Ocala Civic Theater Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
BY OFFERING QUALITY THEATRICAL EXPERIENCES AND PERFORMING ARTS EDUCTION, OCALA CIVIC THEATRE HELPS CULTIVATE FUTURE ARTISTS AND AUDIENCES, FOSTERING A LIFELONG CONNECTION TO THE ARTS. WE WORK TO ENSURE THE ARTS REMAIN A PLACE WHERE THE COMMUNITY CAN CONNECT, PARTICIPATE, AND BE INSPIRED.
- Income
- $1.3 million
- Spending
- $1.6 million
- Spent on programs
- 100%
- Reserves
- -3.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 56%
- Employees
- 23
- Volunteers
- 204
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: 32 out of 100. Higher than 5% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
2 of 20It owes 95% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 27% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 14% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 15100% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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: 84 out of 100. Higher than 35% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2510 of 10 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.
Independent check of accounts
0 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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 (5)
- $1.5 million spent. FOUNDED IN 1950, THE CIVIC IS ONE OF FLORIDA'S OLDEST AND LARGEST COMMUNITY THEATERS, DEDICATED TO UPLIFTING, INSPIRING, AND ENTERTAINING AUDIENCES THROUGH QUALITY THEATRICAL EXPERIENCES AND PERFORMING ARTS EDUCATION. EACH SEASON, THE CIVIC PRODUCES THREE PLAYS, THREE MUSICALS, AND THREE YOUTH SHOWS, TOTALING OVER 200 PERFORMANCES ANNUALLY, AND HOSTS MORE THAN 50 SPECIAL EVENTS. OPERATING FROM A 362-SEAT FACILITY AT THE APPLETON CULTURAL CAMPUS, ADJACENT TO THE APPLETON MUSEUM OF ART, THE CIVIC EMPLOYS 17 STAFF MEMBERS AND INVOLVES NEARLY 500 VOLUNTEERS, WITH AN ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET OF 1.2 MILLION. DURING THE 2024-2025 SEASON, THE CIVIC WELCOMED A TOTAL OF 36,852 ATTENDEES ACROSS 255 PERFORMANCES AND EVENTS. FOUNDED IN 1950, THE CIVIC IS ONE OF FLORIDA'S OLDEST AND LARGEST COMMUNITY THEATERS, DEDICATED TO UPLIFTING, INSPIRING, AND ENTERTAINING AUDIENCES THROUGH QUALITY THEATRICAL EXPERIENCES AND PERFORMING ARTS EDUCATION. EACH SEASON, THE CIVIC PRODUCES THREE PLAYS, THREE MUSICALS, AND THREE YOUTH SHOWS, TOTALING OVER 200 PERFORMANCES ANNUALLY, AND HOSTS MORE THAN 50 SPECIAL EVENTS. OPERATING FROM A 362-SEAT FACILITY AT THE APPLETON CULTURAL CAMPUS, ADJACENT TO THE APPLETON MUSEUM OF ART, THE CIVIC EMPLOYS 17 STAFF MEMBERS AND INVOLVES NEARLY 500 VOLUNTEERS, WITH AN ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET OF 1.2 MILLION. DURING THE 2024-2025 SEASON, THE CIVIC WELCOMED A TOTAL OF 36,852 ATTENDEES ACROSS 255 PERFORMANCES AND EVENTS.
- $73,997 spent. EDUCATION & ENRICHMENT - THE EDUCATION AND ENRICHMENT DEPARTMENT OFFERS QUALIFIED INSTRUCTION IN THE PERFORMING ARTS AND THEATER CRAFTS. IT ALSO CREATES OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR DONORS, PATRONS, FELLOW BUSINESSES, AND ORGANIZATIONS TO TOUR OUR FACILITIES, VISIT REHEARSALS, AND OBSERVE CLASSES. THIS HELPS DEEPEN RELATIONSHIPS AND FOSTER A GREATER UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION OF THEATER WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. WE SUPPORT OUR SENIORS THROUGH OUR ENCORES AND OVATIONS ORGANIZATIONS, WHICH HELP PROVIDE AND ADMINISTER SCHOLARSHIPS FOR LOCAL THEATER, MUSIC, AND ART STUDENTS, AS WELL AS SECOND STAGE PRODUCTIONS AND VARIOUS YOUTH PROGRAMS. OUR ACADEMY CLASSES SERVE OVER 150 LEARNERS EACH YEAR, WHILE ADDITIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAMS REACH MORE THAN 1,300 PARTICIPANTS IN SCHOOLS AND PUBLIC SPACES. THESE CLASSES CONCLUDE WITH PERFORMANCES THAT GIVE STUDENTS OPPORTUNITIES TO APPLY THEIR LEARNING AND GAIN EXPERIENCE. EDUCATION & ENRICHMENT - THE EDUCATION AND ENRICHMENT DEPARTMENT OFFERS QUALIFIED INSTRUCTION IN THE PERFORMING ARTS AND THEATER CRAFTS. IT ALSO CREATES OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR DONORS, PATRONS, FELLOW BUSINESSES, AND ORGANIZATIONS TO TOUR OUR FACILITIES, VISIT REHEARSALS, AND OBSERVE CLASSES. THIS HELPS DEEPEN RELATIONSHIPS AND FOSTER A GREATER UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION OF THEATER WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. WE SUPPORT OUR SENIORS THROUGH OUR ENCORES AND OVATIONS ORGANIZATIONS, WHICH HELP PROVIDE AND ADMINISTER SCHOLARSHIPS FOR LOCAL THEATER, MUSIC, AND ART STUDENTS, AS WELL AS SECOND STAGE PRODUCTIONS AND VARIOUS YOUTH PROGRAMS. OUR ACADEMY CLASSES SERVE OVER 150 LEARNERS EACH YEAR, WHILE ADDITIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAMS REACH MORE THAN 1,300 PARTICIPANTS IN SCHOOLS AND PUBLIC SPACES. THESE CLASSES CONCLUDE WITH PERFORMANCES THAT GIVE STUDENTS OPPORTUNITIES TO APPLY THEIR LEARNING AND GAIN EXPERIENCE.
- COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT & PARTNERSHIP - WE SUPPORT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS BY PROVIDING SPACE AT AFFORDABLE PRICES AND MAKING OUR PROFESSIONAL STAFF AVAILABLE TO ASSIST WITH EVENTS HELD IN OUR SPACE BY OTHERS IN OUR COMMUNITY. THESE INCLUDE CHURCHES, SCHOOLS, AND OTHER ARTS ORGANIZATIONS. WE ALSO ENCOURAGE AND FACILITATE COLLABORATION AMONG OUR PEER ORGANIZATIONS. THESE PROJECTS INVOLVE EDUCATION, OUTREACH, AND PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES. BY WORKING TOGETHER, WE EXPAND EACH OTHER'S SUPPORT NETWORKS AND RAISE AWARENESS AND APPRECIATION FOR THE ARTS AS BOTH CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL ASSETS, AS WELL AS KEY ECONOMIC DRIVERS FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND REGION. THE CIVIC IS A CONSTANT DRIVER OF CULTURAL TOURISM IN MARION COUNTY. TICKETING AND ZIP-CODE ANALYSIS SHOW THAT THE THEATRE CONSISTENTLY ATTRACTS LOCALS AS WELL AS AUDIENCES FROM OUTSIDE MARION COUNTY, REPRESENTING OVER 225 DISTINCT ZIP CODES. ACCORDING TO THE ARTS & ECONOMIC PROSPERITY 6 CALCULATOR, THE CIVIC GENERATES 3.3 MILLION IN ECONOMIC ACTIVITY EACH YEAR, SUPPORTS 54 LOCAL JOBS, AND BRINGS IN 81,836 IN LOCAL TAX REVENUE, SHOWING A CLEAR RETURN ON PUBLIC INVESTMENT. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT & PARTNERSHIP - WE SUPPORT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS BY PROVIDING SPACE AT AFFORDABLE PRICES AND MAKING OUR PROFESSIONAL STAFF AVAILABLE TO ASSIST WITH EVENTS HELD IN OUR SPACE BY OTHERS IN OUR COMMUNITY. THESE INCLUDE CHURCHES, SCHOOLS, AND OTHER ARTS ORGANIZATIONS. WE ALSO ENCOURAGE AND FACILITATE COLLABORATION AMONG OUR PEER ORGANIZATIONS. THESE PROJECTS INVOLVE EDUCATION, OUTREACH, AND PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES. BY WORKING TOGETHER, WE EXPAND EACH OTHER'S SUPPORT NETWORKS AND RAISE AWARENESS AND APPRECIATION FOR THE ARTS AS BOTH CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL ASSETS, AS WELL AS KEY ECONOMIC DRIVERS FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND REGION. THE CIVIC IS A CONSTANT DRIVER OF CULTURAL TOURISM IN MARION COUNTY. TICKETING AND ZIP-CODE ANALYSIS SHOW THAT THE THEATRE CONSISTENTLY ATTRACTS LOCALS AS WELL AS AUDIENCES FROM OUTSIDE MARION COUNTY, REPRESENTING OVER 225 DISTINCT ZIP CODES. ACCORDING TO THE ARTS & ECONOMIC PROSPERITY 6 CALCULATOR, THE CIVIC GENERATES 3.3 MILLION IN ECONOMIC ACTIVITY EACH YEAR, SUPPORTS 54 LOCAL JOBS, AND BRINGS IN 81,836 IN LOCAL TAX REVENUE, SHOWING A CLEAR RETURN ON PUBLIC INVESTMENT.
- ALL OTHER ACTIVITY OF THE OCALA CIVIC THEATRE IS IN SUPPORT OF OUR GUENERAL MISSION: TO PROVIDE QUALITY LIVE THEATRE TO UPLIFT, INSPIRE, AND ENTERTAIN OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH EXCEPTIONAL THEATRICAL EXPERIENCES AND PERFORMING ARTS EDUCATION.
- ALL OTHER ACTIVITY OF THE OCALA CIVIC THEATRE IS IN SUPPORT OF OUR GUENERAL MISSION: TO PROVIDE QUALITY LIVE THEATRE TO UPLIFT, INSPIRE, AND ENTERTAIN OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH EXCEPTIONAL THEATRICAL EXPERIENCES AND PERFORMING ARTS EDUCATION.
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 November 6, 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 April 1971.
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 November 4, 2026.
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