Indiana Repertory Theatre Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Rooted in the heart of Indiana, Indiana Repertory Theatre is committed to building a vital, vibrant, and informed community through the transformational power of live theatre. The Indiana Repertory Theatre produces inclusive, top-quality, professional theatre and community programming to engage, surprise, challenge and entertain members of the whole community.
- Income
- $7.9 million
- Spending
- $8.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 78%
- Reserves
- 4.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 37%
- Employees
- 216
- Volunteers
- 235
- Highest pay
- $232,623, managing director
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
Fair: 64 out of 100. Higher than 38% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 4.1 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 2% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 6% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 21% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1577% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 26 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 65% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2530 of 30 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 (1)
- $6.5 million spent. The Indiana Repertory Theatre has stood as an artistic institution in the state of Indiana for more than 50 years, a recognized leader in both inclusive artistry and fiscal responsibility. IRT's artistic and educational programming, ranging from theatrical classics to the most compelling new works, serves audiences from across the state, including school districts in more than 50 Indiana counties each year, an impact unequaled by our Indiana theatrical peers. IRT seeks to provide experiences that will engage, challenge, and entertain ALL of Indiana, a state composed of an ever-changing population of ethnicities, backgrounds, and cultures, all with rich histories and dynamic points of view. IRT provides this diverse population with a place where their stories can be presented and shared, where issues of social justice that center on culture and race can be explored. (Continued on Schedule O) Moreover, the Theatre aims to do more than create a dynamic where these stories are passively viewed onstage - conversations must be held to show how these issues affect our community as a whole, and how action might be taken to find common ground and equitable social advancement. Rooted in the heart of Indiana, IRT is committed to building a vital, vibrant and informed community through the transformational power of live theatre. IRT produces inclusive, top-quality, professional theatre and community programming to engage, surprise, challenge and entertain members of the whole community. In fulfilling this mission, we have created a rich legacy of more than 300 classic and contemporary productions, ranging from Shakespeare to Shaw to August Wilson. The theatre also has a long-standing commitment to create and present new works, producing 34 world premieres (20 that we commissioned) and four American premieres. Since its founding in 1971, IRT has grown into one of the leading regional theatres in the country, with its national reputation confirmed by prestigious grants from the Joyce Foundation, the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund, the Theatre Communications Group-Pew Charitable Trusts, the Shubert Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, and multiple awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, totaling more than $640,000. IRT's 2024-25 season offered a wide assortment of programming, from literary classics to hit musicals of the modern age: the season began with two-time Tony Award winning musical THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, in which a motley crew of wonderfully unique and impassioned young spellers each yearn to be the next county champion; the beloved CHARLES DICKENS' A CHRISTMAS CAROL, returned to shine a light on the power of kindness and love through one man's journey to redemption; KING JAMES, set during LeBron James' rookie season in Cleveland, offered a warm, surprising, touching comedy about friendship, loyalty, loss; NINA SIMONE: FOUR WOMEN poignantly showed how, in the depths of the Civil Rights struggle, the High Priestess of Soul used song as a means of expressing the nation's anguish-and resilience; A true American classic, THE GLASS MENAGERIE saw playwright Tennessee Williams probe the depths of inescapable memory while looking back at his own family with bittersweet tenderness; and finally, the intrepid thespians of the Cornley Drama Society were more or less ready to raise the curtain on the grandest production the village has ever seen, The Murder at Haversham Manor-until things went from bad to calamitous in THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG. The Christel DeHaan Student Matinee Program at the IRT allows students of diverse backgrounds to see their lives and concerns brought to life by performers who look like them and represent the complex, multi-cultural world in which they live. The Theatre's successful history of over 40 years of student matinees has shaped generations of Hoosiers, with more than 1.25 million students having seen their first live play at the IRT. The 2024-25 Season saw a total of 20,518 students in attendance, the highest total since the pandemic. IRT's Cohen Education Fund, which offers ticketing underwriting for fiscally challenged students, provided schools $61,630 in support throughout the season, an increase of more than 16% from the previous year, with an average underwriting discount of $7.04 on the already low-priced student tickets. Community connections are strengthened through a range of collaborations, such as work with the Central Indiana Community Foundation and local universities; these relationships have been central to examining racial issues, gender roles, and more through community conversations and panel discussions connected to IRT productions. Additional work has forged relations with the Mayor's Office, Leadership Indianapolis, Women's Fund of Central Indiana, RISE Indy, and others. An effective partnership with Autism Society of Indiana was instrumental in the Theatre's expansion of services to audiences with differing sensory needs. IRT is an active partner in the Access Pass program, offering $5 tickets to families receiving financial assistance through the state.
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 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 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 November 1971.
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.
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