Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
363467607
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
Phone
3126674962
Rating
77
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Arts, Culture, and Humanities

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$17,242,699
Expenses
$22,408,768
Assets
$56,831,944
Liabilities
$22,671,458

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

Leadership & pay

62 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • KIMBERLY MOTES (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • EDWARD HALL (ARTISTIC DIRECTOR): $447,664 total reported compensation
  • KIMBERLY MOTES (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $410,774 total reported compensation
  • RICHARD BOYNTON (FORMER CREATIVE PRODUCER): $260,998 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 create vivid, entertaining theatrical experiences that invigorate and engage people of all ages and identities by illuminating the complexity, ambiguity, and wonder of our world. Shared humanity and unforgettable stories - now this is chicago shakespeare.

What it reported doing in 2024

A regional tony award recipient, chicago shakespeare theater is a leading international theater company that has delivered excellent, powerful, life-changing theater for forty years. With shakespeare at the heart of the artistic work, cst also produces compelling, contemporary stories from fresh artistic voices of today. Under the leadership of artistic director edward hall and executive director kimberly motes, cst welcomes nearly 150,000 audience members to 300+ performances and events each year in cst's three best-in-class venues: the jentes family courtyard theater, the yard, and the carl and marilynn thoma upstairs studio. Cst brings the world to chicago and sends chicago out into the world as chicago's foremost presenter of international theater, and consistent producer of north american and world premieres. Production originating from cst have gone on to broadway, national and international tours, garnering three tony awards, three olivier awards, and two grammy nominations. The theater fosters a lifelong relationship with the arts by providing transformational experiences for multigenerational audiences. Serving more students and teachers than any theater in the city, cst annually welcomes more than 20,000 high school and middle schoolers to attend 50+ daytime matinee performances and participate in after-school programs like chicago shakespeare slam. Professional development opportunities for teachers include the year-long bard care intensive for chicago public school educators. Cst's initiatives support the development of young people's crucial skills, including social-emotional competencies, critical literacy, and meaningful collaboration. Learners of all ages deepen their engagement through preamble talks and post-show discussions. The $30 under 30 discounted ticket program for young adults and students reduces barriers to participation for thousands of first-time attendees. Fueled by the vitality of the city of chicago, cst contributes significantly to the vibrancy and economic impact of the arts and culture ecosystem. Cst's reach extends beyond the theater's walls with free programs like shakes in the city, which brings performances and workshops to parks, festivals, and shared community spaces across chicago's 77 neighborhoods each summer.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 62% of the money available for current operations came from other operating 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

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and most voting board members are independent. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and the filing does not identify recipients for some grant dollars.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 86
  • Transparency & Controls: 56
  • Accountability: 98
  • Sustainability: 29
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 84.3%; rating input score 84
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.22 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 96.2%; rating input score 96; 30th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -30%; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.54; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.4; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 9.1%; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.1% per year; rating input score 100; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 0.3% per year; rating input score 100; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 6.9% per year; rating input score 100; 48th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 84.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 51 of 53 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $18.9M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $448K · 62 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $1.3M reported
  • Consistency: 38 of 38 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 10 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.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 25/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 3/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 24/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 37/100.