American Repertory Theatre
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
SEE PART 1, LINE 1
- Income
- $25.9 million
- Spending
- $24.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 79%
- Reserves
- -1.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 62%
- Employees
- 270
- Volunteers
- 375
- Highest pay
- $1.1 million, ex officio trustee; provost; professor, in the dep
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 50 out of 100. Higher than 16% 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 34% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 4% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 0% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1579% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 9 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, 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 2532 of 38 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 June 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)
- $18.8 million spent. PROFESSIONAL THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS IN RESIDENCE INCLUDED 192 PERFORMANCES ACROSS SIX PRODUCTIONS, REACHING A TOTAL AUDIENCE OF 88,511 AT THE LOEB DRAMA CENTER IN CAMBRIDGE, MA. IN ADDITION, THE ORGANIZATION PRESENTED 14 PERFORMANCES AT MASONIC HALL, WITH A TOTAL ATTENDANCE OF 854, AND SIX PERFORMANCES AT HIBERNIAN HALL, SERVING AN ADDITIONAL 865 AUDIENCE MEMBERS. THE SEASON WAS COMPRISED OF WORKS OF LITERARY, EXPERIMENTAL OR OTHERWISE EDUCATIONAL VALUE, WHICH ARE SELECTED FOR THEIR PERCEIVED CAPACITY TO FURTHER THE A.R.T.'S MISSION TO EXPAND THE BOUNDARIES OF THEATRE BY EXPLORING THE BEST PLAYS FROM ACROSS CULTURES AND AGES. PLUS MISC. REVENUE & EXPENSES INCLUDING CONCESSIONS, CREDIT CARD FEES, AND ROYALTIES.
- $1,000 spent. BEGINNING FISCAL YEAR 2019, THE INSTITUTE WENT ON HIATUS TO UNDERGO A STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS.
- $730,891 spent. UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT THEATRICAL PLAYS, PRODUCTIONS, AND ACTIVITIES INCLUDED 19 PERFORMANCES OF 4 PRODUCTIONS, REACHING AN AUDIENCE OF 2,795 ACROSS TWO CAMPUS VENUES. ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS, PARTICIPATION WAS STRONG AND WIDE-REACHING. COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS SERVED A TOTAL OF 132 PARTICIPANTS, INCLUDING 20 PARTICIPANTS IN ROMEO & JULIET AT THE HARVARD ED PORTAL AND 112 PARTICIPANTS IN THE ODYSSEY ACROSS MULTIPLE SITES: 45 AT THE HARVARD ED PORTAL, 7 AT THE EAST BOSTON LIBRARY, 40 AT THE CAMBRIDGE LIBRARY, AND 20 AT THE MALDEN LIBRARY. IN ADDITION, ACOM ENGAGED 14 PARTICIPANTS THROUGH 15 LEARNING WEEK SESSIONS, WHILE THE LEARNING LAB REACHED 115 STUDENTS ACROSS FOUR PRODUCTIONS. OUR IN-SCHOOL WORKSHOPS SERVED 72 PARTICIPANTS, COMPLEMENTED BY FOUR WORKSHOPS HOSTED AT A.R.T. FINALLY, THE LEARNING LAB PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY SUPPORTED 12 EDUCATORS, WHO ENGAGED IN 18 HOURS OF DEDICATED PROFESSIONAL LEARNING TIME.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 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 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 June 2025.
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 March 1979.
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.