Creative Cauldron Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Produce and present theater and music performances and provide educational workshops in the performing and visual arts for youth and adults.
- Income
- $1.1 million
- Spending
- $1.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 73%
- Reserves
- 0.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 52%
- Employees
- 66
- Volunteers
- 53
- Highest pay
- $72,050, ex-officio/founding artistic director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 30 out of 100. Higher than 4% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.9 months of spending.
Debt
2 of 20It owes 84% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 6% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 19% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1573% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 7 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Fair: 50 out of 100. Higher than 7% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
5 of 259 of 18 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no 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
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 December 31, 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)
- $423,009 spent. Producing Theater - In 2025 Creative Cauldron produced seven shows: Steel Magnolias, Snow White/Blanca Nieves, Women on Fire, Disneys AladdinDual Language Edition, The Turn of the Screw, Peter Pan and Wendy, and Madelines Christmas, for a total of 99 performances attended by 7,400 patrons.
- $312,251 spent. Educational Arts Programs - Creative Cauldron offered 7 sessions of Arts Adventure Camps in the performing and visual arts over the spring and summer months. Scholarships were provided for students with financial need. Each session ended with a final performance and total attendance for these was 648. Workshop offerings included Learning Theater Studios for youth, the Learning Theater studios for young people, the Learning Theater and Musical Theater Ensembles, Comics and Cartooning, Group Voice Lessions and on-line Adult visual arts classes reaching 547 students. Under our were offered under our Artes Para Todos initiative serving youth in at risk communities and Title One schools, 6 free workshops were offered reaching 179 students. 7 culminating student performances (also free) were held with 933 in attendance.
- $134,422 spent. Presenting - In 2025, Creative Cauldron offered 2 Passport Music Festivals, Holiday and Specialty Cabarets for a total of 38 performances representing diverse musical genres and styles. 2,381 attended and 100 live streamed.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 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 December 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 June 2003.
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.
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.