Childrens Theatre of Cincinnati
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The mission of The Children's Theatre of Cincinnati (TCT) is to educate, entertain and engage audiences of all ages through professional theatrical productions and arts education programming. Our vision is to awaken a lifelong love of theatre in children and the young at heart. Today, The Children's Theatre brings art to life for our audiences through three key programs, TCT MainStage at the Taft Theatre, TCT Academy, and TCT On Tour (including WorkShops). Each season we strive to reach over 200,000 people in our region.
- Income
- $10.4 million
- Spending
- $4.7 million
- Spent on programs
- 75%
- Reserves
- 27.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 61%
- Employees
- 33
- Volunteers
- 350
- Highest pay
- $193,031, managing director & ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending May 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 61% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 27.8 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 4% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 55% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 36% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1575% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 7 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending May 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 92 out of 100. Higher than 27% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2536 of 36 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
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 May 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)
- $2.7 million spent. TCT MainStage at the Taft Theatre includes daytime performances for school audiences and weekend performances for the public. Four production runs are held each year, with individual shows formatted into one-hour, family-friendly events. For each production, we present seven performances for public audiences and ten performances for school students, reaching almost 103,000 families, children and students annually.
- $649,676 spent. TCT Academy offers arts training to children in a variety of disciplines including twelve-week class sessions; one-week themed summer camps for introductory arts makers; our audition-based, one-month STAR Intensive summer programs for children with demonstrated talent and interest in the performing arts; and Academy LIVE! training with a culminating performance opportunity. In addition to learning the arts, a primary objective for these programs is to provide students with the necessary tools to become successful adults.
- $129,454 spent. TCT On Tour brings the magic of live theatre directly to those who would otherwise be unable to experience it. We tour five productions each season, serving children of all ages with titles taken from classic literature, fairy tales, history, and other works studied in school curricula. This program reaches an additional 60,000 students annually. TCT On Tour productions are educational and entertaining, as well as affordable, for schools and other venues across the board geographic spectrum of Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and beyond.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending May 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 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 May 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 July 1949.
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.