Target Margin Theater Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
133697027
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Brooklyn, NY, USA
Phone
7183983095
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Arts, Culture, and Humanities

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,001,862
Expenses
$974,004
Assets
$1,114,904
Liabilities
$289,228

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

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Kate Levin (President)

Highest reported compensation

  • David Herskovits (Artistic Dir.): $88,787 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To create radically re-imagined versions of classics and new creations inspired by existing sources.

What it reported doing in 2024

Target Margin Theater had a fulfilling 2024/2025 season. Our seasons performance program was anchored by a new production of "Show Boat: A River," directed by David Herskovits and presented in collaboration with NYU Skirball Center. This bold new adaptation reframed the classic 1929 musical "Show Boat" for todays audience. Rehearsals began in November 2024, featuring an updated vocal and orchestral score, and a primarily BIPOC design team and cast of 10. Performances ran from January 9 26, 2025 at NYU Skirball Center with 6,304 audience members attending. Target Margin also hosted The Exponential Festival in January 2025 in The Doxsee Theater. Productions included Music created by Hayley Stahl, Gilda, with an Olive created and performed by Sophie Zmorrod, Ama created by Kenneth Keng, and winter solstice created and directed by Lal Ensari. Performances ran from 1/17 2/1/2025, with 510 audience members attending. Supporting artists has always been an integral part of TMTs mission. The TMT Institute continued this season with a new cohort of artists: Sarah Bellin, Ana Cantorn, Alyssa Haddad-Chin, Carl Holder, and Faith Zambl. Fellows are supported with space, material resources and a $2,000 stipend. On Sunday, June 8th, TMT held an Open Studio to invite our community to share in what the fellows had been exploring. TMTs Studio Space supported more than 91 theater artists with free rehearsal space totaling 1000 hours over the season. Our Young Artist Program in collaboration with the Center for Family Life worked at 2 different schools this season. In Fall 2024, TMT Artists and worked with 3rd - 6th graders at PS01 on a new production, with 4 performances on 12/6 and 12/7/2024. In Spring 2025, TMT Artists worked with students at PS 516 to create a new piece, which performances on June 9th, 2025. 380 people saw the fruits of our Young Artist program over the course of the season. Target Margins Community Cafes this season included gatherings for Local Artists (7/12/2024), SWANA community (7/18/2024), Kindred Theater Staff (7/28/2024), and a Holi-Gay Soiree (12/12/2024). In March 2025, Target Margin partnered with the Womens Empowerment Coalition of NYC to host a Community Cafe Ifta. More than 160 people attended our Community Cafes this season.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 68% 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 - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 66
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 93
  • Sustainability: 42
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 69.6%; rating input score 70
  • Program expense ratio: 71%; rating input score 71
  • Fundraising efficiency: $8.22 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 32; 32nd 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: 87.5%; rating input score 88; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • 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: 2.8%; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.14; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.26; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 9.1%; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 7.2% per year; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 7.4% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 16.8% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 69.6% of revenue deployed · 71% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 8 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $692K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $89K · 8 people listed
  • Consistency: 30 of 30 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 32/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 44/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 47/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 27/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 40/100.