Wam Theatre
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It owes more than it owns.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
WAM THEATRE ENGAGES COMMUNITY BY PRODUCING THEATRICAL EVENTS FOR EVERYONE AND DONATES A PORTION OF THEIR PROCEEDS TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT WORK TO BENEFIT THE LIVES OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND WORLDWIDE.
- Income
- $374,709
- Spending
- $497,352
- Spent on programs
- 53%
- Reserves
- -1.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 39%
- Employees
- 33
- Volunteers
- 25
- Highest pay
- $65,797, 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
Weak: 8 out of 100. Higher than 0% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
0 of 20It owes 109% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 33% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 28% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1553% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 31 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: 97 out of 100. Higher than 91% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 2514 of 14 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
12 of 15Its accounts were reviewed or compiled by an independent accountant, but not audited.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports 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 (1)
- $261,388 spent. SEE SCHEDULE OPROGRAMMING MAINSTAGE PERFORMANCES: EACH YEAR, WAM UNDERTAKES THE AMBITIOUS DOUBLE-GOAL OF PRODUCING A HIGH QUALITY THEATRICAL ENGAGEMENT WITH LOCAL ARTISTS, WHILE DONATING A PERCENTAGE OF THE BOX OFFICE REVENUE TO ONE OR MORE CHARITIES THAT SERVE THE UNMET NEEDS OF WOMEN AND GIRLS HERE IN BERKSHIRE COUNTY AND BEYOND.FRESH TAKES READING SERIES:CURATED BY WAM THEATRE'S ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, TALYA KINGSTON, FRESH TAKES GIVES A STAGE TO GROUND-BREAKING WORKS THAT TELL WOMEN'S STORIES ONSTAGE. THESE PLAYS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY PRESENTED ELSEWHERE BUT ARE NEW TO BERKSHIRE AUDIENCES. EDUCATION PROGRAM:WAM HAS DEVELOPED AN EDUCATION PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES A SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE PLACE FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS FROM ALL CIRCUMSTANCES AND GENERATIONS TO CULTIVATE THEIR OWN ASPIRATIONS THROUGH FOCUSED AND IMAGINATIVE EMPOWERMENT ACTIVITIES. ACCOUNTABILITY WORK: AS A CIVIC ORGANIZATION THAT EMBRACES INTERSECTIONAL FEMINISM (FEMINISM THAT ACKNOWLEDGES HOW MULTIPLE FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION OVERLAP), WAM UNDERSTANDS THAT TO ADDRESS ONE PIECE OF SYSTEMIC DISCRIMINATION MEANS WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THEM ALL. THIS IS ON-GOING PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL WORK AT WAM FOR THE STAFF AND BOARD. 2024 SEASON- THE SPRING WAS WELCOMED BY THE RETURN OF WAM'S FRESH TAKES PLAY READING SERIES. FRESH TAKES PRESENTED NEW WORKS BY WOMEN AND EXPLORED THE COMPLEX AND INTERSECTIONAL IDENTITIES THAT MAKE UP CONTEMPORARY AMERICA: IDENTITIES THAT PEOPLE PROJECT ONTO US, THE ONES THAT ARE HANDED DOWN TO US, AND THE ONES WE DECIDE OURSELVES. PERFORMED ON SUNDAYS IN MARCH AND APRIL AT THE FOUNDRY IN WEST STOCKBRIDGE, THE PLAYS INCLUDED BE HERE NOW BY DEBORAH ZOE LAUFER AND FAR FAR BETTER THINGS BY GEETHA REDDY.- OUR SUMMER PROGRAM PRESENTED AT THE MOUNT IN LENOX WAS FRAGMENTS OF OUTSIDE - SECTIONS OF THE WORK CREATED BY ARTISTIC DIRECTOR GENE CORENO. THE WORK GRAPPLES WITH INCREMENTAL CHANGES OF TIME AND THE FASTER MOVING CHANGES OF CLIMATE AND AN INWARD JOURNEY DURING A CLIMATE DISASTER INTERWOVEN WITH WOMEN'S SUBTERRANEAN JOURNEY THROUGH THE IDENTITIES OF MAIDEN, MOTHER, CRONE.- IN THE FALL, WAM PRODUCED A OUR MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION GALILEO'S DAUGHTER AT THE ELAYNE P. BERNSTEIN THEATRE AT SHAKESPEARE & COMPANY. THIS SCRIPT HIGHLIGHTED THE STORY OF A FORGOTTEN WOMAN OF HISTORY THROUGH THE VIBRANT VOICE OF A CONTEMPORARY FEMALE PLAYWRIGHT. THIS PROJECT WAS PRODUCED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CENTRAL SQUARE THEATRE IN BOSTON ALLOWING US TO NOT ONLY EXTEND THE LIFE OF THE STORY, BUT TO CREATE DEEPER AND MORE SUPPORTIVE EXPERIENCES FOR ALL OF THE ARTISTS ON THE TEAM.- THROUGHOUT THE SEASON, WAM PROVIDED EQUITABLE PAID WORK TO MORE THAN 50+ DIVERSE THEATRE ARTISTS, CREATIVES, AND ARTS ADMINISTRATORS WHO CONTINUE TO BE IMPACTED BY THE RIPPLE EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC.- AS WE CONTINUE TO EXPAND OUR CREATIVE AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS A CENTRAL PART OF WAM THEATRE'S ACTIVIST MISSION. IN 2023, FACILITATED THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMMING: - TEEN ENSEMBLE: OVER SPRING BREAK, ENSEMBLE MEMBERS EMBARKED ON A CREATIVE PROJECT THAT VALUED PROCESS OVER PRODUCT. TOGETHER THEY EXPLORED INDIVIDUAL SELF-EXPRESSION, COMMUNITY BUILDING AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING THROUGH THEATRE GAMES AND ACTIVITIES. THEY PRESENTED THEIR WORK IN A SITE SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE CALLED "SPILLING THE TEA"- ELDER ENSEMBLE: LOCAL WOMEN AGES 65+ FOSTERED DEEP CONNECTION AND SUPPORT WHILE EXPLORING THEMES OF AUTONOMY AND FREEDOM THROUGH DEVISED THEATRE.- FREE COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS AND STORY CIRCLES: LAST AUTUMN, THE PUBLIC WAS INVITED TO GATHER AT THE WAM CREATIVE HUB AND ONLINE TO EXPERIENCE THE PROCESS OF DEVISING THEATRE. COMMUNITY MEMBERS WERE WELCOMED TO WAM, WHERE THEY SHARED IDEAS, DREAMS, AND IMAGININGS, COLLECTIVELY ENVISIONING A BETTER TOMORROW. WE ALSO PRESENTED A BI-LINGUAL DEVISING WORKSHOP AND AN ONLINE DEVISING WORKSHOP TO ENHANCE ACCESSIBILITY TO OFTEN UNDER REPRESENTED GROUPS.- IMPROVED ACCESSIBILITY INITIATIVES: OVER THE PAST SEASON, WE HAVE CONTINUED TO EXPAND INITIATIVES AIMED AT REDUCING BARRIERS AND IMPROVING ACCESS FOR WAM AUDIENCES, AUDIENCES, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THIS INCLUDES EXPANDING FINANCIALLY ACCESSIBLE TICKETING OPTIONS, EXPANDING CAREGIVER STIPENDS (FOR AUDITIONS, REHEARSALS, PERFORMANCES AND WORKSHOPS) AND GROWING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS, AND AS WE WORKED TOWARD EVEN MORE EQUITABLE PAY.
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
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 December 2024.
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 August 2010.
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.