Friends of the Historic Playhouse Theatre Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
842346220
IRS 990 coverage
2021–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2020, Form 990-T 2025
Location
Randolph, VT, USA
Phone
8025657474
Rating
75
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Historical Societies & Historic Preservation

Reported finances

Revenue
$220,696
Expenses
$113,918
Assets
$392,133
Liabilities
$93,639

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • BENNETT E LAW (PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • JENNIFER BAUMANN (TREASURER)
  • LYNNE GATELY (BOARD MEMBER)
  • JON KAPLAN (DIRECTOR)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To provide entertainment enrichment to the community through a non-profit movie theatre experience.

What it reported doing in 2025

The friends of the historic playhouse theatre was established to sustain and improve the playhouse movie theatre so that community members may enjoy thoughtful entertainment and social engagement in a local, shared setting. The playhouse movie theatre first opened at its randolph location on august 4, 1919, and has survived to be one of the few remaining single-purpose theaters to remain in operation in the united states. It is eligible for inclusion on the national registry of historic places and is a cherished asset of the local community. The playhouse shows both "first run," popular films and lesser-known "art films- and documentaries to provide cinematic options to the community. We started the year with a run of five consecutive best picture oscar nominees. In april, bess o'brien, accompanied by folks featured in her film, brought just getting by, her documentary on homelessness in Vermont, to the playhouse. Jay craven likewise brought lost nation, his new film about the founding of our republic, in july. We screened the anime film look back and the documentaries blink and the women's adventure tour 2024. And for eight weeks throughout the summer we ran saturday matinees of classic children's movies at drastically reduced prices. While our vision includes informing and inspiring our patrons, we are also committed to pure entertainment through the showing of a host of hollywood hits. We welcomed well over 5,000 patrons to the movies this past 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 total spending goes to programs. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 61
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 70
  • Sustainability: 73
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 51.1%; rating input score 51
  • Program expense ratio: 99%; 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: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 2 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 29
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 48.4%; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.44; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.24; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 12.9% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 14% per year; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 16.3% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 51.1% of revenue deployed · 99% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 6 board members independent · 2 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $113K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 6 people listed
  • Consistency: 25 of 25 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2021 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • 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.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 51/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 15/100.