Avon Theatre Film Center Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
900069073
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Stamford, CT, USA
Phone
2036610321
Rating
64
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Film, Video

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$6,749,136
Expenses
$1,772,998
Assets
$9,702,948
Liabilities
$502,428

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

Leadership & pay

23 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • SUSAN FOSTER (VICE-PRESIDENT)
  • PETER GISTELINCK (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • PETER GISTELINCK (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $196,280 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To preserve and operate the historic avon theatre by providing a culturally significant film, educational and programmatic palette, which draws patrons from the greater stamford region.

What it reported doing in 2024

Many people view the cinema as a source of entertainment; however, the avon is driven by its mission to expand this role by showing films that are artistically and/or socially meaningful, and by using cinema as a means of educating, inspiring, and/or engaging the greater community. These goals are always a top priority when the avon designs its programming, only a portion of which is described here. This year we saw, as in the pre-pandemic period, several partnerships with local community organizations that collaborated with the avon to present films highlighting major societal issues, including immigration, gun violence, social justice, and climate change. These programs, each featuring a special screening followed by a panel discussion, attracted well over 1,000 attendees. Our series, "movies that build community!," now in its second season, presents films focusing on social and community-related issues. This special series, unique to the avon and free of charge for its audiences, educates and inspires both larger and new crowds. The avon's commitment to community continues to grow each year. The avon also continues to provide free memberships to teachers throughout the region, with the goal of encouraging professional educators to use quality cinema as a tool for enhancing classroom learning. Approximately 185 educators took advantage of this offering, with many encouraging their students to attend screenings at the avon that connected directly to their curricula. The avon's competitive scholarship program awarded $8,500 this year to 11 high school seniors who submitted essays on why film matters. The variety of films discussed, as well as the number of high schools and towns represented, continues to grow each year, while the quality of the submissions consistently impresses our professional judges. The avon is strongly committed to issues of social justice and continues to build upon its professionally curated black lens series under the "movies that build community!" umbrella, highlighting films made by black filmmakers and/or films that explore the black experience in america. Once again this year, these features were well received and were followed by presentations and discussions with the filmmakers.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 89% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 99% 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

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 34
  • Transparency & Controls: 74
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 82
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 16.6%; rating input score 17
  • Program expense ratio: 59.4%; rating input score 59
  • Fundraising efficiency: $12.22 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 90.1%; rating input score 90; 26th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 73.7%; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 5.47; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 11.1%; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.5% per year; rating input score 100; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 13.9% per year; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 27.8% per year; rating input score 100; 92nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 16.6% of revenue deployed · 59.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 19 of 19 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $196K · 23 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 38 of 38 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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: Mission deployment rate scored 17/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 59/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 44/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Audit committee oversight not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 27/100.