Ohio Contemporary Ballet
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
OCB IGNITES AUDIENCE PASSION AND PARTICIPATION IN CONTEMPORARY DANCE THROUGH PERFORMANCE, OUTREACH PROGRAMS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
- Income
- $779,164
- Spending
- $727,464
- Spent on programs
- 83%
- Reserves
- 1.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 53%
- Employees
- 31
- Volunteers
- 49
- Highest pay
- $48,000, executive di
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
Good: 75 out of 100.
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.7 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 5% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 7% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 21% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1583% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 11 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
Fair: 65 out of 100.
Independent board
25 of 2520 of 20 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
0 of 15Reports no 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
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
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 (5)
- $600,837 spent. EDUCATION/COMMUNITY OUTREACH GOALS 1.PRESENTING FREE AND LOW-COST PUBLIC PERFORMANCES FOR WHICH WE ARE KNOWN INCLUDING EVENTS AT ARTS IN AUGUST WITH TREMONT NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORP, DANCE SHOWCASE, FRESH INVENTIONS, AND OUR ANNUAL CAIN PARK AMPHITHEATER PERFORMANCE 2.PROVIDING MORE DIVERSE CLASS OFFERINGS FOR STUDENTS. 3.CREATING AND DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS WITH LOCAL DANCE ARTISTS AND DANCE ORGANIZATIONS. OBJECTIVES 1.WE CAN REACH AN AUDIENCE OF AT LEAST 25,000 PEOPLE ACROSS ALL OF OUR PERFORMANCES AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS. 2.WE WILL PROVIDE 4 OPEN MASTERCLASSES DURING THE YEAR FOR THE PUBLIC. 3.A COMMUNITY PARTNER IS FOUND FOR "THE LITTLE NUTCRACKER" PROGRAMMING EDUCATION/COMMUNITY OUTREACH GOALS 1.PRESENTING FREE AND LOW-COST PUBLIC PERFORMANCES FOR WHICH WE ARE KNOWN INCLUDING EVENTS AT ARTS IN AUGUST WITH TREMONT NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORP, DANCE SHOWCASE, FRESH INVENTIONS, AND OUR ANNUAL CAIN PARK AMPHITHEATER PERFORMANCE 2.PROVIDING MORE DIVERSE CLASS OFFERINGS FOR STUDENTS. 3.CREATING AND DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS WITH LOCAL DANCE ARTISTS AND DANCE ORGANIZATIONS. OBJECTIVES 1.WE CAN REACH AN AUDIENCE OF AT LEAST 25,000 PEOPLE ACROSS ALL OF OUR PERFORMANCES AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS. 2.WE WILL PROVIDE 4 OPEN MASTERCLASSES DURING THE YEAR FOR THE PUBLIC. 3.A COMMUNITY PARTNER IS FOUND FOR "THE LITTLE NUTCRACKER" PROGRAMMING
- ARTISTIC GOALS 1.IN THE SUMMER, CHOREOGRAPHER NICHOLAS ROSE WILL BE COMMISSIONED FOR A NEW SUMMER WORK AND A CUBAN VERSION OF CARMEN MOUNTED FOR SUMMER PERFORMANCES. 2.PRESENT A NEW PROGRAM FOR FALL PROGRAMMING. OBJECTIVES 1.COMMISSION WORKS FROM AT LEAST FOUR CHOREOGRAPHERS, FOCUSING ON COMMISSIONING AT LEAST TWO ARTISTS OF COLOR. 2.CONTINUE SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS WHILE CREATING NEW ARTISTIC PROGRAMMING THAT LEVERAGES OUR STUDIO SPACE AND INCREASING OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE EARNED INCOME.
- ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS 1.THE PRODUCING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR POSITION WILL BE SPLIT INTO AN ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR POSITION. 2.INCREASE THE ORGANIZATIONAL BUDGET TO 1,000,000 WITHIN THE NEXT 5 YEARS. TO DO THIS, WE WILL BE INCREASING THE NUMBER OF GRANTS FOR WHICH WE WILL BE APPLYING TO INCLUDE MORE NATIONAL AND REGIONAL GRANTS AND SEARCHING FOR PROJECT FOCUSED GRANTS THAT ALIGN WITH OUR PROGRAMMING. 3.INCREASE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN OUR EDUCATION DEPARTMENT (OUR DANCE FOR EVERYONE AND NEWLY RE-DESIGNED YOUTH ACADEMY. 4.BRING AWARENESS OF THE ORGANIZATION AND THE WORK THAT WE DO THROUGH OUR MARKETING EFFORTS. OBJECTIVES 1.HAVE A LIST OF CANDIDATES FOR THE NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR POSITION 2.APPLY TO AT LEAST 10 ADDITIONAL GRANTS DURING THE YEAR. 3.INCREASING ENROLLMENT IN OUR DANCE FOR EVERYONE AND YOUTH ACADEMY BY 15 PERCENT, THEREBY INCREASING OUR EARNED REVENUE 4.A NEW LEVEL OF BRAND AWARENESS. SEEING INCREASED TRAFFIC AND INTERACTIONS ON OUR WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS. ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS 1.THE PRODUCING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR POSITION WILL BE SPLIT INTO AN ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR POSITION. 2.INCREASE THE ORGANIZATIONAL BUDGET TO 1,000,000 WITHIN THE NEXT 5 YEARS. TO DO THIS, WE WILL BE INCREASING THE NUMBER OF GRANTS FOR WHICH WE WILL BE APPLYING TO INCLUDE MORE NATIONAL AND REGIONAL GRANTS AND SEARCHING FOR PROJECT FOCUSED GRANTS THAT ALIGN WITH OUR PROGRAMMING. 3.INCREASE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN OUR EDUCATION DEPARTMENT (OUR DANCE FOR EVERYONE AND NEWLY RE-DESIGNED YOUTH ACADEMY. 4.BRING AWARENESS OF THE ORGANIZATION AND THE WORK THAT WE DO THROUGH OUR MARKETING EFFORTS. OBJECTIVES 1.HAVE A LIST OF CANDIDATES FOR THE NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR POSITION 2.APPLY TO AT LEAST 10 ADDITIONAL GRANTS DURING THE YEAR. 3.INCREASING ENROLLMENT IN OUR DANCE FOR EVERYONE AND YOUTH ACADEMY BY 15 PERCENT, THEREBY INCREASING OUR EARNED REVENUE 4.A NEW LEVEL OF BRAND AWARENESS. SEEING INCREASED TRAFFIC AND INTERACTIONS ON OUR WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS.
- RACIAL EQUITY GOALS 1.UTILIZING OUR RESOURCES TO CONNECT WITH AND SUPPORT DANCE ARTISTS OF COLOR. 2.CONTINUE TO PRIORITIZE BUILDING A DIVERSE ORGANIZATION. OBJECTIVES 1.COMMISSION AT LEAST ONE CHOREOGRAPHER OF COLOR 2.PRIORITIZE THE HIRING OF DIVERSE ARTISTIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF THROUGH ATTENDING INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR BLACKS IN DANCE CONFERENCE AND THROUGH OUR INTERNATIONAL ARTIST EXCHANGE INITIATIVE STRATEGIC PLAN LONG TERM GOALS 2022-2025 JENNIFER EDWARDS OF BETTER_ (BETTER CONSULTING LLC WORKED WITH THE BOARD TO CONDUCT A STRATEGIC PLAN. IN THAT TIME THERE WERE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT A NAME CHANGE, REVISING THE MISSION STATEMENT AND CREATING A FOCUS VISION ON WHAT THE COMPANY STRIVES TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE FUTURE WHILE TOUCHING ON POINT ABOUT SUCCESSION PLANNING. FROM THE STRATEGIC PLAN BY JENNIFER EDWARDS AND REVISED BY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND THE PRODUCING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR FOUR MAIN STRATEGIC LONG-TERM GOALS WERE MADE TO MOVE THE SUCCESS OF THE COMPANY FORWARD. INCREASE AWARENESS OF VERB THROUGH INSTITUTIONAL MARKETING OCONTINUE TO BUILD AND DISTRIBUTE MORE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES, E.G., VIDEOS, NARRATIVE PIECES ABOUT WORKS PERFORMED BY/ MADE THROUGH THE COMPANY. -DEVELOP CONTENT STRATEGY FOR "VERBICULTURE" MAGAZINE THAT PRIMARILY FOCUSES ON THE COMPANY AND INDIVIDUAL WORKS OR DANCERS IN SUPPORT OF THE OVERARCHING BRAND. -MARKET THE DIVERSITY OF WORK AND TALENT/ SKILL BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES TO ATTRACT NEW DANCERS. -LEVERAGE THE COMPANY'S KNOWLEDGE OF HISTORICAL WORKS AND THE ROLE VERB PLAYS AS A REPOSITORY OF OUR NATION'S CHOREOGRAPHIC TREASURES. -PAIR COMMISSIONED WORKS WITH FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES. -ROLL OUT A NEW TAGLINE AND NAME REFINEMENT. DEVELOP THE BOARD AND DONOR BASE -DEVELOP THE BOARD BY STRATEGICALLY APPROACHING A SHORTLIST OF PEOPLE IN CLEVELAND, AKRON AND THROUGHOUT THE GREAT LAKES REGION TO JOIN THE BOARD. OCULTIVATE DONORS BY STRATEGICALLY APPROACHING A SHORTLIST OF INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES IN THE REGION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMPANY THROUGH CONTINUED FINANCIAL SUPPORT AT THE 25,000 LEVEL OR HIGHER. GROW COMMUNITY PROGRAMS -PACKAGE EDUCATION CLASSES/ COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS AND TAKE THEM TO MARKET BOTH DIGITALLY AND IN PERSON; INCREASE REVENUE FROM OUTREACH PROGRAMS BY 30%. -CONTINUE TO LEVERAGE COMMUNITY PERFORMANCES AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS TO DRIVE AWARENESS, REVENUE, AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES. -CONSIDER DISTRIBUTION THROUGH STREAMING EDUCATIONAL PLATFORMS. -GROW IN-HOUSE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS (DFE AND DFY). -MORE BROADLY LICENSE CURRENTLY LICENSED PROGRAMS LIKE WIGGLE WORDS. PREPARE THE COMPANY FOR THE FUTURE ORIGHT SIZE THE BUDGET. GROW FROM 550,000 TO 750,000 IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS, WITH THE GOAL OF GROWING TO 1,000,000 IN THE NEXT FOUR TO FIVE YEARS. -PROMOTE TEAM DEVELOPMENT. INCREASE SALARIES AND HOURS WORKED FOR EMPLOYEES: -DIRECTOR OF MARKETING (INCREASE TO FULL TIME -DEDICATED EDUCATION PROGRAM OUTREACH MANAGER (INCREASE TO AT LEAST 30 HOURS PER WEEK -DEDICATED SCHOOL MANAGER (INCREASE TO 20 HOURS PER WEEK -DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS (INCREASE TO FULL TIME -ATTRACT POTENTIAL NEW COMPANY LEADERSHIP WITH CURATORIAL OR RESIDENCY OPPORTUNITIES. -SEEK INDIVIDUAL AND/OR CORPORATE FUNDING FOR INITIATIVES TO SUPPORT CULTURAL EXCHANGE AND EQUITY EFFORTS, SUCH AS THE INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM AND THE FUND FOR ARTISTS OF COLOR. -CREATE A CONVERTIBLE BLACK BOX PERFORMANCE SPACE. -CREATE A SUCCESSION PLAN THAT CAN BE ACTIVATED WHEN NEEDED FOR KEY LEADERSHIP POSITIONS.
- RACIAL EQUITY GOALS 1.UTILIZING OUR RESOURCES TO CONNECT WITH AND SUPPORT DANCE ARTISTS OF COLOR. 2.CONTINUE TO PRIORITIZE BUILDING A DIVERSE ORGANIZATION. OBJECTIVES 1.COMMISSION AT LEAST ONE CHOREOGRAPHER OF COLOR 2.PRIORITIZE THE HIRING OF DIVERSE ARTISTIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF THROUGH ATTENDING INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR BLACKS IN DANCE CONFERENCE AND THROUGH OUR INTERNATIONAL ARTIST EXCHANGE INITIATIVE STRATEGIC PLAN LONG TERM GOALS 2022-2025 JENNIFER EDWARDS OF BETTER_ (BETTER CONSULTING LLC WORKED WITH THE BOARD TO CONDUCT A STRATEGIC PLAN. IN THAT TIME THERE WERE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT A NAME CHANGE, REVISING THE MISSION STATEMENT AND CREATING A FOCUS VISION ON WHAT THE COMPANY STRIVES TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE FUTURE WHILE TOUCHING ON POINT ABOUT SUCCESSION PLANNING. FROM THE STRATEGIC PLAN BY JENNIFER EDWARDS AND REVISED BY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND THE PRODUCING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR FOUR MAIN STRATEGIC LONG-TERM GOALS WERE MADE TO MOVE THE SUCCESS OF THE COMPANY FORWARD. INCREASE AWARENESS OF VERB THROUGH INSTITUTIONAL MARKETING OCONTINUE TO BUILD AND DISTRIBUTE MORE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES, E.G., VIDEOS, NARRATIVE PIECES ABOUT WORKS PERFORMED BY/ MADE THROUGH THE COMPANY. -DEVELOP CONTENT STRATEGY FOR "VERBICULTURE" MAGAZINE THAT PRIMARILY FOCUSES ON THE COMPANY AND INDIVIDUAL WORKS OR DANCERS IN SUPPORT OF THE OVERARCHING BRAND. -MARKET THE DIVERSITY OF WORK AND TALENT/ SKILL BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES TO ATTRACT NEW DANCERS. -LEVERAGE THE COMPANY'S KNOWLEDGE OF HISTORICAL WORKS AND THE ROLE VERB PLAYS AS A REPOSITORY OF OUR NATION'S CHOREOGRAPHIC TREASURES. -PAIR COMMISSIONED WORKS WITH FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES. -ROLL OUT A NEW TAGLINE AND NAME REFINEMENT. DEVELOP THE BOARD AND DONOR BASE -DEVELOP THE BOARD BY STRATEGICALLY APPROACHING A SHORTLIST OF PEOPLE IN CLEVELAND, AKRON AND THROUGHOUT THE GREAT LAKES REGION TO JOIN THE BOARD. OCULTIVATE DONORS BY STRATEGICALLY APPROACHING A SHORTLIST OF INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES IN THE REGION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMPANY THROUGH CONTINUED FINANCIAL SUPPORT AT THE 25,000 LEVEL OR HIGHER. GROW COMMUNITY PROGRAMS -PACKAGE EDUCATION CLASSES/ COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS AND TAKE THEM TO MARKET BOTH DIGITALLY AND IN PERSON; INCREASE REVENUE FROM OUTREACH PROGRAMS BY 30%. -CONTINUE TO LEVERAGE COMMUNITY PERFORMANCES AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS TO DRIVE AWARENESS, REVENUE, AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES. -CONSIDER DISTRIBUTION THROUGH STREAMING EDUCATIONAL PLATFORMS. -GROW IN-HOUSE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS (DFE AND DFY). -MORE BROADLY LICENSE CURRENTLY LICENSED PROGRAMS LIKE WIGGLE WORDS. PREPARE THE COMPANY FOR THE FUTURE ORIGHT SIZE THE BUDGET. GROW FROM 550,000 TO 750,000 IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS, WITH THE GOAL OF GROWING TO 1,000,000 IN THE NEXT FOUR TO FIVE YEARS. -PROMOTE TEAM DEVELOPMENT. INCREASE SALARIES AND HOURS WORKED FOR EMPLOYEES: -DIRECTOR OF MARKETING (INCREASE TO FULL TIME -DEDICATED EDUCATION PROGRAM OUTREACH MANAGER (INCREASE TO AT LEAST 30 HOURS PER WEEK -DEDICATED SCHOOL MANAGER (INCREASE TO 20 HOURS PER WEEK -DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS (INCREASE TO FULL TIME -ATTRACT POTENTIAL NEW COMPANY LEADERSHIP WITH CURATORIAL OR RESIDENCY OPPORTUNITIES. -SEEK INDIVIDUAL AND/OR CORPORATE FUNDING FOR INITIATIVES TO SUPPORT CULTURAL EXCHANGE AND EQUITY EFFORTS, SUCH AS THE INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM AND THE FUND FOR ARTISTS OF COLOR. -CREATE A CONVERTIBLE BLACK BOX PERFORMANCE SPACE. -CREATE A SUCCESSION PLAN THAT CAN BE ACTIVATED WHEN NEEDED FOR KEY LEADERSHIP POSITIONS.
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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since July 1991.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 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.