Play Pa Live Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
994097837
IRS 990 coverage
2024–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Reading, PA, USA
Phone
7175478110
Rating
63
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Arts, Cultural Organizations - Multipurpose

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$643,280
Expenses
$644,446
Assets
$5,633,301
Liabilities
$5,634,467

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

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ERNEST CHOQUETTE (PRESIDENT AND TRUSTEE)
  • ELENA CROSS (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

People named in this filing

  • ERNEST CHOQUETTE (PRESIDENT AND TRUSTEE)
  • MICHAEL WARFEL (TRUSTEE)
  • JON HAMPTON (TRUSTEE)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

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

Overview

Mission

Play pa live's mission is to promote and support performances of the musical arts in Pennsylvania through grantmaking, scholarship and educational initiatives aimed at developing and advancing the skills of musicians and encouraging access to live music and performances in Pennsylvania. Play pa live developed its first grant program, the Pennsylvania live events rehearsal grant program, in early 2025, and began accepting grant applications shortly thereafter.for fy 2025, a total of 6 grants were awarded to grantees that had applied to the program.

What it reported doing in 2024

Play pa live developed its first grant program, the Pennsylvania live events rehearsal grant program, in early 2025, and began accepting grant applications shortly thereafter. Grants awarded through the program are intended to help developing artists by partially subsidizing the cost of rehearsals so they can invest more into their actual performances and further their own professional development in the musical arts. This includes, but is not limited to, enhancing the sound, lighting, visual effects, and other design-related elements of their concerts or tours and expanding their overall proficiency in conducting high-level, professional performances.fiscal year (fy) 2025 was play pa live's inaugural year, and the Pennsylvania live events rehearsal grant program was its only established program service in operation during the fiscal year. For fy 2025, a total of 6 grants were awarded to grantees that had applied to the program.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 79% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of voting board members are independent and the filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 73
  • Transparency & Controls: 75
  • Accountability: 43
  • Sustainability: 53
  • Growth: NotEnoughData

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 82.2%; rating input score 82
  • Program expense ratio: 82.1%; rating input score 82
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: 0 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Fail
    • Requires narrative reports: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Fail
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 33.3%; rating input score 33; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 4 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 57
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -0.2%; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 8.74; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 1; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

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

Details

  • Where the money goes: 82.2% of revenue deployed · 82.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 2 of 6 board members independent · 4 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $529K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 8 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $222K reported
  • Consistency: 28 of 28 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and grants
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 5 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 5 filed related-organization links
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 33/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 8 of 8 not reported.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 7 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 35/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 6/100.