Theater at the Center Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
351939427
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Munster, IN, USA
Phone
2198360130
Rating
61
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Performing Arts Organizations

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$464,881
Expenses
$585,372
Assets
$257,435
Liabilities
$52,140

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

Leadership & pay

4 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DONALD P FESKO (Vice President)
  • FRANKIE L FESKO (President)

Highest reported compensation

  • DONALD P FESKO (Vice President): $1,801,642 total reported compensation
  • GREGG FERLIN (Secretary/Treasurer): $875,762 total reported compensation
  • MARIE FORSZT (Administrator): $448,447 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 mission of theatre at the center, inc. Is to bring to the center for visual and performing arts disciplines of the performing arts that are at once appealing, educational, and accessible to the entire community.

What it reported doing in 2024

Main stage - theatre at the center, inc. (tatc) is the resident theatre company at the center for visual and performing arts. Performances attract audiences from northwest Indiana and chicagoland. Special events - many special events including music, comedy and limited run theatrical works are offered throughout the year. These events allow for a greater reach into the community by providing an alternative to traditional theatrical, longer span title runs. Tatc presents 35-40 special events annually, in addition to a few special longer stage content runs showcasing one and two-weeks of multiple performance dates, providing patrons access to a variety of live stage entertainment. Theatre for young audiences - other tatc programming includes theatre for young audiences. These productions, consisting of both touring kids shows and original written world premiere works for young audiences, are presented at least twice a year to the public and schools groups.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 98% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
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 - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of voting board members are independent and few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 82
  • Transparency & Controls: 71
  • Accountability: 32
  • Sustainability: 16
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 79.8%; rating input score 80
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 0%; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -25.9%; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.44; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.2; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 26.2%; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -14.8% per year; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -10% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -5.5% per year; rating input score 0; 10th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 79.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 0 of 4 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $467K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $1.8M · 4 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 43 of 43 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Related organizations: 16 filed related-organization links
  • 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 — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 11/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 9 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 22/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 14/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 20/100.