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Theatre for the New City Foundation Inc

EIN 13-2694851 · New York, NY

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair65 out of 100GovernanceGood73 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE THEATER PRODUCES AND PERFORMS NEW WORK, MOSTLY BY AMERICAN PLAYWRIGHTS. THROUGH THE OPERATION OF A FOUR THEATER FACILITY, IT ALSO PROVIDES EXTENSIVE OUTREACH PROGRAMS AS WELL AS EXPERIMENTAL THEATER PERFORMANCES FOR THE THEATER-GOING PUBLIC. THE THEATER ALSO COMMISSIONS NEW WORKS FROM AMERICAS ESTABLISHED AND EMERGING PLAYWRIGHTS AND OFFERS A TRAINING PROGRAM WITH AN EXTENSIVE WORKSHOP SERIES FOR PERFORMERS IN STREET THEATER AS WELL AS A PLAYWRIGHT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM INVOLVING WORKSHOPS AND PRODUCTION.

Income
$1.8 million
Spending
$1.3 million
Spent on programs
80%
Reserves
-1.1 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 40%
Employees
13
Volunteers
200
Highest pay
$33,600, ops mgr / bod

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: 65 out of 100. Higher than 39% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    0 of 35

    Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 3% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 27% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 6% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    80% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 3 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

Good: 73 out of 100. Higher than 23% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    13 of 16 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    0 of 7

    Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    0 of 5

    Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.

  • Independent check of accounts

    0 of 15

    Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports 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 (4)
  1. $655,368 spent. THE THEATER NURTURES AND DEVELOPS WRITERS FOR THE AMERICAN STAGE. THE THEATER DOES ONLY NEW WORK - ALL PREMIERS. IT PRODUCES A PLAYWRIGHT MORE THAN ONCE, AS THE WRITER GAINS STRENGTH OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. IT DOES FULL-LENGTH PLAYS, MANY WITH MUSIC AND SONG AND CHOREOGRAPHY. EACH YEAR, THE THEATER PRODUCES BETWEEN 30-40 NEW AMERICAN PLAYS BY BOTH EMERGING WRITERS, ESTABLISHED WRITERS, AND THEATER COMPANIES THAT HAVE NO PERMANENT HOME. THE RESIDENT THEATER PRODUCES 20-30 NEW AMERICAN PLAYS PER YEAR, PROVIDING A FORUM FOR BOTH NEW AND MID-CAREER WRITERS TO EXPERIMENT WITH THEIR WORK AND DEVELOP AS ARTISTS.
  2. $148,534 spent. STREET THEATER - THE ANNUAL SUMMER STREET THEATER IS A FREE OPERETTA-FOR-THE-STREETS THAT TOURS 13 LOCATIONS IN ALL 5 BOROUGHS OF NEW YORK CITY. BEGUN IN THE EARLY 1970S AND EMBODYING THE GRASSROOTS IDEALS OF THAT DECADE, STREET THEATER AIMS TO RAISE SOCIAL AWARENESS IN THE COMMUNITIES IT PERFORMS IN, CREATING CIVIC DIALOGUE THAT INSPIRES A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD BEYOND THE COMMUNITIES GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES. STREET THEATER PLAYS TO AN ESTIMATED 25,000 PEOPLE EACH SUMMER.
  3. $113,431 spent. COMMUNITY FESTIVAL - THE COMMUNITY FESTIVAL PROGRAM IS A RESULT OF THE THEATERS STRONG COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY. CONSISTING OF THE VILLAGE HALLOWEEN COSTUME BALL AND THE LOWER EAST SIDE FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS, IT GIVES LOW-INCOME NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS AND CURIOUS OUT-OF-TOWNERS ALIKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE SOME OF THE ARTISTIC DIVERSITY OF NEW YORK CITY FOR FREE. THE HALLOWEEN BALL SHOWCASES OVER 200 ARTISTS AND PERFORMERS AT A MULTI-LEVEL THEATRICAL EVENT, SPILL OUT ONTO THE STREET, WHOSE PERFORMANCES ARE FREE TO THE PUBLIC. THE LOWER EAST SIDE FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS IS A FREE THREE-DAY WEEKEND LONG EXTRAVAGANZA CELEBRATING THE CULTURAL AND ARTISTIC DIVERSITY OF THE LOWER EAST SIDE. ARTS IN EDUCATION - THE THEATERS ARTS IN EDUCATION PROGRAM IS A 10-WEEK AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM TEACHING CREATIVE EXPRESSION THROUGH A VARIETY OF THEATRICAL MEDIUMS. THIS PROGRAM IS HELD TWICE A YEAR IN THE FALL AND SPRING. APPROXIMATELY 20 STUDENTS, AGES 8 THROUGH 12, ATTEND THIS PROGRAM EACH SESSION. THIS PROGRAM HELPS STUDENTS DEVELOP SELF-CONFIDENCE THROUGH DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES OF PERFORMANCE AND MANY STUDENTS HAVE GONE ON TO PARTICIPATE IN OTHER PROGRAMS AT THE THEATER.
  4. $110,799 spent. PRESENTING THEATER - THE PRESENTING THEATER PROGRAM IS THE THEATERS VEHICLE TO PROVIDING A SHOWCASE FOR PERFORMING GROUPS WITHOUT A PERMANENT BASE. EACH WINTER, THE PRESENTING PROGRAM HOSTS BREAD AND PUPPET THEATER, THE OLDEST CONTINUING EXPERIMENTAL THEATER COMPANY IN AMERICA AND THE THUNDERBIRD AMERICAN INDIAN DANCE CONCERT AND POW-WOW, WHICH OFFERS RITUAL AND SOCIAL DANCES FROM 17 TRIBES THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. THIS IS THE ONLY NATIVE AMERICAN DANCE CONCERT AND POW-WOW IN THE EAST WHERE NATIVE AMERICANS CAN SEE THE DANCES OF EACH OTHERS TRIBES. NATIVE FOODS AND CRAFTS ARE SOLD IN THE LOBBY.

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

  1. 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.

  2. 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 November 6, 2026.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since May 1971.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. 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 November 4, 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.