The Circus Arts Conservatory Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

Performancecac produces and presents professional circus productions featuring internationally recognized artists and athletes under the big top and in theater venues, attracting local, regional, and national audiences. During the fiscal year, cac presented approximately 250 performances, serving an estimated 117,000 attendees. This program elevates the visibility and relevance of the circus arts and positions sarasota as a leading destination for high-caliber circus performance.trainingcac operates the sailor circus academy, the nation's longest-running youth circus, delivering structured training in circus arts combined with personal, artistic, and athletic development and life skills education. During the fiscal year, youth training programs served approximately 1,980 students through after-school programs, in-school training programs, summer camps, and recreational classes. Instruction emphasizes discipline, accountability, and technical proficiency. Students progress through defined skill levels, participate in rehearsal processes, and perform in front of live audiences, where they are expected to meet established standards and contribute to ensemble work.outreachcac's education programming brings the classroom to life in ways few other organizations can. In partnership with local middle and high schools, the organization operates the only academic magnet circus arts program of its kind in the united states. For participating high school students, the program serves as a credit-bearing component of their academic curriculum. Middle and high school students attend structured class sessions at the circus arts conservatory arena, with middle school students transported to the facility as part of the school day. Instruction emphasizes physical wellness, creativity, communication, collaboration, and discipline, all delivered through the lens of the circus arts.at the elementary level, cac delivered a circus science curriculum to approximately 2,750 fifth-grade students in classrooms across local schools. The curriculum uses circus-based instruction to make principles of physics and applied science tangible, including the application of newton's laws of motion. This experiential learning model reinforces classroom teaching, supports student preparation for the Florida statewide science assessment, and strengthens discipline, teamwork, and communication along the way.legacycac plays an essential role in preserving and advancing sarasota's historic connection to the circus arts. The circus arts conservatory was born from decades of sarasota circus history and continues to safeguard and promote this legacy. As the sarasota community approaches the centennial celebration of circus in 2027, cac continues to serve as a steward of this legacy, honoring tradition while introducing innovation that reflects the evolving landscape of the performing arts. These legacy-focused efforts reinforce the organization's long-term vision and sustain sarasota's identity as a global center for circus arts.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 99.5%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 83.5%; rating input score 84
• Fundraising efficiency: $1.68 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 92.9%; rating input score 93; 23rd 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: 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: -18.5%; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.69; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 5%; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 11.2% per year; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 8.5% per year; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 11.8% per year; rating input score 100; 65th percentile among comparable filings