Chagrin Valley Little Theatre

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
237150715
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Chagrin Falls, OH, USA
Phone
4402478955
Rating
74
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Theater

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$545,043
Expenses
$427,507
Assets
$1,992,246
Liabilities
$167,699

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

Leadership & pay

15 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JOANNE ZETTL (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • TOM JONES (BOARD MEMBER): $1,450 total reported compensation
  • MASON STUART (BOARD MEMBER): $850 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Chagrin valley little theatre is a volunteer organization which exists to enrich the cultural life of the chagrin valley and northeast Ohio. Through the production of live theatre and related programming, it advances the skills of individuals within the performing arts and provides educational and outreach programs to the community.

What it reported doing in 2024

Cvlt also offers additional programming through its collaboration with the chagrin documentary film festival and its affiliation with the chargrin falls studio orchestra., as well as rentals to other community groups. The chagrin documentary film festival, which rents cvlt as one of its venues, attracts over 5,000 members of the public to view numerous documentary films at the theater and other venues around the city ov 5 days in october. The chagrin falls studio orchestra staged two performances of its annual christmas concert in december, 2024 and a spirit of america concert in the spring of 2025. Over 40 performers participated, atrracting over 640 audience members to the 3 concerts. The theater also rented its smaller spaces to the Ohio realtors, park synagogue and an improv troupe for their events during the course of the year.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
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 a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 63
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 82
  • Sustainability: 74
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 61.6%; rating input score 62
  • Program expense ratio: 78%; rating input score 78
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.58 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 25; 25th 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: 4 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 57
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • 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: 21.6%; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.66; rating input score 83; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.08; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0.5%; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -2.7% per year; rating input score 0; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -1.9% per year; rating input score 0; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 5% per year; rating input score 100; 39th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 61.6% of revenue deployed · 78% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 15 of 15 board members independent · 4 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $333K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $1K · 15 people listed
  • Consistency: 25 of 25 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2012 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • 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.

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 25/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 45/100.