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Theatre Communications Group Inc

EIN 13-6160130 · New York, NY

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak29 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

TCG'S MISSION IS TO LEAD FOR A JUST AND THRIVING THEATRE ECOLOGY. BY "LEAD FOR," WE MEAN COMMUNAL LEADERSHIP THAT MODELS LISTENING, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND ACTION. BY "JUST AND "THRIVING," WE ENVISION A MOVEMENT THAT HAS THE INVESTMENTS, COMMITMENTS, AND PARTICIPANTS IT NEEDS TO ABUNDANTLY SERVE MULTIFACETED COMMUNITIES AND ADVANCE EQUITY AND JUSTICE. AND BY "THEATRE ECOLOGY," WE MEAN ALL THE INDIVIDUALS WHO MAKE UP THE THEATRE FIELD, WHETHER THEY BE ARTISTS, ADMINISTRATORS, STUDENTS, EDUCATORS, TECHNICIANS, OR TRUSTEES.

Income
$3.5 million
Spending
$5.7 million
Spent on programs
73%
Reserves
0.1 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 57%
Employees
46
Volunteers
13
Highest pay
$231,196, former executive director

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

Weak: 29 out of 100.

  • Reserves

    4 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 0.1 months of spending.

  • Debt

    5 of 20

    It owes 65% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 64% of income.

  • Income trend

    5 of 15

    Income fell 18% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    73% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 23 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.

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    12 of 15 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 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)
  1. $1.0 million spent. GRANT PROGRAMSTCG DISTRIBUTES GRANTS TO THEATRES AND INDIVIDUALS EACH YEAR THROUGH A SERIES OF PHILANTHROPIC PARTNERSHIPS. BY MAKING FUNDS AVAILABLE TO ORGANIZATIONS, INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS, AND ADMINISTRATORS, TCG CAN PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR A GROWING BODY OF PROFESSIONALS AND HELP BUILD AND CONNECT A NEW GENERATION OF PRACTITIONERS. PROGRAMS DURING FY25 INCLUDED: THE WILLA KIM COSTUME DESIGN SCHOLARSHIP; THE RISING LEADERS OF COLOR PROGRAM, WHICH SUPPORTED A COHORT OF THEATRE JOURNALISTS; A NEW ROUND OF THRIVE! GRANTS, PROVIDING GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT FOR UNDER-RESOURCED THEATRES OF COLOR; AND THE INTRODUCTION OF FUNDS FOR THE DOLLS, A NEW GRANTING INITIATIVE FOR TRANS WOMEN OF COLOR ARTISTS.
  2. $2.3 million spent. PUBLICATIONSTCG IS THE LARGEST INDEPENDENT PUBLISHER OF DRAMATIC TEXT IN NORTH AMERICA. OUR CATALOG HAS OVER 500 TITLES, INCLUDING 22 PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING PLAYS, ONE NOBEL PRIZE WINNER, 11 MACARTHUR "GENIUSES", AND NUMEROUS TONY, DRAMA DESK, AND OBIE AWARD NOMINATIONS AND WINNERS. TCG BOOKS PROUDLY REPRESENTS OVER 140 WRITERS WHO EMBODY EXCELLENCE IN CONTEMPORARY PLAYWRITING AND ALSO REPRESENT DIVERSE IDENTITIES OF RACE, ETHNICITY, GENDER, AND AGE. OUR PLAYWRIGHTS AND AUTHORS ARE SHAPING THE CANON AND LEGACY OF MODERN THEATRE. TCG BOOKS HAS A DUAL OBJECTIVE: TO BRING NEW LITERARY VOICES TO PUBLIC ATTENTION AND CULTIVATE INDIVIDUAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH ITS PLAYWRIGHTS THAT NURTURE THEIR CAREERS. TO DATE, OVER 5 MILLION COPIES HAVE BEEN SOLD. TCG'S INDUSTRY-LEADING PUBLICATION, AMERICAN THEATRE MAGAZINE, IS THE NATIONAL AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL NOT-FOR-PROFIT THEATRE MAGAZINE, INFORMING READERS ABOUT MEANINGFUL WORK AND SIGNIFICANT ISSUES AFFECTING THEATRE ART AND PRACTICE. THE COUNTRY'S ONLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THEATRE, AT IS COMMITTED TO STRENGTHENING THE NATIONAL THEATRE ECOLOGY THROUGH PUBLIC ACCESS TO MORE EQUITABLE ARTS JOURNALISM. DURING FY25, THE EDITORIAL CONTENT AND PODCASTS OPERATED ONLINE AT AMERICANTHEATRE.ORG AND QUARTERLY PRINT EDITIONS, ENGAGING OVER 1 MILLION READERS WHILE HIGHLIGHTING EVENTS OF IMPORTANCE TO THE THEATRE SECTOR. THE FIELD INCREASINGLY LOOKS TO AT TO TAKE ON IN-DEPTH, INCLUSIVE THEATRE JOURNALISM AS NEWS OUTLETS DECREASE ARTS COVERAGE AND FALL OUT OF TOUCH WITH THE EVOLVING THEATRE COMMUNITY.
  3. $830,515 spent. MEMBERSHIPTCG CONDUCTS RESEARCH FOR AND ABOUT THE NOT-FOR-PROFIT THEATRE FIELD TO ASSESS THE CHANGING NEEDS AND CONDITIONS OF THE THEATRE COMMUNITY, CHRONICLE THE FIELD'S GROWTH, SUPPORT NATIONAL ADVOCACY EFFORTS, AND CREATE RESOURCES TO AID THEATRE PROFESSIONALS IN THEIR WORK. TCG ALSO PROVIDES FIELD-WIDE LEADERSHIP BY REPRESENTING THE FIELD IN WASHINGTON, DC, BY ADVOCATING ON A RANGE OF ISSUES, INCLUDING NEA APPROPRIATIONS, COVID-RELIEF EFFORTS, ARTS EDUCATION FUNDING, TAX INCENTIVES FOR CHARITABLE GIVING, THE VISA PROCESS FOR INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS, FUNDING FOR CULTURAL EXCHANGE, AND PROTECTING PERFORMING ARTS TECHNOLOGY. FOR OVER FOUR DECADES, TCG HAS LED THE AMERICAN NOT-FOR-PROFIT THEATRE FIELD AS ONE OF ITS MOST ROBUST AND INFLUENTIAL SOURCES OF THEATRE-SPECIFIC RESEARCH AND SURVEYS. TCG ASSESSES AND CHRONICLES THE FIELD'S FISCAL EVOLUTION INCLUDING FINANCE, AUDIENCE, AND DONOR TRENDS THROUGH THEATRE FACTS, THE INDUSTRY'S BROADEST OVERVIEW OF THE THEATRE ECOLOGY; THE SALARY SURVEY; AND OTHER SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS AND TOPICAL SURVEYS IN AREAS SUCH AS GOVERNANCE, EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, AND MORE. IN FY25, TCG RELEASED THE 44TH ANNUAL THEATRE FACTS REPORT FOR 2023, DOCUMENTING THE SECOND YEAR OF THE PANDEMIC RECOVERY. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO PUBLISHED THE AGGREGATE RESULTS OF TCG'S SALARY SURVEY IN JUNE 2025. FY25 MARKED THE RETURN OF TCG'S SURVEY AND REPORT ON NON-PROFIT THEATRE GOVERNANCE AND BOARDS, AS WELL AS A SURVEY OF THE ISSUES AFFECTING INDIVIDUAL THEATRE PRACTITIONERS. THE RESULTS OF THESE ASSESSMENTS WILL INFORM PROGRAMMING AT TCG'S MAJOR FY26 CONVENINGS, THE FALL FORUM ON GOVERNANCE AND THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE.IN FALL 2024, TCG INTRODUCED "THE LOBBY PROJECT," A RESOURCE DESIGNED TO HELP THEATRES USE THEIR VENUES TO SUPPORT CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. THE WEBINAR SERIES "WHAT'S NEXT AND WHAT NOW" FOCUSED ON HELPING THEATRES NAVIGATE CHANGES IN GOVERNMENT POLICY AND FUNDING. ALONG WITH THEATRE ADVOCACY WEEK IN MARCH 2025, THESE ONLINE PROGRAMS WERE ATTENDED BY MORE THAN 1,500 PEOPLE.TCG ALSO OFFERS THEATRE LEADERSHIP CONNECTEDNESS AND TRUSTEE LEADERSHIP EXCHANGE VIRTUAL MEETINGS TO ALLOW MEMBERS TO CONNECT AND SHARE KNOWLEDGE MORE FREQUENTLY - WHICH HAS PLAYED A VITAL ROLE IN CONNECTING MEMBERS SINCE COVID-19. BUDGET GROUPS 1 AND 2 (WITH ANNUAL BUDGETS UNDER $1 MILLION) ARE PARTICULARLY ACTIVE ON TCG'S ONLINE COMMUNITY PLATFORM, TCG CIRCLE, WITH 303 AND 380 DISCUSSION THREADS, RESPECTIVELY. PARTICIPANTS USE THIS PLATFORM TO DISCUSS AND SHARE KNOWLEDGE ON ALL ASPECTS OF THEATER-MAKING AND LEADERSHIP. THIS ENGAGEMENT DEMONSTRATES THAT TCG'S NETWORKING AND KNOWLEDGE-BUILDING SERVICES ARE ESPECIALLY VALUABLE TO SMALL-BUDGET THEATRES.

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 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 June 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 July 1987.

    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.