Crystal Theatre Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
061351921
IRS 990 coverage
2021–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Norwalk, CT, USA
Phone
2038582709
Rating
65
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Performing Arts Schools

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$252,164
Expenses
$219,127
Assets
$150,597
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Cheryl Kemeny (President, artistic director)
  • Mariner Pezza (Vice President)
  • Alexandrea Kemeny (Vice President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Cheryl Kemeny (President, artistic director): $32,860 total reported compensation
  • Mariner Pezza (Vice President): $15,250 total reported compensation
  • Laszlo Balazs (Board member and manager): $15,000 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Crystal Theatre is an educational and Community Theatre that seeks to promote and present original works of art and classic musicals and plays while striving to develop the individual strengths and talents of our students and participants in a nurturing and inclusive environment.

What it reported doing in 2024

Crystal Theatre produced 12 children's class/shows, 10 of which were our own original musicals, serving over 350 different and repeat students and entertaining thousands of audience members. We also presented multiple adult Community Theatre plays and shows providing opportunities for the entire Fairfield County community of performers to express their artistic talents, enriching the lives of the actors and viewers as well. In addition we held 3 different summer multi-arts camps.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 89% 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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of voting board members are independent and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 81
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 9
  • Sustainability: 50
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 85.9%; rating input score 86
  • Program expense ratio: 98.9%; rating input score 99
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 0%; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 2 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 22
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 13.1%; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.69; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 37.3%; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -4.9% per year; rating input score 0; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -1.2% per year; rating input score 0; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 26% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 85.9% of revenue deployed · 98.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 0 of 5 board members independent · 2 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $217K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $33K · 5 people listed
  • Consistency: 38 of 38 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2021 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 5 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 — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 0/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 6 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 31/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 7/100.