The Bushwick Starr Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
264546315
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Brooklyn, NY, USA
Phone
9173009538
Rating
88
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Performing Arts Centers

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,819,999
Expenses
$2,545,709
Assets
$9,783,115
Liabilities
$4,606,943

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

Leadership & pay

14 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • Noel Allain (Artistic Director): $82,073 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The Bushwick Starr is an Obie Award-winning nonprofit theater that presents an annual season of new performance works. We are an organization defined by both our artists and our community, and since 2007, we have grown into a thriving theatrical venue, a destination for exciting and engaging performance, and a vital neighborhood arts center serving the diverse artistic needs and impulses of our Bushwick, Brooklyn community. We provide a springboard for emerging professional artists to make career-defining leaps and maintain a sanctuary for established artists to experiment and innovate.

What it reported doing in 2024

The Bushwick Starr's 24-25 Main Stage Season included the world premieres of: A WOMAN AMONG WOMEN by Julia May Jonas (Oct 15-Nov 17 2024); SLAMDANCE GARAGE by Ian Andrew Askew (Feb 5-March 1 2025) and RHEOLOGY by Shayok Misha Chowdhury (April 15-May 17 2025). All three productions were popular and critical successes, with A WOMAN AMONG WOMEN and RHEOLOGY receiving an extended run. All were presented at the Starr's space at 419 Eldert St. Bushwick, Brooklyn.The Bushwick Starr had its annual Starr Reading Series at 419 Eldert St. This season we selected 6 scripts which underwent developmental rehearsal time and were presented in free public performances for 300+ audience members. Presented works included: ESCAPE FROM THE CITY by Diane Exavier (April 27, 2025); FLORIOGRAPHY: A PLANT DANCE RITUAL by Mahayla Laurence (April 28, 2025); TARGET PRACTICE by Kara Hadden (May 4, 2025); MOTHER OF JUNK by Masha Breeze (May 5, 2025); IM NOT EVEN HALF by Layla Khoshnoudi (May 12, 2025); HOLLOW by DN Bashir (May 18, 2025). We also underwent 3 developmental workshops for current and future Main Stage works including Daniella de Jesus, Shayok Misha Chowdhury and Ian Andrew Askew.The Starr's education programs included Big Green Theater for elementary students with PS075 and PS106K; Creating Performance for local teens with El Puente Bushwick; and Senior Storytelling with Round Table/Ridgewood Bushwick Older Adults Center, and the Diana Jones Senior Center. We also continued our annual Summer Arts Festival with Oye Group on August 18 2024 on Eldert Street outside of the new site of the Bushwick Starr, providing free all-ages arts activities and performances for 500+ of our Bushwick neighbors.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
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. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 86
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 34
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 78.5%; rating input score 79
  • Fundraising efficiency: $8.54 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 33; 33rd 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: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -39.9%; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.84; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.47; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 3.2%; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 14.7% per year; rating input score 100; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 14.9% per year; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 28.3% per year; rating input score 100; 90th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 78.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 13 of 13 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $82K · 14 people listed
  • Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2012 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 33/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 4/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Document-retention policy not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 17/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 57/100.