Flynn Center for the Performing Arts Ltd

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
030277052
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Burlington, VT, USA
Phone
8026524500
Rating
72
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Theater

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$9,375,506
Expenses
$8,576,201
Assets
$27,824,500
Liabilities
$2,493,300

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

Leadership & pay

27 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JASON WAHL (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • JASON WAHL (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $216,720 total reported compensation
  • ROSALIE SCHACHTER (DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT): $140,457 total reported compensation
  • KEVIN SWEENEY (DIRECTOR OF MARKETING): $134,035 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The flynn center for the performing arts fosters the enjoyment, understanding and development of the performing arts in Vermont through diverse and engaging artisitic experiences. The flynn fulfills this mission through the following: developing, maintaining and managing the historic flynn theater and flynn center properties to meet current and evolving performing arts needs.presenting a diverse range of high quality performances by established and emerging artist that expand and enrich the community's cultural experiences.providing educational programs that engage children, teens and adults in the artistic process, cultivate appreciation of the performing arts, and make the performing arts an integral part of school and community life.support local, national and international artists in the development and presentation of their work.

What it reported doing in 2024

The flynn curates and hosts a full season of multidisciplinary work; the burlington discover jazz festival; exhibitions featuring Vermont artists, student matinee programming; in-school workshops and arts integration training for teachers; residencies providing creation time and space for artists. We are deeply committed to making the arts accessible and inclusive throughout our Vermont communities. The flynn seeks to engage, challenge, and reimagine what performing arts can look like in our community and continually pushes beyond the bounds of our physical spaces, taking performances into parks, outdoor marketplaces, schools, and farms. We invest in free shows and art in public spaces and seek to include a diverse range of voices throughout our programming. (continued on schedule o) guest curators bring new perspectives to festivals and performance series, and partnerships with schools, nonprofits, and other arts organizations are further expanding our community.

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 - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and program spending has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 60
  • Transparency & Controls: 74
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 61
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 66.1%; rating input score 66
  • Program expense ratio: 65.4%; rating input score 65
  • Fundraising efficiency: $5.04 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • 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: 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: 8.5%; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.24; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.09; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 8.5%; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -1.7% per year; rating input score 0; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 1.2% per year; rating input score 100; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 2.4% per year; rating input score 100; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 66.1% of revenue deployed · 65.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 22 of 22 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $5.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $217K · 27 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $1.9M reported
  • Consistency: 35 of 35 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 5 filed money-flow records
  • 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 17/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 59/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 35/100.