Aurora Theatre Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
582450282
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2021
Location
Lawrenceville, GA, USA
Phone
6782266222
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Theater

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$3,870,778
Expenses
$4,716,934
Assets
$3,268,720
Liabilities
$2,409,439

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

23 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Anthony Rodriguez (President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Ann-Carol Pence (Founding BOA): $94,645 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The aurora theatre is committed to producing quality, professional theatre for the southeast, north Georgia, and our most ardent supporters, the residents of gwinnett county. We will serve these communities by offering entertainment that nurtures a love of theatre and develops a new generation of theatre goers.

What it reported doing in 2024

Aurora Theatre Signature Series provides professional, fully produced mainstage theatrical productions presented to the public throughout the year. During this reporting period, the program produced five fully staged productions, each running approximately 20-26 performances, serving an estimated 6,500 patrons per show. The program's objective is to provide high-quality theatre that enriches the community, supports professional artists, and increases access to live performance. In the short term, it delivers a full season of diverse productions engaging local audiences; in the long term, it sustains year-round professional theatre and strengthens regional arts access and infrastructure. Aurora Theatre's Presenting Series features guest artists and touring productions presented to the public. These performances expand access to diverse artistic experiences, support cultural enrichment, and enhance community engagement in the performing arts. Aurora Theatre Academy provides educational theatre programming for children, teens, and adults through classes, workshops, and seasonal camps. These programs offer instruction in acting, musical theatre, improvisation, and performance skills, led by professional teaching artists. During this reporting period, the Academy served participants across multiple class sessions and camp offerings designed for a range of ages and experience levels. The objective of the Academy is to develop artistic skills, build confidence, and foster creativity through accessible theatre education. In the short term, programs focus on skill-building and performance opportunities; in the long term, the Academy supports youth development, arts education, and sustained community engagement with the performing arts.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 66% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 80
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 93
  • Sustainability: 21
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 93.8%; rating input score 94
  • Program expense ratio: 76.9%; rating input score 77
  • Fundraising efficiency: $4.97 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 95.7%; rating input score 96; 26th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -21.9%; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.69; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.74; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 2%; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 8.2% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 7.1% per year; rating input score 100; 55th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 16.1% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 93.8% of revenue deployed · 76.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 22 of 23 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $3.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $95K · 23 people listed
  • Consistency: 34 of 34 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 17/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 6/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 25/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 12/100.