Fox Cities Performing Arts Center

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
391977839
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Appleton, WI, USA
Phone
9207303782
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Performing Arts Centers

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$11,198,747
Expenses
$10,451,329
Assets
$88,023,139
Liabilities
$39,258,745

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

Leadership & pay

31 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MARIA VAN LAANEN (PRESIDENT & CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • MARIA VAN LAANEN (PRESIDENT & CEO): $504,330 total reported compensation
  • LISA SHOVAN (CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER): $166,377 total reported compensation
  • AMY GOSZ (CHIEF PROGRAMMING OFFICER): $149,179 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 fox cities performing arts center is a multicultural gathering place for the community to engage in educational opportunities and enhance understanding and enjoyment of life through the creation and presentation of the arts by providing a premier venue for performing arts attractions and art organizations.

What it reported doing in 2024

The fox cities performing arts center welcomed more than 184,000 ticketed patrons to live events in the 2024-25 season, continuing its mission to be the multicultural gathering place for the community and attracting visitors from across northeast Wisconsin and surrounding states. The kimberly-clark broadway across america fox cities series had 10,339 season ticket holders, an increase of more than 700 from the prior season. The center partnered with 39 organizations to provide community engagement and educational opportunities beyond the performances, connecting more than 7,600 community members to deepen their experience with the live performing arts. Through the amcor education series, the center engaged more than 19,300 students and educators from 214 schools. More than 2,100 students from 34 schools throughout northeast Wisconsin participated in the center stage high school musical theater program. The center also advanced its accessibility efforts, launching a new partnership with kulturecity to better serve patrons with sensory sensitivities and expanding services for those with vision impairments through additional touch tours and audio description at broadway performances.

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

STRONG - 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 expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 72
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 98
  • Sustainability: 60
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 81.5%; rating input score 82
  • Program expense ratio: 71.6%; rating input score 72
  • Fundraising efficiency: $5.54 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 22; 22nd 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: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • 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: 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: 6.7%; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 8.42; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.45; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 10.4%; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.3% per year; rating input score 100; 28th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 1.5% per year; rating input score 100; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 0.3% per year; rating input score 100; 11th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 81.5% of revenue deployed · 71.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 25 of 26 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $7.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $504K · 31 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $5M reported
  • Consistency: 34 of 34 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 6 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 22/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 59/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 19/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 33/100.