Fort Wayne Ballet Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO FEED THE SPIRIT AND SPARK THE IMAGINATION THROUGH THE HIGHEST CALIBER PROFESSIONAL AND ACADEMY PERFORMANCES, DANCE TRAINING, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
- Income
- $1.7 million
- Spending
- $1.7 million
- Spent on programs
- 75%
- Reserves
- 19.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 38%
- Employees
- 43
- Volunteers
- 220
- Highest pay
- $93,029, artistic dir
Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 80% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 19.3 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 13% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 1% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 12% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1575% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 3 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 31, 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 2518 of 18 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 July 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 (2)
- $315,377 spent. FORT WAYNE BALLET IS THE LONGEST CONTINUALLY RUNNING PROFESSIONAL DANCE ORGANIZATION IN THE STATE OF INDIANA. WE SERVE THE REGION THROUGH PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCES, DANCE TRAINING AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. OUR PROFESSIONAL COMPANY IS COMPOSED OF 34 PROFESSIONAL CONTRACTED DANCERS FROM ALL OVER THE U.S AND WORLD OVER A 36 WEEK PERFORMING SEASON. OUR TRAINING ACADEMY PROVIDES DANCE EDUCATION TO STUDENTS OF ALL AGES, ENCOMPASSING ENTRY LEVEL MOVEMENT THROUGH ADULT CLASSES. IT IS ONE OF THE PREMIERE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMS IN INDIANA. IN THE FALL OF 2020, THE ACADEMY BECAME CERTIFIED IN THE AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE (ABT) CURRICULUM AND IS ONE OF EIGHT FULLY-CERTIFIED ACADEMIES IN THE WORLD TO BE ALIGNED WITH ABT. OUR PROFESSIONAL TRAINEE PROGRAM ATTRACTS STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THE MIDWEST AND THE SUMMER INTENSIVE PROGRAM ATTRACTS STUDENTS AGED 13-20 FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY. FORT WAYNE BALLET IS THE LONGEST CONTINUALLY RUNNING PROFESSIONAL DANCE ORGANIZATION IN THE STATE OF INDIANA. WE SERVE THE REGION THROUGH PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCES, DANCE TRAINING AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. OUR PROFESSIONAL COMPANY IS COMPOSED OF 34 PROFESSIONAL CONTRACTED DANCERS FROM ALL OVER THE U.S AND WORLD OVER A 36 WEEK PERFORMING SEASON. OUR TRAINING ACADEMY PROVIDES DANCE EDUCATION TO STUDENTS OF ALL AGES, ENCOMPASSING ENTRY LEVEL MOVEMENT THROUGH ADULT CLASSES. IT IS ONE OF THE PREMIERE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMS IN INDIANA. IN THE FALL OF 2020, THE ACADEMY BECAME CERTIFIED IN THE AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE (ABT) CURRICULUM AND IS ONE OF EIGHT FULLY-CERTIFIED ACADEMIES IN THE WORLD TO BE ALIGNED WITH ABT. OUR PROFESSIONAL TRAINEE PROGRAM ATTRACTS STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THE MIDWEST AND THE SUMMER INTENSIVE PROGRAM ATTRACTS STUDENTS AGED 13-20 FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
- $949,305 spent. FORT WAYNE BALLET'S PROFESSIONAL COMPANY CONSISTS OF TWENTY FOUR DANCERS REPRESENTING THE UNITED STATES, JAPAN, MEXICO AND UZBEKISTAN AND IS SUPPLEMENTED BY SIX TRAINEE DANCERS. THE SEASON INCLUDES THREE MAIN STAGE PERFORMANCES FROM CLASSIC MASTERWORKS TO CONTEMPORARY PREMIERS, THREE CONTEMPORARY REPERTOIRE PERFORMANCES, AND AN INTIMATE IN STUDIO SERIES WHERE PATRONS ARE IMMERSED INTO THE PROGRAMMING. THE ORGANIZATION IS COMMITTED TO BEING ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN COLLABORATIVE PROGRAMMING WITH OTHER ARTS ORGANIZATIONS. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND SERVICE IS A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE BALLET'S MISSION AND INCLUDES SENSORY FRIENDLY PRODUCTIONS OF ITS MAIN STAGE PERFORMANCES, TRAINING RESIDENCIES IN THE REGION'S SCHOOL SYSTEMS, PERFORMANCES IN COMMUNITY FESTIVALS AND PERFORMANCES OUTSIDE THE REGION. THE BALLET HAS PERFORMED ITS NUTCRACKER OUTSIDE OF THE REGION AND HAS REPRESENTED THE FORT WAYNE COMMUNITY INTERNATIONALLY. FORT WAYNE BALLET'S PROFESSIONAL COMPANY CONSISTS OF TWENTY FOUR DANCERS REPRESENTING THE UNITED STATES, JAPAN, MEXICO AND UZBEKISTAN AND IS SUPPLEMENTED BY SIX TRAINEE DANCERS. THE SEASON INCLUDES THREE MAIN STAGE PERFORMANCES FROM CLASSIC MASTERWORKS TO CONTEMPORARY PREMIERS, THREE CONTEMPORARY REPERTOIRE PERFORMANCES, AND AN INTIMATE IN STUDIO SERIES WHERE PATRONS ARE IMMERSED INTO THE PROGRAMMING. THE ORGANIZATION IS COMMITTED TO BEING ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN COLLABORATIVE PROGRAMMING WITH OTHER ARTS ORGANIZATIONS. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND SERVICE IS A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE BALLET'S MISSION AND INCLUDES SENSORY FRIENDLY PRODUCTIONS OF ITS MAIN STAGE PERFORMANCES, TRAINING RESIDENCIES IN THE REGION'S SCHOOL SYSTEMS, PERFORMANCES IN COMMUNITY FESTIVALS AND PERFORMANCES OUTSIDE THE REGION. THE BALLET HAS PERFORMED ITS NUTCRACKER OUTSIDE OF THE REGION AND HAS REPRESENTED THE FORT WAYNE COMMUNITY INTERNATIONALLY.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 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 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 July 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 January 1958.
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.