Friends of the Levitt Pavilion Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
510190780
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Westport, CT, USA
Phone
2032267600
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,558,333
Expenses
$1,773,222
Assets
$869,774
Liabilities
$124,978

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

Leadership & pay

15 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • FREDA WELSH (PRESIDENT & CEO)
  • ANDREW FLEISCHMAN ESQ (PRESIDENT)
  • CARLEIGH WELSH (VICE PRESIDENT & EXECUTIVE PRODUCER)

Highest reported compensation

  • FREDA WELSH (PRESIDENT & CEO): $116,106 total reported compensation
  • CARLEIGH WELSH (VICE PRESIDENT & EXECUTIVE PRODUCER): $109,439 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Provide free and abundant access to the performing arts; present and support a dynamic and multifaceted spectrum of artists from around the country and the globe; and preserve and cultivate an outdoor community destination where people of all ages and backgrounds are always welcome and encouraged to get to know the arts, nature, and each other.

What it reported doing in 2024

The levitt pavilion produces one of the largest and longest running outdoor performing arts series in the nation. 2024 marked the independent and unique organization's 50th season, during which the levitt pavilion presented 60 shows free-of charge to the public and presented a compelling and wide reaching series of 17 paid-ticket shows that included national and regional tours, which in turn included Connecticut debuts for acclaimed as well as emerging artists, and its annual gala. The free and paid programs' style, genres and format vary and attract patrons from throughout the northeast and beyond. The organization continues to maintain and improve the facility that is its home while expanding its programming and reach, and community engagement. Over 75,000 patrons were welcomed and engaged. Over the course of five decades, the levitt pavilion has welcomed and entertained over 2m people and counting.

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. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 90
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 75
  • Sustainability: 21
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 88.9%; rating input score 89
  • Fundraising efficiency: $10.42 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: 92.9%; rating input score 93; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -13.8%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.49; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.14; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 12.7%; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 15.2% per year; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 2% per year; rating input score 100; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -11.4% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 88.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 13 of 14 board members independent · 4 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $116K · 15 people listed
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 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.

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 7 not reported.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 39/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 13/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 23/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 28/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 37/100.