Timeline Theatre Company

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
364197407
IRS 990 coverage
2016–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
Phone
7732818463
Rating
67
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Theater

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$5,290,679
Expenses
$2,965,073
Assets
$29,929,727
Liabilities
$1,240,966

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

Leadership & pay

20 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • THADDEUS MALIK (PRESIDENT)
  • ANNE VOSHEL (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • MICA KAMENSKI (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • PATRICK J POWERS (ARTISTIC DIRECTOR): $134,355 total reported compensation
  • MICA KAMENSKI (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $130,931 total reported compensation
  • DAVID PARKES (MEMBER): $6,866 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Timeline theatre company presents stories inspired by history that connect with today's social and political issues. Our collaborative organization produces provocative theatre and education programs that engage, entertain, and enlighten.

What it reported doing in 2024

Timeline theatre was founded in 1997 with a goal of exploring today's social and political issues through the lens of the past. Over its first 25 years, timeline produced 84 plays, including 11 world premieres and 39 chicago premieres, that explored countless facets of that mission. From lgbtqia+ (the normal heart, boy) and jewish experiences (a shayna maidel, my name is asher lev) to issues of cultures intersecting and intertwining (the chinese lady, a disappearing number, a walk in the woods), to explorations of peace, humanity, politics, and family (oslo, rutherford and son, the apple family plays), and the historical roots of the black lives matter movement (relentless, kill move paradise, a raisin in the sun), timeline's rich production history highlights a mix of perspectives. Timeline has been awarded 60 jeff awards, honoring excellence in chicago theatre, including 11 for outstanding production, and received the prestigious 2016 macarthur award for creative and effective institutions, which "recognizes exceptional nonprofit organizations that have demonstrated creastivity and impact, and invests in their long-term sustainability." timeline was also named "one of the nation's top 10 most promising emerging professional theatres" in 2011 by the american theatre wind, founder of the tony awards. Locally, timeline continues to emerge as a prominent voice in chicago's vibrant arts community, lauded by the chicago tribune as a "savvy and growing company, where more and more chicagoans have come, with reason, to trust the power, truth and integrity of the work." the company currently serves approximately 20,000 audience members annually.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 83% 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 a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 31
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 91
  • Sustainability: 82
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 26.8%; rating input score 27
  • Program expense ratio: 36.2%; rating input score 36
  • Fundraising efficiency: $10.27 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 38; 38th 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: 85%; rating input score 85; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 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: 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: 44%; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 10.09; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 9.2%; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 2.5% per year; rating input score 100; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 17.3% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 26.4% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 26.8% of revenue deployed · 36.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 17 of 20 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $1.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $134K · 20 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 4 contractors listed · $1.7M reported
  • Consistency: 33 of 33 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 9 filing years from 2016 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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 27/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 36/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 38/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 33/100.