue $813K
26%
Government reliance
Government grants $24K · Total revenue $813K
3%
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $602K · Total revenue $813K
74%
Investment reliance
Investment income $570 · Total revenue $813K
+0.07%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $602K · Total expenses $721K
83%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $813K · Prior year $675K
+20%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $518K · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $813K · Expenses $721K
+11%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $535K
—
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $518K · Total assets $535K
97%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) $0 · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) $0 · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $535K
0%
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Meghann Henry · Reported title Executive Artistic Director · Highest reported compensation $46K · Total expenses $721K
6%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $560K · Total expenses $721K
78%
Peer comparison

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

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 72%——
Overhead ratio 26%——
Fundraising cost ratio 9%——
Revenue growth 20%——
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.

Leadership and pay

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2023); the FY2024 filing did not itemize Part VII
Executive Artistic Director
$46,459Pt VII · Sec A
Interim Executive Director
$24,180Pt VII · Sec A
Executive Artistic Director
$6,394Pt VII · Sec A
President
$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 2216 $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.

See Mesner Puppet Theater executive salaries →

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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

Mission and programs

Inspires play and cultivates connections through puppetry.

Provided by the organization

This section is blank until Mesner Puppet Theater claims this page.

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Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

3 program services account for $517K of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2023.
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.

$316Kprogram 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.

$163Kprogram 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.

$39Kprogram expense

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Funders

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

Grants

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

Filing history

YearRevenueExpensesChangeFiling
FY2024 Viewing $813K$721K+20% 990 PDF
FY2023 $675K$642K+15% 990 PDF
FY2022 $585K$363K+62% 990 PDF
FY2021 $361K$294K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash

Not shown yet: ratings, outcomes, and peer benchmarks. A Form 990 doesn’t report them.

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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
Names, privacy, and removal requests More

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