The Feath3r Theory Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
455507837
IRS 990 coverage
2019–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2023, Form 990-N 2012
Location
Brooklyn, NY, USA
Phone
3474071012
Rating
66
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Theater

Reported finances

Revenue
$779,756
Expenses
$302,260
Assets
$683,363
Liabilities
$214

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

Leadership & pay

7 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • RAJA FEATHER KELLY (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER & DIRECTOR): $83,370 total reported compensation
  • LAURA SNOW (CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER): $5,650 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 feath3r theory carries out its mission by creating, presenting, and supporting artistic and educational programming that enriches the community and strengthens civic life. The organization works to preserve and celebrate brooklyn's cultural history, including historically significant arts spaces; produce and present live performances and artistic works across multiple disciplines at affordable cost to the public; cultivate the next generation of artists, audiences, and patrons; and provide educational programs for theater patrons, New York city residents and young people. Through these activities, the feath3r theory seeks to expand access to the arts, encourage community dialogue, and serve its constituencies in a spirit of partnership and mutual respect.

What it reported doing in 2024

The feath3r theory produced and presented multidisciplinary performing arts programming for public audiences in New York city, including dance, theater, and media-based works. The organization supported artists through rehearsals, workshops, residencies, and live performances featuring emerging and established collaborators. Programs were designed to expand public access to contemporary performing arts, support artistic development, and foster community engagement through accessible cultural and educational programming.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 88% 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

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 43
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 64
  • Sustainability: 75
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 25.5%; rating input score 25
  • Program expense ratio: 65.7%; rating input score 66
  • Fundraising efficiency: $23.27 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 62; 62nd 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: 83.3%; rating input score 83; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 61.2%; rating input score 95; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.26; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 29.5%; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.8% per year; rating input score 100; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 23.3% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 29.3% per year; rating input score 100; 90th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 25.5% of revenue deployed · 65.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 6 board members independent · 3 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $199K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $83K · 7 people listed
  • Consistency: 23 of 23 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2019 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 filed money-flow records
  • 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 — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 25/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 7/100.