Puppetry Arts Institute

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
431891966
IRS 990-EZ coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990-EZ 2024
Location
Independence, MO, USA
Phone
8168339777
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Museum, Museum Activities

Reported finances

Revenue
$55,088
Expenses
$64,736
Assets
$24,769
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

7 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Randy Thatcher (President)
  • Kathleen Vest (Executive Director)

People named in this filing

  • Randy Thatcher (President)
  • Kathy Rohr (Treasurer)
  • Anitra Steele (Secretary)

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

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

Overview

Mission

Puppetry Arts Institute is a 501(c)3 organization in its 24th year in the area of Englewood in Independence, Missouri. We provide workshops, puppet shows, exhibits and special events in our neighborhood in Jackson County.

What it reported doing in 2024

The Puppetry Arts Institute (PAI), established in 2001, offers entertaining puppet shows performed by professional puppeteers and puppet painting workshops for school age groups and families. "Grown up" shows and events are offered several times a year. The museum features unique puppet exhibits, a gift shop, a library, and a stage where children can perform. Exhibits include international puppets, Hazelle Rollins puppets, changeable exhibits in main room, and unique items in the gift shop. One room is devoted to Kansas City's own Hazelle Rollins legacy as the world's largest producer of puppets. PAI inherited the leftover factory puppet parts that are still being used for creative workshops and displays. The international room houses a collection of puppets from around the world that PAI's founder, Diane Houk, obtained while living in several countries. In August 2022, a concluding performance of the Missouri Bicentennial Show, was performed at the National Frontier Trails Museum. Fortunately, in 2024, PAI was able to perform puppet shows for family audiences at PAI as well. The Artistic Director and other regional puppeteers performed twice this year in unique shows at PAI's location. PAI has partnered with the Independence School District since 2010 to provide puppet painting workshops and a puppet show in citizenship for over 1100 kindergartners each year. PAI's Artistic Director performed several shows per year for all ages. PAI is one of the anchors in the Englewood Arts District and is considered an important tourism destination by the city of Independence. Just recently, the city's media director filmed activities at PAI in honor of World Puppetry Day. PAI is actively involved in helping with workshops and community events.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 83% 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

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Program spending has declined or grown slowly and revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 84
  • Transparency & Controls: 100
  • Sustainability: 34
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 90.4%; rating input score 90
  • Program expense ratio: 75%; rating input score 75

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -17.5%; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.38; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -4% per year; rating input score 0; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -1.8% per year; rating input score 0; 44th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -5.7% per year; rating input score 0; 23rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 90.4% of revenue deployed · 75% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: Filed governance answers
  • Accomplishments: 1 filed program accomplishment · $49K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 7 people listed
  • Consistency: 9 of 9 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • 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 — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 25/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 25/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 56/100.