Near West Theatre Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

Near west theatre (nwt) is an intergenerational community theatre and founding anchor institution of the gordon square arts district in the detroit shoreway neighborhood in cleveland. Nwt prioritizes accessibility and inclusion in serving marginalized and vulnerable populations. The nwt service model includes productions, programs and events. Theatre productions: each season includes five to six full-scale licensed musical productions in its 275-seat mainstage theater and 80-seat black box theater. Near west theatre differs from many other community theatres in that productions are designed and directed by professional theatre artists. The season's shows are also chosen not just for their audience appeal and quality but for the important themes and messages that are included. Nwt productions serve all ages with dedicated productions for specific age groups. Nwt offers a choose-what-you-pay ticketing model to ensure accessibility for low-income residents and families. Educational programming: nwt introduced rise, a free-to-participate after school arts enrichment program in 2017 for area youth ages 8-15. Sessions run in 12- week cycles during the fall and spring semesters with a final culminating production in the spring. Rise focuses on developing both theatre arts skills as well as social-emotional skills. Nwt provides youth with a safe environment to learn, while improving their ability to succeed in school and with peer relationships through self-management, accountability, and problem solving as a team. Nwt also offers a 4-week summer technical theatre workshop for area teenagers that introduce them to the basic skills required in theatrical production and other well-paying careers. These skills include carpentry, welding, video, special effects, scenic painting, and design. Nwt delivers workshops and long-term residencies externally in area schools and senior centers contracting with trained teaching artists. Community events: nwt launched the popular historic haunts in october 2021 in partnership with the west clinton block club and has become a signature event now in its third year in 2023. We offer drag queen story hour quarterly teaching acceptance and love while providing safe spaces for lgbtq+ youth and families. Nwt hosts queer prom in partnership with the lgbt center every june, participates in various community programs in partnership with gordon square arts district, and hosts various community groups in our facility throughout the year. In 2025, nwt launched a free outdoor plaza celebration concert series for pride, juneteenth and hispanic heritage month.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 92%; rating input score 92
• Program expense ratio: 80.4%; rating input score 80
• Fundraising efficiency: $3.82 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 12; 12th 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: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -14.4%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.89; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 11.9%; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 1.1% per year; rating input score 100; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -0.8% per year; rating input score 0; 12th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 1% per year; rating input score 100; 21st percentile among comparable filings