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Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival Inc

EIN 13-3499385 · Garrison, NY

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair65 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

MISSION: ROOTED IN THE LANDSCAPE OF THE HUDSON VALLEY, WITH THE PLAYS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE AS OUR TOUCHSTONE, HUDSON VALLEY SHAKESPEARE ENGAGES THE WIDEST POSSIBLE AUDIENCE IN A THEATRICAL CELEBRATION OF OUR SHARED HUMANITY.VISION: WE ARE A CLASSICAL REPERTORY THEATER THAT EMBRACES THE PRESENTMOMENT, AND OUR WORK SPRINGS FROM THE MOST ESSENTIAL OF ELEMENTS ACTOR,AUDIENCE, LANGUAGE, AND LANDSCAPE. AS BOTH A LOCAL COMMUNITY HUB AND ANATIONAL ARTS DESTINATION, WE FOSTER MEANINGFUL HUMAN CONNECTIONS ATTHE CONVERGENCE OF NATURE AND CULTURE.CORE VALUES: EXCELLENCE, INCLUSION, GENEROSITY, PLAYFULNESS, SUSTAINABILITY

Income
$26.2 million
Spending
$5.2 million
Spent on programs
69%
Reserves
-34.6 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 86%
Employees
149
Volunteers
50
Highest pay
$166,945, artistic director

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: 65 out of 100. Higher than 34% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    0 of 35

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

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 13% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 80% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 533% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    69% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 2 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 25

    23 of 23 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

    7 of 7

    Has a 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

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited 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 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)
  1. $3.4 million spent. IN 2024, HVS PERFORMED A REPERTORY SEASON EMBODIED BY THE SPIRIT OF A CLASSICAL THEATER FOR THE 21ST CENTURY. THREE NEW PLAYS FROM PRESENT-DAY PLAYWRIGHTS, INSPIRED BY WRITERS FROM THE CLASSICAL CANON, WERE PRESENTED IN ROTATING REPERTORY FROM JUNE THROUGH SEPTEMBER: BY THE QUEEN BY WHITNEY WHITE DIRECTED BY SHANA COOPER, THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD BY HEIDI ARMBRUSTER AND DIRECTED BY RYAN QUINN, AND MEDEA: RE-VERSED BY LUIS QUINTERO, DIRECTED BY NATHAN WINKELSTEIN. THE SEASON REACHED OVER 12,300 AUDIENCE MEMBERS THROUGH IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE.
  2. $124,353 spent. IN ITS 30TH YEAR, HUDSON VALLEY SHAKESPEARE'S EDUCATION PROGRAM ENGAGED OVER 13,500 STUDENTS ACROSS MORE THAN 20 SCHOOLS IN THE TRI-STATE AREA THROUGH 326 IN-PERSON WORKSHOPS, PERFORMANCES, AND RESIDENCIES LED BY PROFESSIONAL TEACHING ARTISTS. THE CENTERPIECE OF THE 2024 EDUCATION TOUR WAS A 90-MINUTE PRODUCTION OF MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, DIRECTED BY KHOLOUD SAWAF AND PERFORMED BY A SIX-MEMBER ENSEMBLE WITH LIVE MUSIC. TOURING TO 14 MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS ACROSS THE HUDSON VALLEY, CONNECTICUT, AND NORTHERN NEW JERSEY, THE PRODUCTION INTRODUCED STUDENTS TO SHAKESPEARE THROUGH PLAYFULNESS, COLLABORATION, AND DIRECT ENGAGEMENT, EXPLORING THEMES OF LOVE, MISUNDERSTANDING, AND PERCEPTION.
  3. $36,213 spent. IN APRIL 2024, HUDSON VALLEY SHAKESPEARE AND PROCESSIONAL ARTS WORKSHOP PRESENTED THE THIRD ANNUAL HIGHLAND LIGHTS, A FREE COMMUNITY CELEBRATION OF ART AND NATURE AT THE FESTIVAL'S GARRISON HOME. CENTERED ON THE THEME FULL FATHOM FIVE, THE PROJECT INCLUDED 12 FREE WORKSHOPS LED BY ALEX KAHN AND SOPHIA MICHAHELLES, ENGAGING MORE THAN 120 VOLUNTEER PARTICIPANTS IN CREATING LANTERNS INSPIRED BY THE WATERWAYS OF THE HUDSON RIVER ESTUARY. THE MONTH-LONG COLLABORATION CULMINATED IN AN EVENING PROCESSION ON APRIL 20, ATTENDED BY OVER 300 COMMUNITY MEMBERS, CELEBRATING THE REGION'S NATURAL BEAUTY AND SHARED STEWARDSHIP.IN NOVEMBER 2024, HUDSON VALLEY SHAKESPEARE PRESENTED ITS 9TH ANNUAL COMMUNITY BAKE-OFF, THEMED "ADAPTATION: A SHAKE OF THE KALEIDOSCOPE, AND INSPIRED BY HEIDI ARMBRUSTER'S THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD. CONCEIVED BY PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING PLAYWRIGHT PAULA VOGEL, THE BAKE-OFF INVITES PARTICIPANTS TO CREATE TEN-MINUTE PLAYS USING A SHARED LIST OF "INGREDIENTS" CONNECTED TO THE THEME. HELD IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FIVE LOCAL LIBRARIES, THE 2024 SERIES OFFERED FREE WORKSHOPS LED BY CHRISTINE SCARFUTO, ACTING DIRECTOR OF THE MFA PLAYWRITING PROGRAM AT HUNTER COLLEGE, AND ATTRACTED OVER 100 PARTICIPANTS, RESULTING IN NEARLY 50 ORIGINAL PLAY SUBMISSIONS. SIX PLAYS WERE SELECTED FOR A PUBLIC READING PERFORMED BY PROFESSIONAL ACTORS, CONTINUING HVS'S COMMITMENT TO NURTURING NEW VOICES AND FOSTERING CREATIVE EXCHANGE ACROSS THE HUDSON VALLEY.

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

  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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

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

    Recognized by the IRS since January 1989.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 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.