Ogunquit Playhouse Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
BUILDING UPON A LEGACY OF LEADERSHIP IN AMERICAN THEATRE, THE OGUNQUIT PLAYHOUSE PRODUCES WORLD-CLASS PERFORMANCES,CULTIVATES NEW WORKS FOR THE STAGE, AND PRESERVES AN ICONIC AND HISTORIC ORGANIZATION FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
- Income
- $17.4 million
- Spending
- $16.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 84%
- Reserves
- -0.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 61%
- Employees
- 418
- Volunteers
- 270
- Highest pay
- $349,483, executive artistic directo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 55 out of 100. Higher than 22% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 30% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 6% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 31% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1583% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 14 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 34% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2519 of 19 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (3)
- $345,780 spent. THE OGUNQUIT PLAYHOUSE ARTS ACADEMY HELD ALL PROGRAMS ON THE PLAYHOUSE GROUNDS AND INCLUDED TUITION BASED COURSES FOR AGES 5-18 AND PUBLIC TICKETS SALES FOR OUR CHILDREN'S THEATRE SHOWS HELD ON THE MAIN STAGE. ALL CLASSES, WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS WERE STAFFED BY PROFESSIONAL TEACHING ARTISTS BOTH LOCALLY AND FROM THE BROADWAY COMMUNITY. OUR EDUCATION DIRECTOR OVERSAW ALL PROGRAMMING. SUMMER 2024 HAD 10 WEEKS OF PROGRAMMING WITH DISTINCT AND UNIQUE ONE, TWO-, AND THREE-WEEK PROGRAMS. OUR POPULAR MUSICAL THEATRE PERFORMANCE CAMPS INCLUDED STUDENTS AGED 7-18 AND INCLUDED THE MUSICALS "SEUSSICAL TYA", AND "DISNEY'S CAMP ROCK". THESE TWO SHOWS WERE PERFORMED ON OUR MAIN STAGE IN THE PLAYHOUSE. THESE PERFORMANCES WERE ADVERTISED AND SOLD TO THE PUBLIC THROUGH OUR BOX OFFICE. OVER 3,040 PEOPLE ATTENDED THESE PERFORMANCES. A TOTAL OF 6 PERFORMANCES WERE PRESENTED (THREE OF EACH TITLE), ON SATURDAY, SUNDAY, AND TUESDAY MORNINGS. STUDENTS AGED 5-7 PERFORMED WITH OUR RISING STARS PROGRAM WHICH INCLUDED THE MUSICALS "A BARNYARD MOOSICAL", AND "HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROOVE". OUR 8-11 YEAR OLDS PERFORMED WITH OUR CENTER STAGE PROGRAM, WHICH PRESENTED THE MUSICAL "DISNEY'S THE MOVIES, THE MUSIC". AND "BROADWAY BEAT." OUR RISING STARS AND CENTER STAGE PROGRAMS ARE HELD IN OUR COLONY REHEARSAL SPACE. TICKETS ARE NOT SOLD TO THE PUBLIC. PARENTS, FRIENDS, AND FAMILY ATTEND THE FINAL PRESENTATION FOR FREE. FOR SUMMER 2024, A NEW TECHNICAL THEATRE PROGRAM WAS INTRODUCED. STUDENTS PARTICIPATED AS CREW FOR OUR MAIN STAGE CHILDREN'S THEATRE PRODUCTIONS AND ATTENDED EDUCATIONAL SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS WITH OUR PROFESSIONAL TECHNICAL STAFF. DURING 4 WEEKS IN EARLY FALL, WE RAN ONE OF OUR POPULAR PROGRAMS THAT WAS DEVELOPED IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR MAIN STAGE. THIS YEAR FOR OUR PRODUCTION OF "FROZEN." THIS WAS AN AUDITION WORKSHOP TO PREPARE STUDENTS TO AUDITION FOR THE ROLES OF YOUNG ANNA AND YOUNG ELSA AND THE YOUTH ENSEMBLE. THE EIGHT CHILDREN CAST ALL HAVE ATTENDED OUR AUDITION WORKSHOPS. TWO STUDENTS WERE ALSO CAST AS FREDERICKA, A PRINCIPAL CHARACTER AND THE UNDERESTDUY IN OUR MAIN STAGE PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTION OF "A LITTLE NIGHT MUSC." THEY TRAVELED TO NEW YORK CITY FOR REHEARSALS WITH THE CAST, WHICH FEATURED BROADWAY PERFORMERS. THREE OF OUR YOUNGEST STUDENTS, AGED 4-6, SHARED THE ROLE OF LULU AND WERE FEATURED IN OUR MAIN STAGE PRODUCTION OF WAITRESS. THE ACADEMY HAD OVER 160 STUDENTS PARTICIPATE DURING THE COURSE OF THE SUMMER AND FALL. STUDENTS PARTICIPATING TRAVELED FROM OUR IMMEDIATE REGION AS WELL AS STUDENTS WHO TRAVELED FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE, MASSACHUCHETSS, VERMONT, CONNETICUT, CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, ARIZONA, TEXAS, AND NEW YORK TO PARTICIPATE. THE ACADEMY STUDENTS PARTICIPATED AS SOLOISTS IN AN OGUNQUIT COMMUNITY EVENT SPONSORED BY THE OGUNQUIT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, BON AIRE. OUR EDUCATION DIRECTOR PRESENTED WORKSHOPS TO SCHOOLS IN THE AREA ABOUT WORKING IN THE PROFESSIONAL THEATRE, SHE ALSO WAS AN AJUDICATOR FOR THE NAMT HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL CHALLENGE AND THE MAINE THESPIAN FESTIVAL. OUR EDUCATION DIRECTOR TRAVELED TO ATTEND VARIOUS MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL MUSICALS IN THE SURROUNDING REGION, SPEAK WITH THEIR THEATRE DIRECTORS AND MEET POTENTIAL NEW STUDENTS. ONE OF OUR DONORS SPONSORED AND EVENT DURING OUR PRODUCTION OF LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, STUDENTS ATTENDED A MATINEE AT NO COST TO THEM FOLLOWED BY A WORKSHOP THAT INCLUDED A QUESTION-AND-ANSWER SESSION AFTER THE PERFORMANCE.
- $7.7 million spent. IN 2024, THE OGUNQUIT PLAYHOUSE HAD OVER 100,000 VISITORS TO THE PLAYHOUSE. THE PLAYHOUSE PRESENTED 5 SHOWS. THE SEASON BEGAN WITH WAITRESS FROM MAY 9 JUNE 8; CRAZY FOR YOU FROM JUNE 13 JULY 13; A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC FROM JULY 18 AUGUST 17; LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS FROM AUGUST 22-SEPTEMBER 21; AND THE WORLD PREMIERE OF MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING FROM SEPTEMBER 26-OCTOBER 27.
- $237,893 spent. THE PLAYHOUSE RENTS SCENERY, PROPS, WIGS, COSTUMES AND EQUIPMENT TO NON-PROFIT REGIONAL THEATRES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND OCCASIONALLY TO SCHOOLS. IN 2024, THESE ITEMS WERE RENTED TO TWELVE THEATRES AND ONE UNIVERSITY.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since December 1994.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.