Lookingglass Theatre Company
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It reported loans to or from officers, directors or other insiders.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
LOOKINGGLASS THEATRE COMPANY IS A NATIONAL LEADER IN THE CREATION AND PRESENTATION OF INNOVATIVE, CUTTING-EDGE THEATRICAL WORK. LOOKINGGLASS INTERWEAVES MOVEMENT, CIRCUS ARTS AND NARRATIVE IN ORIGINAL AND CAPTIVATING WAYS. GUIDED BY AN ARTISTIC (SEE SCH O) VISION CENTERED ON THE CORE VALUES OF COLLABORATION, TRANSFORMATION, AND INNOVATION, LOOKINGGLASS SEEKS TO REDEFINE THE THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE AND MAKE THEATRE ART THAT IS EXHILARATING, INSPIRATIONAL, AND ACCESSIBLE TO ALL. LOOKINGGLASS SHARES ITS THEATRICAL DEVELOPMENT TECHNIQUES WITH CHICAGO'S DIVERSE COMMUNITY THROUGH THE EXTENSIVE OUTREACH OF ITS EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING.
- Income
- $3.4 million
- Spending
- $4.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 50%
- Reserves
- 0.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 45%
- Employees
- 134
- Volunteers
- 25
- Highest pay
- $97,647, artistic director & ensemble member, lookingglass
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 28 out of 100. Higher than 3% 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
16 of 20It owes 15% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 40% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 44% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1550% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 5 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 78 out of 100. Higher than 29% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2528 of 31 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
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
0 of 10Reports at least one of: diversion of assets, excess benefits, loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 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)
- $2.3 million spent. FOUNDED IN 1988 BY A GROUP OF NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY GRADUATE STUDENTS, LOOKINGGLASS THEATRE COMPANY IS A NATIONWIDE LEADER IN THE CREATION AND PRESENTATION OF NEW, CUTTING-EDGE THEATRICAL WORKS. LOOKINGGLASS HAS RECEIVED THE TONY AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING REGIONAL THEATRE, MACARTHUR AWARD FOR CREATIVE AND EFFECTIVE INSTITUTIONS, ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FROM THE LEAGUE OF CHICAGO THEATRES, AND 58 JOSEPH JEFFERSON AWARDS. LOOKINGGLASS HAS REACHED OVER 4 MILLION AUDIENCES WORLDWIDE THROUGH ITS MORE THAN 100 PRODUCTIONS STAGED AND THE PBS PRESENTATION OF LOOKINGGLASS ALICE.LOOKINGGLASS IS BOTH NURTURED BY AND ACTIVELY SHAPES THE LOCAL CULTURE OF COLLABORATION, EXPERIMENTATION, AND IDEALISM. DRIVEN BY 32 ENSEMBLE MEMBERS AND 16 ARTISTIC ASSOCIATES, LOOKINGGLASS PRODUCTIONS ARE CENTERED ON ENSEMBLE WITH TRAINING IN THEATRE, DANCE, MUSIC, AND CIRCUS ARTS. LOOKINGGLASS' SIGNATURE NEW WORK DEVELOPMENT LABORATORY, GGLASSWORKS, FUELS THE CONTINUED GROWTH OF ITS BODY OF WORK, INCLUDING 73 WORLD PREMIERE PLAYS TO DATE. AT ANY GIVEN TIME, GGLASSWORKS HAS UPWARDS OF 20 PLAYS IN VARIOUS STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT.LOOKINGGLASS' LIVE EXPERIENCES BRING VIEWERS INTO A SHARED AWARENESS OF THEIR PRESENCE, HOLDING SPACE FOR IMAGINATIVE PARTICIPATION AND HELPING AUDIENCES TO PICTURE THEIR LIVES TRANSFORMED, LEAVING THEM CHANGED, CHARGED, AND EMPOWERED. WITH ITS FLEXIBLE THEATRE ARRANGEMENT, LOOKINGGLASS OFTEN CONFIGURES AUDIENCE SEATING TO ENHANCE THE SENSATION OF PARTICIPATION AND BELONGING IN THE ONSTAGE ACTION. IN A TYPICAL SEASON, LOOKINGGLASS OFFERS UPWARDS OF 200 PERFORMANCES IN ITS THEATRE, AS WELL AS ONLINE, AND IN CREATIVE, OFFSITE EVENTS, CONNECTING WITH 50,000 OR MORE GUESTS. LOOKINGGLASS PRODUCTIONS HAVE TOURED 17 U.S. CITIES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH REGIONAL THEATRES.
- $68,958 spent. LOOKINGGLASS' DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT SERVES A BROAD AND DIVERSE COMMUNITY ACROSS THE CHICAGOLAND REGION, BRINGING THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF THEATER INTO CLASSROOMS, COMMUNITIES, AND NEIGHBORHOODS. IN-HOUSE ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS DEEPEN THE EXPERIENCE OF THEATRE, CULTIVATING CURIOSITY AND BUILDING COMMUNITY. TEACHING ARTISTS BRING LOOKINGGLASS' CORE VALUES OF COLLABORATION, INVENTION, AND TRANSFORMATION INTO EVERY SETTING. FOR MANY PARTICIPANTS, LOOKINGGLASS' PROGRAMS OFFER THE ONLY AVAILABLE SOURCE OF QUALITY THEATRE ARTS EDUCATION, WHICH CULTIVATES CONFIDENCE, COMPREHENSION, AND SELF-EXPRESSION, GROWING THE CAPACITY FOR TELLING AND UNDERSTANDING STORIES, AND SUPPORTING COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION WITH PEERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT OFFERS FIVE PROGRAMS DURING A TYPICAL SEASON: RESIDENCIES IN CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS: LOOKINGGLASS' FLAGSHIP EDUCATION PROGRAM, RESIDENCIES PROVIDE INDIVIDUALIZED THEATRE EDUCATION PROGRAMS BOTH DURING AND AFTER SCHOOL. A MULTI-SESSION RESIDENCY MAY FOCUS ON ARTS INTEGRATION PROGRAMMING FOR CORE CURRICULUM SUBJECTS OR DRAMA SKILLS SUCH AS PLAYWRITING, ACTING, AND ENSEMBLE-BUILDING. EVERY LOOKINGGLASS RESIDENCY REINFORCES AND BUILDS UPON NATIONAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEARNING STANDARDS IN ARTS EDUCATION AND RELATED SUBJECT AREAS. LOOKINGGLASS DEPLOYS A RIGOROUS ASSESSMENT PRACTICE TO CONTINUALLY INCREASE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ITS PROGRAMMING. LOOKINGGLASS HAS DIRECTLY ENHANCED THE LIVES OF OVER 200,000 CHICAGO YOUTH THROUGH ITS PROGRAMS.YOUNG ENSEMBLE: COMPRISED OF A GROUP OF CHICAGO-AREA YOUNG ADULTS, AGES 13-18, THE YOUNG ENSEMBLE IS COMMITTED TO BUILDING THEATER SKILLS, LIFTING VOICES, AND DEVELOPING CREATIVITY THROUGH COLLABORATION. MUCH LIKE LOOKINGGLASS' OWN PRODUCTIONS, YOUNG ENSEMBLE SHOWS WEAVE TOGETHER LANGUAGE, VISUAL SPECTACLE, MUSIC, AND THE UNIQUE TALENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE ENSEMBLE TO DEVELOP COMPELLING WORKS. INCLUSIVE, RIGOROUS, AND ENDLESSLY CREATIVE, THE YOUNG ENSEMBLE BUILDS NOT ONLY BETTER ARTISTS, BUT BETTER COLLABORATORS, THINKERS, AND LEADERS. EACH YEAR THE YOUNG ENSEMBLE PRODUCES AND PERFORMS IN A FULL-SCALE PRODUCTION DIRECTED BY LOOKINGGLASS ENSEMBLE MEMBERS.LOOKINGGLASS OUTDOORS: IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CHICAGO PARK DISTRICT, LOOKINGGLASS BRINGS FREE CIRCUS PERFORMANCES TO PARKS AND PUBLIC SPACES ACROSS THE CITY.LOOKINGGLASS SUMMER CAMPS FOR YOUTH AND TEENS ACROSS CHICAGO PROVIDE ARTS LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AND EXPLORE THEMES FROM UPCOMING PRODUCTIONS.COMMUNITY-BASED PARTNER RESIDENCIES: THESE ACTIVITIES PAIR LOOKINGGLASS TEACHING ARTISTS WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO ADDRESS THE GOALS, CHALLENGES, NEEDS, AND ASPIRATIONS OF THE INDIVIDUALS THEY SERVE, HELPING TO EFFECT TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE. LAST SEASON, LOOKINGGLASS OFFERED RESIDENCIES TO GROUPS FROM: ART ON SEDGWICK, ARTS FOR BRAIN HEALTH COALITION, BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF CHICAGO, CHICAGO HELP INITIATIVE, LATINOS PROGRESANDO, AND STRENGTHENING CHICAGO'S YOUTH.COMMUNITY PARTNER TICKETS: IN AN ORDINARY SEASON, THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES PARTNERING ORGANIZATIONS WITH OVER 250 COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS TO LOOKINGGLASS' SEASON. GUESTS ENGAGE IN A POST-SHOW DISCUSSION WITH LOOKINGGLASS ARTISTS, CAST, AND CREW. OFTEN OFFERED IN TANDEM WITH ITS RESIDENCIES, THIS PROGRAM GIVES PARTICIPANTS IN LOOKINGGLASS' EDUCATION PROGRAMMING THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT ITS THEATRE AND SEE ITS ARTISTS AT WORK. RECENT PARTNERS INCLUDED: ART ON SEDGWICK, BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF CHICAGO, CHICAGO HELP INITIATIVE, MY BLOCK MY HOOD MY CITY, STRENGTHENING CHICAGO'S YOUTH, AND LATINOS PROGRESANDO.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 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 August 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 August 1994.
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.