A Host of People Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- Only 30% of its spending went to programs.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
A Host of People is a multi-racial Detroit-based ensemble theater company creating original work that celebrates imagination, complexity, and the synthesis of seemingly disparate elements - at once epic and intimate, political and personal, poetic and approachable. A Host of People exists to create aesthetically rigorous, intellectually challenging theater that is warm, welcoming, and inspiring to people from all walks of life. We choose our subject matter and themes carefully with an eye to stories, topics, and aesthetic approaches that will be equally thrilling to the most adventurous theater fans as well as those with less exposure to the form. This is how A Host of People moves people: we play with the light and the dark the head and the heart.
- Income
- $181,864
- Spending
- $173,346
- Spent on programs
- 30%
- Reserves
- -1.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 96%
- Employees
- 4
- Volunteers
- 2
- Highest pay
- $37,440, treasurer
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 40 out of 100. Higher than 12% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 5% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 14% on the year before.
Spending floor
0 of 1530% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Weak: 47 out of 100. Higher than 22% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).
Independent board
25 of 254 of 6 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
0 of 10Did not give 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.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 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)
- $30,630 spent. In 2025, A Host of People continued to expand its creative and community-centered programming while laying groundwork for future growth. The company premiered a new original work by the La Carpa Teen Ensemble, Brilla! Glow! The Awakening of the Alebrijes in Me, a bilingual performance exploring identity, imagination, and cultural inheritance. The ensemble also continued development of Good Ancestors: Shining Cities, a table top theater piece that invites the audience to imagine our cities as beacons of sustainability in order to save our collective future. In parallel, the company began development on Memory Generation, a new performance created in partnership with New Yorkbased company Pink Fang that centers the experiences of people living with memory loss and their caregivers. Throughout the year, A Host of People also deepened our connections and support for our local and national colleagues and community. The company supported visiting productions and welcomed Team Sunshine Performance Corporation from Philadelphia for a presentation of Your Optimism Is Not Required. In addition to artistic programming, the organization announced plans for a new community arts venue that will open to the public in 2027, celebrating the milestone with a community gathering at the BIG TENT SPACE PARTY. Staff and artists also participated in local and national gatherings, including the National Performance Network Annual Conference, strengthening relationships and contributing to national conversations about performance for social change.
- $21,882 spent. A Host of People offers a variety of educational workshops tailored to the partner or institutions need. Some examples of institutions we provided were the University of Michigan and University Liggett School. AHOP Co- Directors are often asked to serve on panels or consult for an organization to share their varied expertise in generative, socially engaged theater both on the national and local scale.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 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 December 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 October 2017.
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.