Christian theater company

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
100¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$90K 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

FY2025 · 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
2 of 3
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $6K a year · 3% of revenue · last 3 filings
Fine: a surplus in 2 of the last 3 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 3 filings
Spent on programs
100%
of spending
Looks good: 100% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$90K
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
Plus $49K in investments, Pt X · Ln 11–13
Fine: 1.3 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
2
named funders · $43K
Fine: 2 funders name it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$0
0% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
11
of 11 voting members
Looks good: 11 of 11 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$230K
+37% vs prior year
Spent
$217K
To programs
100%
Net assets
$77K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$230K
FY2025▲ +37%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$124K
FY2021$93K
FY2022$136K
FY2023$245K
FY2024$168K
FY2025$230K
Expenses
$217K
FY2025▼ -5%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020Not on file
FY2021Not on file
FY2022Not on file
FY2023$181K
FY2024$227K
FY2025$217K
Net assets
$77K
FY2025▲ +15%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$68K
FY2021$67K
FY2022$61K
FY2023$126K
FY2024$67K
FY2025$77K

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending July 2025) · see the original

990 PDF Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Oct 1998.

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

Where the money goes

100 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 100% · $217K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

13 people listed on the 990; $90K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
Managing Dir
$45,000Pt VII · Sec A
Artistic Dir
$45,000Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 4 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Leslie Arnold$45,000—————
Ethan Norman$45,000$42,315$21,800———
Terry Weber—$24,000$15,000$18,000$13,300$12,230
Jeni Lamm Weber———$22,800$23,125$22,775

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 The Word Players 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

The Word Players is a nonprofit based in Knoxville, TN.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $217K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Christian theater production and presentation

$217Kprogram 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
Total grants receivedfrom 2 funders$43K

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$230K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$144K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$84K
Investment incomeLn 3$1K
Money outPt IX
$217K
Ln 25
Programscol B$217K
Owns and owesPt X
$77K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$24K
Total assetsLn 16$77K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
PeoplePt VI, VII
13
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a11
IndependentVI 1b11
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$144K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$84K
Investment incomeLn 3$1K
Total revenueLn 12$230K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$24K
SavingsLn 2$438
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$24K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$49K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$5K
Total assetsLn 16$77K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
Net assetsLn 32$77K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 52
Fiscal year endsHeaderJuly
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aNo
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$16K$24K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$44K$49K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$7K$5K
Total assetsLn 16$67K$77K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0$0
Net assetsLn 32$67K$77K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$90K$90K
Payroll taxesLn 10$7K$7K
Accounting feesLn 11c$3K$3K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$2K$2K
Office expensesLn 13$4K$4K
OccupancyLn 16$10K$10K
TravelLn 17$293$293
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$2K$2K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$97K$97K
All other expensesLn 24e$3K$3K
Total functional expensesLn 25$217K$217K$0$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $230K$217K$13K$77K 990 PDF
FY2024 $168K$227K−$60K$67K 990 PDF
FY2023 $245K$181K$64K$126K 990 PDF
FY2022 $136K$61K 990 PDF
FY2021 $93K$67K 990 PDF
FY2020 $124K$68K 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 FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $229,549 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $39,397$143,583
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $125,786$84,469
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $2,558$1,497
I-11 Other revenue$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $167,741$229,549
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $70,347$96,885
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $156,972$120,118
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $227,319$217,003
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$59,578$12,546
Part VI · Governance 11 of 11 board members independent, 4 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body11
VI-1b Independent voting members11
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyNo
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $229,549 across 5 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$143,583
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$143,583
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $84,469$84,469
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $1,497$1,497
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $84,469 · Excluded from tax $1,497$229,549
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $217,003 across 10 lines filed
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $90,000$90,000
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $6,885$6,885
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $3,095$3,095
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $2,000$2,000
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $3,555$3,555
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $9,600$9,600
IX-17 TravelPrograms $293$293
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $2,016$2,016
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $96,916$96,916
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $2,643$2,643
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $217,003 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$217,003
Part X · Balance sheet $77,304 assets, 9 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $13,923$23,502
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $2,238$438
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $6,681$4,665
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $44,280$48,699
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $67,122$77,304
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $0$0
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $67,122$77,304
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $67,122$77,304
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $67,122$77,304
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $77,304 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$229,549
XI-2 Total expenses$217,003
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$12,546
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$67,122
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$686
XI-8 Prior period adjustments−$3,050
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$77,304

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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