Michelee Puppets Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
592616456
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2022
Forms available
Form 990 2022
Location
Orlando, FL, USA
Phone
4078987925
Rating
77
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Theater

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$296,164
Expenses
$305,896
Assets
$158,530
Liabilities
$15,296

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2022. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

12 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • AUDRA FERN (PRESIDENT ELECT)
  • RONALD MANCHESTER (PRESIDENT)
  • TRACEY CONNER (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • TRACEY CONNER (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $50,000 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2022. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Michelee puppets empowers lives through the art of puppetry. Since 1985, our original, issue-based performances, videos, and puppetry classes have promoted respect, responsibility, and positive life choices among more than 2.5 million of Florida's children, youth, and families. Nationally awarded for excellence, michelee puppets produces world class puppetry art to foster positive social change locally, regionally, and nationally.

What it reported doing in 2022

Educational puppetry programs: 164,600 children and adults benefited from educational puppet shows, both live and digital, and puppetry arts workshops. Prek-5th grade students in central and south Florida received programs on bully prevention, math and science, financial literacy, and mindfulness techniques to alleviate stress and anxiety among students. Children and adults of all abilities also participated in puppetry arts classes and workshops, including specialized classes for young adults with developmental disabilities. Puppetry training classes were also provided for college students in health, education, and therapy disciplines. Cost for development and delivery to 164,600 children and adults: $185,195.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - 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: 76
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 79
  • Sustainability: 29
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 82.3%; rating input score 82
  • Program expense ratio: 79.7%; rating input score 80
  • Fundraising efficiency: $9 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 35; 35th 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • 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: -3.3%; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.52; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.1; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 16.3%; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.7% per year; rating input score 100; 44th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -0.8% per year; rating input score 0; 26th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -2.9% per year; rating input score 0; 16th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 82.3% of revenue deployed · 79.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 11 of 11 board members independent · 4 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $244K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $50K · 12 people listed
  • Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 9 filing years from 2013 to 2022
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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 35/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 34/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 23/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 24/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 29/100.