Merrimans Playhouse Inc

What it reported doing in 2025

Established in 2006 and incorporated in 2017 as a 501(c)(3), Merrimans' Playhouse is both an arts and educational performing and presenting organization. It is a place to experience an intimate, live jazz performance. Annually Merrimans' Playhouse presents a variety of performance and educational events, including clinics, with professional touring jazz artists, from straight ahead to avant-garde. * Jazz Performance Series. Approximately 100 Jazz concerts a year with touring regional, national, and international jazz musicians, and occasional jazz clinic for area jazz artists and students. * Home Grown Jazz Performance Series. Approximately 12 concerts per year provide an opportunity for area jazz ensembles to perform. * Student Jazz Performance Series. Approximately 13 concerts a year, includes area, regional, or touring college or high school student performers, either as part of the ensemble, or as student-led ensembles. * Jazz Open Session. Held weekly on Tuesdays for local jazz musicians, students, and listeners. Approximately 51 a year. Includes discussion of songs, feel, forms, chords, soloing, and emphasizes how to listen to each other and work democratically as a musical collective. The audience witnesses the process of jazz through the open discussions. * Chamber Arts Series. May include chamber jazz, classical, or other traditional music concerts. Approximately 5 per year. Intended as a more in-depth experience in a more intimate and educational way. May include explanation of the history of the music, the intent of the music and performance, or how they work together as a collective, to create an opportunity for the audience to learn more about the art and the artists. * Monthly Jazz Radio Program. Merrimans' Playhouse is part of WVPE's (88.1 FM) radio program "The Sauce Live from Merrimans' Playhouse." This one-hour radio broadcast focuses on live music with interviews, highlighting four venues in the Michiana area, which includes Merrimans' Playhouse as the jazz venue. The premier airing was April 22, 2024. * Summer Jazz Series at the University of Notre Dame's Raclin Murphy Museum of Art: "Merrimans' Playhouse @ the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art." Four summer concerts held at the museum. They have been partnering with the museum since 2015. Stephen and Mary Merriman curate the performances. * Other Community Collaborations. Merrimans' Playhouse works with other area jazz festivals to promote jazz. In addition, Stephen and Mary Merriman have a positive collaborative relationship with the jazz education programs at UND, IUSB, and local high schools. * In May 2023 they offered their first lecture series collaboration (CHATS) with UND departments, hosting Prof. Alexander, "The Jazz of Physics: The Secret Link Between Music and the Structure of the Universe."

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 84.9%; rating input score 85
• Program expense ratio: 85.9%; rating input score 86

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 1.2%; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.44; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: Limited
• Revenue growth: Limited
• Asset growth: Limited