Hennepin Theatre Tr
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
HENNEPIN THEATRE TRUST DRIVES CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC VITALITY IN MINNESOTA THROUGH LEADERSHIP OF THE DYNAMIC HENNEPIN THEATRE DISTRICT HENNEPIN THEATRE TRUST PROTECTS AND PRESERVES THE IMPORTANT HISTORIC THEATRE DISTRICT IN DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING THAT REACHES EVERY AREA OF THE STATE.
- Income
- $26.5 million
- Spending
- $26.7 million
- Spent on programs
- 79%
- Reserves
- -2.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 84%
- Employees
- 55
- Volunteers
- 30
- Highest pay
- $385,706, ceo/president
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
Weak: 21 out of 100. Higher than 0% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 61% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 1% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 32% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1579% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 41 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: 95 out of 100. Higher than 31% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2523 of 23 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
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 (3)
- $20.0 million spent. THEATRE PROGRAMMING:WE BRING BROADWAY'S LEADING PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTIONS TO MINNESOTA AUDIENCES. ANNUALLY, SHOWS SUCH AS HAMILTON, WICKED, FROZEN, DEAR EVAN HANSEN AND COME FROM AWAY ATTRACT NEARLY 550,000 PEOPLE TO DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS FOR INSPIRING ENTERTAINMENT IN OUR HISTORIC THEATRES. IN ADDITION, OUR THREE HISTORIC THEATRES ATTRACT A DIVERSE ARRAY OF TODAY'S BRIGHTEST MUSIC, DANCE AND COMEDIC TALENT.
- $1.1 million spent. EDUCATION:HENNEPIN THEATRE TRUST'S SPOTLIGHT EDUCATION PROGRAM IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF ARTS EDUCATION IN MANY MINNESOTA SCHOOLS. ANNUALLY, WE HELP NEARLY 8,000 STUDENTS IN MORE THAN 100 HIGH SCHOOLS BUILD CONFIDENCE, CRITICAL THINKING, EMPATHY, A SENSE OF COMMUNITY, KNOWLEDGE ANDAPPRECIATION OF THEATER. THE PROGRAM SUPPLEMENTS AND ENHANCES ARTS CURRICULA THROUGH PRODUCTION ASSESSMENTS, WORKSHOPS AND ARTS JOURNALISM, INCREASING EQUITABLE ACCESS TO QUALITY THEATER EDUCATION. SPOTLIGHT SHOWCASE, OUR ANNUAL RECOGNITION EVENT, IS MINNESOTA'SLARGEST CELEBRATION OF HIGH SCHOOL THEATER AND PROVIDES OVER 1,600 STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO PERFORM AT THE HISTORIC STATE THEATRE.
- $222,009 spent. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:HENNEPIN THEATRE TRUST TRANSFORMS THE PLACES AND SPACES THAT MAKE THE HENNEPIN THEATRE DISTRICT A VIBRANT, WELCOMING AND SAFE PLACE FOR ALL TO ENJOY THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM, THE LARGEST IN THE MIDWEST. OUTSIDE OUR THEATRES, WE CONNECT PEOPLE TO UNEXPECTED ARTS AND CULTURAL EXPERIENCES SUCH AS THE ICONIC BOB DYLAN MURAL, LARGE-SCALE BANNERS, ART IN UNDERUSED SPACES, AND LIVE ARTS AND CULTURAL EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE THEATRE DISTRICT.
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 December 2001.
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.