Skip to the page content
Your donations
Passes our checks

Young Playwrights Theater Inc

EIN 52-2102391 · Washington, DC

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair56 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

Young Playwrights Theater (YPT) is committed to using theater & writing to foster dialogue, arts education, literacy & conflict resolution in communities.

Income
$969,334
Spending
$1.2 million
Spent on programs
81%
Reserves
4.1 months of spending
Largest source of income
government grants, 58%
Employees
12
Volunteers
6
Highest pay
$133,578, executive 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: 56 out of 100. Higher than 25% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 4.1 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 25% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 19% of income.

  • Income trend

    5 of 15

    Income fell 12% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    81% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 15 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 95% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    9 of 9 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports 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)
  1. $347,358 spent. SILENCE IS VIOLENCE AND SPECIAL PROJECTS: YPT is the only professional theater dedicated entirely to arts education & producing student-written work. Each year, YPT produces an Annual Performance Series of student-written plays, which are attended by 1,000 audience members from across the region. This series includes Special Projects focusing on mentoring young playwrights as they develop full-length plays for production as well as Silence is Violence (SiV), YPTs core annual production. SiV is YPTs most immediate & direct route of addressing social justice issues affecting Washington, DC area youth through performance & community dialogue.
  2. $321,043 spent. IN-SCHOOL PLAYWRITING PROGRAM: The In-School Playwriting (ISP) Program weaves the art of playwriting into Language Arts curricula as part of students school day instruction to enhance literacy, creative expression, and communication. Every ISP student writes their own play from idea to final draft and we bring local career actors into the classroom to perform students plays, allowing them to see their words brought to life by career artists. The majority of YPTs ISP students are served through our larger Young Playwrights Workshop initiative, a professional development initiative supporting DCPS theater educators to develop and implement their own playwriting curricula. These classes are contributing to a Playspiration Festival where students share plays they have developed over the school year with a partner school exploring the same theme. These students also share their plays during the annual DCPS Performing Arts Festival each May.
  3. $266,253 spent. AFTER-SCHOOL PLAYWRITING PROGRAM: YPT provides out-of-school-time (OST) programming for elementary, middle, and high school students year-round, providing ensemble-based creative writing and performance opportunities in students schools and communities. YPT also partners with several schools each year to build their first-ever youth-centered, comprehensive drama programs, which include enrichment activities focused on playwriting, socio-emotional learning, literacy, and performance. Through this lens, young people have ownership over the creative process, and develop dramatic work on topics that interest them and reflect their lived experience.

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

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since July 1998.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. 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.