Circus Harmony teaches the art of life through Circus education. We work to build character and expand community for youth of all ages, cultures, abilities and backgrounds. Through the teaching and performing of Circus arts, we help people defy gravity, soar with confidence and leap over social barriers.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
57¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$69K 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
5 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $102K a year · 17% of revenue · last 6 filings
Fine: a surplus in 5 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
57%
of spending
Worth a look: 57% of spending went to programs; under 65%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$69K
to officers and key staff · 21% of spending
Worth a look: pay to officers and key staff is 21% of spending; over 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
10 mo
of spending, in cash
Plus $300K in investments, Pt X · Ln 11–13
Looks good: 9.9 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
9
named funders · $87K
Looks good: 9 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$21K
4% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 4% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
0
of 10 voting members
Concern: none of 10 voting members are independent.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$727K
+47% vs prior year
Spent
$322K
To programs
57%
Net assets
$551K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$727K
FY2021▲ +47%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$494K
FY2021$727K
FY2022$511K
FY2023$556K
FY2024$596K
FY2025$631K
Expenses
$322K
FY2021▼ -20%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$405K
FY2021$322K
FY2022$402K
FY2023$545K
FY2024$614K
FY2025$618K
Net assets
$551K
FY2021▲ +277%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$146K
FY2021$551K
FY2022$659K
FY2023$634K
FY2024$655K
FY2025$669K

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

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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 2001.

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

Where the money goes

57 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 57% · $184K Management & general 31% · $99K Fundraising 12% · $40K

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

11 people listed on the 990; $69K 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
Non Voting Director
$68,592Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice-President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Jessica Hentoff’s $94K as Non Voting Director is at the 85th 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 · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Jessica Hentoff$93,917$97,750$83,527$70,280$68,592$68,361

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 Circus Harmony 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 15aNo

Programs and updates

Teaches circus arts to build character, confidence, and community for youth.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $183K · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

Showcase and teacher trainingthe circus harmony showcase and teacher training program is a unique arts education and youth development program. This ongoing project includes the finding, training, and development of youth circus performers from different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.

$181Kprogram expense
02

Defy gravity 101 brings circus classes to local schools and community centers throughout the ST louis are. Through teaching circus arts, we empower individual children to challenge themselves through approprate risk taking; increase fitness through improvements in fine motor and visual tracking skills; and cultivate life skills like…

$2Kprogram expense
03

Peace through pyramids program builds characters in individuals and bridges between communities by building human pyramids with children. Through our peace through pyramids program we have partnered with JEIWSH/ARAB galilee circus in israel, the nationale circus school of puero rico, tous en piste a tourette-levens in france and numerous…

$804program 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
$727K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$603K
Other incomeLn 4–11$67K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$57K
Money outPt IX
$322K
Ln 25
Programscol B$184K
Managementcol C$99K
Fundraisingcol D$40K
Owns and owesPt X
$551K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$266K
Total assetsLn 16$572K
LiabilitiesLn 26$21K
PeoplePt VI, VII
11
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a10
IndependentVI 1b0
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$603K
Government grantsLn 1e$43K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$57K
Other incomeLn 4–11$67K
Total revenueLn 12$727K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$266K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$266K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$300K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$0
Total assetsLn 16$572K
LiabilitiesLn 26$21K
Net assetsLn 32$551K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 511
VolunteersI 618
Fiscal year endsHeaderMay
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
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$159K$266K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$300K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$264$0
Total assetsLn 16$168K$572K
LiabilitiesLn 26$22K$21K
Net assetsLn 32$146K$551K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$74K$26K$25K$23K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$140K$89K$48K$3K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$7K$6K$1K$27
Payroll taxesLn 10$16K$9K$6K$2K
Accounting feesLn 11c$2K$2K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$42K$38K$2K$775
Advertising and promotionLn 12$610$60$550
Office expensesLn 13$17K$4K$6K$7K
TravelLn 17−$42$33−$75
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$49$41$8
Payments to affiliatesLn 21$264$264
InsuranceLn 23$4K$3K$1K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$20K$9K$7K$3K
Total functional expensesLn 25$322K$184K$99K$40K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $631K$618K$14K$669K 990 PDF
FY2024 $596K$614K−$18K$655K 990 PDF
FY2023 $556K$545K$11K$634K 990 PDF
FY2022 $511K$402K$109K$659K 990 PDF
FY2021 Viewing $727K$322K$405K$551K 990 PDF
FY2020 $494K$405K$90K$146K 990 PDF

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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 $727,127 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $241,642$603,329
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $223,409$56,630
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $0$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $29,443$67,168
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $494,494$727,127
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 $219,661$236,945
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $184,978$85,380
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $404,639$322,325
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $89,855$404,802
Part VI · Governance 0 of 10 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body10
VI-1b Independent voting members0
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $727,127 across 6 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for $5,950 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1e Government grants$42,693
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$560,636
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$603,329
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $56,630$56,630
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax $61,218$61,218
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $62,580 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $61,218$727,127
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $322,325 across 13 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $26,251 · Management $24,709 · Fundraising $22,635$73,595
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $88,614 · Management $48,038 · Fundraising $3,432$140,084
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $5,860 · Management $1,033 · Fundraising $27$6,920
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $8,804 · Management $5,544 · Fundraising $1,998$16,346
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $1,750$1,750
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $38,465 · Management $2,338 · Fundraising $775$41,578
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $60 · Fundraising $550$610
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $4,214 · Management $6,358 · Fundraising $6,818$17,390
IX-17 TravelPrograms $33 · Management −$75−$42
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $41 · Fundraising $8$49
IX-21 Payments to affiliatesManagement $264$264
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $2,584 · Management $1,472$4,056
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $9,003 · Management $7,250 · Fundraising $3,472$19,725
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $183,929 · Management $98,681 · Fundraising $39,715$322,325
Part X · Balance sheet $571,967 assets, 12 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $159,183$266,089
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $6,631$5,524
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $2,202$354
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $264$0
X-12 Other securities$300,000
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $168,280$571,967
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $10,168$6,936
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $12,026$14,204
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $22,194$21,140
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $146,086$550,827
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $146,086$550,827
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $168,280$571,967
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $550,827 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$727,127
XI-2 Total expenses$322,325
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$404,802
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$146,086
XI-9 Other changes in net assets−$61
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$550,827

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

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