Great River Shakespeare Festival
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It owes more than it owns.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
TO ENRICH PEOPLE'S LIVES BY CREATING DYNAMIC, CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD PRODUCTIONS OF SHAKESPEARE AND OTHER PLAYWRIGHTS WHO CELEBRATE THE SPOKEN WORD. IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH THIS MISSION, GRSF ENGAGES AND SUSTAINS A HIGHLY-SKILLED COMPANY OF THEATER PROFESSIONALS, INCLUDING EQUITY ACTORS.
- Income
- $798,956
- Spending
- $866,200
- Spent on programs
- 77%
- Reserves
- -3.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 80%
- Employees
- 55
- Volunteers
- 150
- Highest pay
- $89,943, managing director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 29 out of 100. Higher than 4% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
0 of 20It owes 123% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 8% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 8% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1577% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 10 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 95% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 2518 of 18 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 September 30, 2025, 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)
- $579,064 spent. CREATION OF ART: GRSF PRODUCED THE COMEDY OF ERRORS, ROMEO AND JULIET, AND PRESENTED A GRADUATE STUDENT PRODUCTION OF THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA. PERFORMANCES TOTALED 36 OVER THE FIVE-WEEK PERIOD FROM JUNE 26-JULY 27, 2025. REHEARSALS, SET CONSTRUCTION, AND PROP & COSTUME CREATION OCCURRED DURING THE FIVE WEEKS PRIOR TO THE BEGINNING OF THE PERFORMANCES. ATTENDANCE FOR THE THREE PLAYS WAS 5,048. THIS WAS A SLIGHT DECLINE FROM TOTAL ATTENDANCE IN 2024. THE PRODUCTION OF THE COMEDY OF ERRORS INCLUDED SECTIONS ATTRIBUTED TO SHAKESPEARE FROM THE PLAY SIR THOMAS MORE WHICH HIGHLIGHTED THE PLIGHT OF THE "STRANGER." THIS FIT THE CONTEXT OF BOTH THE ORIGINAL PLAY AND OUR OWN SITUATION IN THE USA. ROMEO AND JULIET WAS DIRECTED FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE NURSE WHO PROVIDED THE CHORUS NARRATION AS WELL AS REMAINED ON STAGE THROUGHOUT MOST OF THE MEMORY PLAY. HER OMNIPRESENCE ON STAGE HELPED THE AUDIENCE SEE THEMSELVES (THE MAJORITY BEING ADULTS) IN THE TRAGIC STORY OF THESE YOUNG LOVERS. ONE AUDIENCE MEMBER EXPRESSED, "I'M ADDICTED TO THE CREATIVITY [OF THIS COMPANY]." CRITICS WROTE: "UNFORTUNATELY, THE IDEAS OF DIVISION AND EXCLUSION ARE EXTREMELY RELEVANT AND RELATABLE RIGHT NOW, AND IT FEELS HEALING AND HOPEFUL TO WATCH THESE TWO EXAMPLES OF A WAY OUT AND THROUGH TO MORE CONNECTION, ACKNOWLEDGING OUR SHARED HUMANITY AND "IT'S ONE OF THE BEST PRODUCTIONS OF ONE OF THE MOST PRODUCED PLAYS OF SHAKESPEARE'S THAT I'VE SEEN."
- $64,340 spent. AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT: THE FESTIVAL HOSTED FOUR POST-SHOW DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CAST AND AUDIENCE MEMBERS. AUDIENCES WANTED TO EXPLORE THE CLEVER CREATION OF CHARACTERS IN THE COMEDY OF ERRORS USING RECORDED VIDEO, PUPPETS, AND THE SAME ACTOR PLAYING THEIR OWN TWIN. THEY ALSO INQUIRED ABOUT THE VIOLENCE "MASTER AND "SERVANT" RELATIONSHIPS AND HOW THAT IS PERCEIVED IN OUR MODERN WORLD. FOR ROMEO AND JULIET, THERE WAS MUCH DISCUSSION ABOUT THE DECISION TO APPROACH THE SHOW AS A MEMORY PLAY AND HOW THE SHOW REFLECTS THE POLARIZATION IN OUR PRESENT SOCIETY. TO THAT END, THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW TO BRING 400 YEAR-OLD TEXTS INTO MODERN LIFE WITH A RECOGNITION THAT EMOTIONS SUCH AS GRIEF AND LOVE ARE STILL EVERPRESENT. ADDITIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAMS INCLUDED FIVE SUNDAY MORNING PANEL DISCUSSIONS AT A LOCAL COFFEE HOUSE. EACH FEATURED A DIFFERENT ASPECT OF THEATRICAL PRODUCTION AND VARIED MEMBERS OF THE COMPANY. AIRED ON FACEBOOK LIVE, EACH PANEL TOOK QUESTIONS FROM THE LIVE AUDIENCE AS WELL AS ONLINE PARTICIPANTS. DEDICATED PERFORMANCES WERE SET UP AS "FIDGET FRIENDLY AND TWO PERFORMANCES WERE TRANSLATED IN AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE AND AUDIO DESCRIBED FOR THE DEAF.
- $23,421 spent. EDUCATION: THREE COURSES WERE OFFERED: WILL'S CREATIVE DRAMA (FOR AGES 4 - 2ND GRADE), WILL'S POWER PLAYERS (FOR 3RD - 6TH GRADE), AND SHAKESPEARE FOR YOUNG ACTORS (FOR 7TH - 12TH GRADE). TOTAL ENROLLMENT OF 38 STUDENTS. ALL OF THE CLASSES WERE TAUGHT BY PROFESSIONAL EDUCATORS WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF MEMBERS OF THE ACTING COMPANY AT THE FESTIVAL. A 90-MINUTE PRODUCTION OF TWELFTH NIGHT (CREATED AND PERFORMED BY THE 7TH - 12TH GRADERS) WAS PRESENTED TO AN AUDIENCE OF 200 FAMILY MEMBERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC. SEVEN STUDENTS RECEIVED FULL OR PARTIAL SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT IN 2025, THE SAME NUMBER AS IN 2024. EVERYONE WHO REQUESTED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE RECEIVED IT. ENROLLMENT FOR THE YOUNGER-AGED PROGRAMS WAS DOWN FROM LAST YEAR. SEPARATELY, THE FESTIVAL RAN A FRIDAY AFTERNOON PROGRAM, CHILL WITH WILL, THAT FEATURED A THEATRICAL WORKSHOP PAIRED WITH A PERFORMANCE OF ONE OF THE TWO MAINSTAGE SHOWS. THIS ACTIVITY, FREE FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL-AGED STUDENTS, ATTRACTED 58 YOUTHS OVER FOUR WEEKS. WORKSHOPS FOCUSED ON STAGE COMBAT, CLOWNING, CREATING TWINS ONSTAGE USING THE SAME ACTOR, AND EXPLORING THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE AND GRIEF.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, 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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending September 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since September 2003.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 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.