Performing Arts Houston

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
746077505
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Houston, TX, USA
Phone
7136328100
Rating
79
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Performing Arts Organizations

Reported finances

Revenue
$7,159,607
Expenses
$6,790,761
Assets
$8,568,090
Liabilities
$813,088

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

Leadership & pay

52 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • CURT D KARGES (TREASURER/VICE PRESIDENT/D)
  • WILLIE CW CHIANG (VICE PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR)
  • MELANIE GRAY (VICE PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR)
  • G MARK JODON (VICE PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR)
  • EMILY T KUO (VICE PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR)
  • THERESA MALLETT (VICE PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • MEG BOOTH (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER): $325,372 total reported compensation
  • LESLIE NELSON (CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER): $242,652 total reported compensation
  • JORDAN DRUM (DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR): $160,386 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

We connect audiences with exceptional artists through diverse performances and learning experiences. We ignite and cultivate passion for the performing arts to create community, inspire dialogue and enrich our world.

What it reported doing in 2024

Performing arts houston's education and community engagement programs leverage the diverse talents of the remarkable artists we present on our stages through a multitude of school and community events that promote access, discovery, and creativity in the performing arts. In our 2024-2025 season, our ece initiatives impacted close to 70,000 individuals through a dynamic range of programs both tied directly to our mainstage presentations as well as standalone community and school-based initiatives that extend beyond the stage. Highlights included our collaborative arts project which brought 10-week visual art and dance residencies directly into houston classrooms and our 27th annual student art contest, a free program open to k-12 students, which received 572 submissions from across our region with the artwork of winning students being displayed throughout houston in partnership with harris county public libraries. Ece programming connected to mainstage presentations included our heb performance prelude program, which showcased 21 local artistic ensembles in performances in the lobby areas of our theaters before mainstage shows. Our masterclasses and workshops as well as open rehearsals allowed for student and community groups to train with professional artists, allowing artists from around the globe to have a lasting impact on houston communities. Our commitment for supporting the extraordinary artists of our local community continued through our new/now: the houston artist commissioning project with commission support awarded to three houston artists for the creation and presentation of new, original work which we proudly premiered at two nights of performances at the wortham center for the performing arts.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 62% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
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

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 73
  • Transparency & Controls: 74
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 47
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 79.7%; rating input score 80
  • Program expense ratio: 80.4%; rating input score 80
  • Fundraising efficiency: $4.21 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • 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: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • 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: 5.2%; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.26; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.09; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 15.1%; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.6% per year; rating input score 100; 31st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 4.3% per year; rating input score 100; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 13.7% per year; rating input score 100; 71st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 79.7% of revenue deployed · 80.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 47 of 47 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $5.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $325K · 52 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 35 of 35 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2012 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 5 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.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 13/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 51/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 45/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 19/100.