Columbus Association for the Performing Arts Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
CAPA ENRICHES LIVES BY CULTIVATING AND NURTURING THE ARTS, SPREADING AN APPRECIATION THAT CAN BE FELT IN HEARTS, MINDS AND THE ECONOMY OF OUR COMMUNITIES. WE ACCOMPLISH OUR MISSION THROUGH OUR FOUR STRATEGIC PILLARS: (1) AS AN ARTS LEADER BY SUPPORTING SUSTAINABILITY AND COLLABORATING WITH ARTS GROUPS TO RAISE THE ARTS PROFILE IN OUR COMMUNITY; (2) AS A DYNAMIC PRESENTER OF EXCEPTIONAL ARTS PROGRAMMING THAT CHALLENGES, INSPIRES, ENTERTAINS, AND ENGAGES AUDIENCES; (3) THROUGH EDUCATION AND OUTREACH THAT PROVIDES COMMUNITY ACCESS TO PROGRAMS THAT PROMOTE THE APPRECIATION OF THE PERFORMING ARTS AND AUGMENT OTHER ARTS EDUCATION EFFORTS; AND (4) THROUGH STEWARDSHIP OF PERFORMING ARTS SPACES OFFERING TRANSFORMATIONAL EXPERIENCES FOR VISITORS, ARTISTS, AND RENTERS BY PROVIDING AND OPERATING FIRST-CLASS PERFORMING ARTS SPACES AND PRESERVING HISTORIC THEATRES
- Income
- $33.4 million
- Spending
- $28.9 million
- Spent on programs
- 75%
- Reserves
- 20.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 72%
- Employees
- 706
- Volunteers
- 570
- Highest pay
- $430,456, president & ceo
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
Strong: 95 out of 100. Higher than 83% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 20.7 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 7% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 13% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 5% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1575% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 16 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. Higher than 34% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2525 of 25 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
15 of 15Its accounts were audited 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 (3)
- $10.4 million spent. SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 1969, CAPA HAS ACHIEVED INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR PRESENTING DIVERSE PERFORMING ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMMING, RESTORING HISTORIC THEATRES, EXCELLENCE IN FACILITY MANAGEMENT, AND POSITIVE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN OUR COMMUNITY.EACH SEASON, CAPA'S PERFORMANCES AND PROGRAMS SERVE OVER 900,000 PEOPLE FROM CENTRAL OHIO AND BEYOND, THROUGH PERFORMANCES IN OUR VENUES AND EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. OUR LARGEST PRODUCTION EACH YEAR IS FESTIVAL LATINO, OHIO'S LARGEST FREE HISPANIC/LATINO FESTIVAL, WHICH WAS ATTENDED BY 135,000 INDIVIDUALS IN 2025. CAPA PRESENTS PERFORMANCES IN OUR THEATRES INCLUDE DIVERSE GENRES: BLUES, THE BROADWAY IN COLUMBUS SERIES (IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BROADWAY IN COLUMBUS), CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT, CLASSIC FILMS (THE CAPA SUMMER MOVIE SERIES IS THE NATION'S LONGEST-RUNNING CLASSIC FILM SERIES), COMEDY, DANCE, FOLK, GOSPEL, JAZZ, POP, AND MUCH MORE.
- $11.0 million spent. CAPA OWNS AND/OR MANAGES 10 THEATRE SPACES IN DOWNTOWN COLUMBUS, INCLUDING FOUR HISTORIC THEATRES. OUR THEATRE OPERATIONS INCLUDE FACILITATING RENTAL EVENTS, MAINTAINING THE THEATRES, AND PROVIDING TICKETING AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES FOR OTHER NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. IN 2024-25, 1,063 TICKETED EVENTS TOOK PLACE IN CAPA'S VENUES, SERVING 655,118 TICKETED PATRONS.
- $424,365 spent. OUR EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS INCLUDE THE CAPA MARQUEE AWARDS, AN OFFICIAL REGIONAL AWARDS PROGRAM OF THE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATRE AWARDS, THE PASSPORT TO LEARNING STUDENT MATINEE SERIES, APPLAUSE BROADWAY FOR KIDS, BROADWAY IN THE CLASSROOM, ARISE (ARTS THROUGH INTERGENERATIONAL SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT), DIA DE LOS NINOS/DAY OF THE CHILDREN, SCHOOLED ON POETRY, WORKSHOPS AND MASTER CLASSES, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND TOURS OF THE HISTORIC THEATRES. WE REACH OUT TO UNDERSERVED SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES THROUGH FREE PROGRAMS AND EVENTS, REDUCED AND FREE TICKETS, AND SUBSIDIES FOR BUSING STUDENTS TO OUR THEATRES. MORE THAN 73,000 COMMUNITY MEMBERS BENEFITTED FROM OUR EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS DURING THE FISCAL YEAR. 26 SCHOOLS PARTICIPATED IN THE SEVENTH ANNUAL CAPA MARQUEE AWARDS PRESENTED BY AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER FOUNDATION, REACHING 2,300 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN A SERIES OF FREE MASTER CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS WITH LOCAL AND REGIONAL ARTISTS, INCLUDING THE TOURING BROADWAY COMPANIES OF "THE BOOK OF MORMON", DR. SEUSS'S "HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS", "& JULIET", "FUNNY GIRL", AND "PETER PAN". THE 2025 CAPA MARQUEE AWARDS SHOWCASE PRESENTED BY AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER FOUNDATION WAS HELD AT THE OHIO THEATRE ON MAY 9. 212 STUDENT PERFORMERS AND STUDENT TECHNICAL CREW MEMBERS WORKED ON THE RED-CARPET EVENT WHICH INCLUDED THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF WINNERS IN EACH CATEGORY AND INCLUDED PERFORMANCES FROM THE NOMINEES FOR BEST MUSICAL PRODUCTION AND BEST PERFORMER IN A LEADING ROLE, AS WELL AS OPENING AND CLOSING NUMBERS THAT INCORPORATED STUDENTS FROM ALL PARTICIPATING HIGH SCHOOLS. IN JUNE 2025, CAPA MARQUEE AWARDS WINNERS, KAMRYN DANSBY (PICKERINGTON HIGH SCHOOL NORTH) AND JAKOB ROBINSON (BEXLEY HIGH SCHOOL) RECEIVED A CAPA-SPONSORED TRIP TO NEW YORK CITY TO REPRESENT THE CAPA MARQUEE AWARDS AND CENTRAL OHIO AT THE 2025 JIMMY AWARDS. FOR TEN DAYS, THEY JOINED TOP MUSICAL THEATRE STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOR PRIVATE COACHING, MASTER CLASSES, AND REHEARSALS IN PREPARATION FOR A SPECIAL SHOWCASE PERFORMANCE AT THE MINSKOFF THEATRE ON BROADWAY ON JUNE 23. THIS WAS OUR 14TH SEASON PRODUCING MATINEE PERFORMANCES FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES PRE-K-12. THIS YEAR, WE AWARDED A TOTAL OF $12,012 IN SCHOLARSHIP AND TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE FOR OUR SIX IN-PERSON PRODUCTIONS OF "CIRQUE KALABANTE", "A CHRISTMAS CAROL", "LET'S GO SCIENCE SHOW", "ARTRAGEOUS", "THE UNAUTHORIZED AUTOBIOGRAPHY SERIES AND "123 ANDRES". IN ADDITION TO IN-PERSON PERFORMANCES, WE ALSO OFFERED A VIRTUAL PERFORMANCE OF DREAMERS TO 7,747 STUDENTS AND TEACHERS. THROUGH GRANT FUNDING, WE PROVIDED THE VIRTUAL PROGRAM, "BITE-SIZE SCIENCE", TO ALL COLUMBUS CITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. THIS ARTS-BASED PROGRAM TEACHES LIFE SCIENCE THROUGH STEAM EDUCATION BY OFFERING 10-15 MINUTE VIDEO LESSONS. IN EACH VIDEO, ZOOLOGIST AND EDUCATOR LUCAS MILLER PRESENTS A FUN LESSON USING MUSIC, ART, AND NATURE FOOTAGE TO ENGAGE STUDENTS WITH LEARNING ABOUT ANIMALS AND THE NATURAL WORLD. 14,246 STUDENTS USED THE PROGRAM FROM SEPTEMBER 2024-MARCH 2025. OUR BROADWAY FOR KIDS APPLAUSE PROGRAM AWARDED MORE THAN $32,964 IN SUBSIDIES AND PROVIDED 807 STUDENTS AND TEACHERS IN 8 COUNTIES WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND DR. SEUSS'S HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS, PETER PAN, & JULIET, FUNNY GIRL, AND A BEAUTIFUL NOISE. THIS WAS THE THIRD YEAR OF BROADWAY IN THE CLASSROOM, AND WE WORKED WITH STUDENTS FROM COLUMBUS INTERNATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL IN DECEMBER AND JANUARY ON CURRICULUM CENTERED AROUND THE MUSICAL, "& JULIET". ON FEBRUARY 21, STUDENTS TRAVELLED TO THE OHIO THEATRE FOR A PRE-SHOW DINNER RECEPTION, A PERFORMANCE OF "& JULIET", AND A POST-SHOW TALKBACK WITH THE CAST. AS AN EXTENSION OF FESTIVAL LATINO, WE WERE EXCITED TO HOST OUR THIRD DIA DE LOS NINOS IN 2025. ON APRIL 13, WE WELCOMED MORE THAN 400 GUESTS TO THE LINCOLN THEATRE FOR A CULTURAL CELEBRATION. THE EVENT BEGAN WITH PRE-SHOW CULTURAL AND ARTS ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING DANCE PERFORMANCE AND INSTRUCTION BY BALLET FOLCLORICO XOCHIHUA, CRAFTS WITH THE GIRL SCOUTS OF OHIO'S HEARTLAND, "MEET AN INSTRUMENT" WITH COLUMBUS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, SCIENCE DEMONSTRATIONS WITH COSI, BRACELET MAKING WITH CAPA, BALLOON ART, AND A MILAGRO INTENTION WALL WHICH ENCOURAGED ATTENDEES TO WRITE AND DISPLAY MIRACLES THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN IN THE WORLD. FOOD WAS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE FROM THE DOS HERMANOS FOOD TRUCK. AFTERWARD, WE INVITED EVERYONE DOWN TO THE LINCOLN THEATRE FOR A FREE PERFORMANCE OF "123 ANDRES".ON MAY 3, 305 PEOPLE ATTENDED SCHOOLED ON POETRY AT THE DAVIDSON THEATRE. A COLLABORATION BETWEEN CAPA, THURBER HOUSE, ESCCO, THE POETRY FOUNDATION, THE COLUMBUS FOUNDATION, AND POET-EDUCATOR PETER KAHN, SCHOOLED ON POETRY WAS THE CULMINATING CELEBRATION OF A YEAR-LONG SPOKEN WORD POETRY PROJECT AT AIMS MIDDLE SCHOOL, ARTS AND COLLEGE PREP ACADEMY, LINCOLN PARK ELEMENTARY AND WALNUT RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL. FEATURING INTRA-SCHOOL GROUP PIECES AND INDIVIDUAL ORIGINAL POEMS BY SLAM CHAMPS FROM EACH SCHOOL, STUDENT POETS WERE JOINED BY LOCAL POETS HANIF ABDURRAQIB AND CYNTHIA AMOAH, NASHVILLE-BASED POET/MUSICAL ARTIST, CHRIS BYRD, AND EMMY-WINNING PRODUCER AND #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR, KWAME ALEXANDER.FOR THE THIRD YEAR OF OUR INTERGENERATIONAL ARTS AND WELLNESS PROGRAM, ARISE, WE WORKED WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS, AT HOME BY HIGH AND OUR HOME SENIOR LIVING AND STRENGTHENED OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY AND HELD THE SESSIONS IN THEIR SPACE, THE GOLDEN BUCKEYE CENTER FOR DEMENTIA CARE. 10 TEENS, 8 OLDER ADULTS, AND 4 COLLEGE MENTORS PARTICIPATED IN OUR 5-WEEK INTERGENERATIONAL PROGRAM FOCUSED ON STORYTELLING THROUGH THE FINE ARTS. OVERALL, CAPA EDUCATION & ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS SERVED 32,100 STUDENTS IN 234 SCHOOLS FROM 38 SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN 17 OHIO COUNTIES.
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 May 1969.
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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