Borderlight International Theater Festival
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 813097923
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2020–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2017
- Location
- Cleveland, OH, USA
- Phone
- 2163024734
- Rating
- 77
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Arts, Cultural Organizations - Multipurpose
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $617,542
- Expenses
- $573,116
- Assets
- $185,726
- Liabilities
- $318
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
14 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- JON BLOOMBERG (PRESIDENT)
People named in this filing
- JON BLOOMBERG (PRESIDENT)
- LUIS CARTAGENA (TREASURER)
- FELICIA PHILLIPS (SECRETARY)
Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Borderlight's mission is to present visionary international theatre and build cross-cultural understanding.
What it reported doing in 2024
In july 2024, borderlight theatre festival successfully presented a four- day performing arts festival across the playhouse square district in downtown cleveland. The festival featured 155 performances on 20 stages across 10 venues, showcasing the work of 340 artists, including artists from five countries and seven u.s. States. Approximately 62.5% of participating artists were based in cleveland, reflecting the organization's committment to supporting local talent. The festival draw a total audience of 6,175 attendees, with 70.5% attending for the first time and 91.5% of surveyed attendees visiting downtown specifically to attend the festival. In keeping with its mission to make the arts accessible, borderlight offered a robust slate of free programming, attracting 2,539 attendees to free shows and welcoming 200 guests to a dedicated family day. The festival also hosted 594 people at special events designed to engage donors, partners, and the broader community. Borderlight significantally increased direct payments to artists compared to 2023, and maintained an average ticket price of 12.79, helping to keep programming affordable. The organization also invested in accessibility, family programming, and community engagement, supported by a mix of public and private partnerships.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 88% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- 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
SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 59
- Transparency & Controls: 92
- Accountability: 94
- Sustainability: 49
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 61.8%; rating input score 62
- Program expense ratio: 66.6%; rating input score 67
- Fundraising efficiency: $5.35 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 19; 19th 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 6 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 86
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Pass
- Independent financial-statement audit: Fail
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 7.2%; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.32; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 27.9% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 22.5% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 6.5% per year; rating input score 100; 45th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 61.8% of revenue deployed · 66.6% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 15 of 15 board members independent · 6 of 7 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $382K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 14 people listed
- Consistency: 25 of 25 current checks pass
- Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 4 filing years from 2020 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
- 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: Fundraising efficiency scored 19/100.
- High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 15/100.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
- Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 55/100.