Lookingglass Theatre Company

What it reported doing in 2024

Lookingglass' department of education and engagement serves a broad and diverse community across the chicagoland region, bringing the transformative power of theater into classrooms, communities, and neighborhoods. In-house engagement programs deepen the experience of theatre, cultivating curiosity and building community. Teaching artists bring lookingglass' core values of collaboration, invention, and transformation into every setting. For many participants, lookingglass' programs offer the only available source of quality theatre arts education, which cultivates confidence, comprehension, and self-expression, growing the capacity for telling and understanding stories, and supporting communication and collaboration with peers and community members. The department of education and engagement offers five programs during a typical season: residencies in chicago public schools: lookingglass' flagship education program, residencies provide individualized theatre education programs both during and after school. A multi-session residency may focus on arts integration programming for core curriculum subjects or drama skills such as playwriting, acting, and ensemble-building. Every lookingglass residency reinforces and builds upon national, state, and local learning standards in arts education and related subject areas. Lookingglass deploys a rigorous assessment practice to continually increase the effectiveness of its programming. Lookingglass has directly enhanced the lives of over 200,000 chicago youth through its programs.young ensemble: comprised of a group of chicago-area young adults, ages 13-18, the young ensemble is committed to building theater skills, lifting voices, and developing creativity through collaboration. Much like lookingglass' own productions, young ensemble shows weave together language, visual spectacle, music, and the unique talents and contributions of the ensemble to develop compelling works. Inclusive, rigorous, and endlessly creative, the young ensemble builds not only better artists, but better collaborators, thinkers, and leaders. Each year the young ensemble produces and performs in a full-scale production directed by lookingglass ensemble members.lookingglass outdoors: in partnership with the chicago park district, lookingglass brings free circus performances to parks and public spaces across the city.lookingglass summer camps for youth and teens across chicago provide arts learning opportunities and explore themes from upcoming productions.community-based partner residencies: these activities pair lookingglass teaching artists with community-based organizations to address the goals, challenges, needs, and aspirations of the individuals they serve, helping to effect transformative change. Last season, lookingglass offered residencies to groups from: art on sedgwick, arts for brain health coalition, boys & girls club of chicago, chicago help initiative, latinos progresando, and strengthening chicago's youth.community partner tickets: in an ordinary season, this program provides partnering organizations with over 250 complimentary tickets to lookingglass' season. Guests engage in a post-show discussion with lookingglass artists, cast, and crew. Often offered in tandem with its residencies, this program gives participants in lookingglass' education programming the opportunity to visit its theatre and see its artists at work. Recent partners included: art on sedgwick, boys & girls club of chicago, chicago help initiative, my block my hood my city, strengthening chicago's youth, and latinos progresando.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 72.4%; rating input score 72
• Program expense ratio: 50.1%; rating input score 50
• Fundraising efficiency: $22.2 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 62; 62nd 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: 90.3%; rating input score 90; 21st percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -40.3%; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.26; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.15; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 2%; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: -6.3% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -0.1% per year; rating input score 0; 11th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 8.7% per year; rating input score 100; 53rd percentile among comparable filings