Ruth Eckerd Hall Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
CHANGING LIVES THROUGH PERFORMING ARTS.(CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)
- Income
- $39.8 million
- Spending
- $40.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 84%
- Reserves
- 2.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 73%
- Employees
- 461
- Volunteers
- 200
- Highest pay
- $456,733, president & ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 57 out of 100. Higher than 25% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 2.4 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 16% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 1% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 24% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1584% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 46 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 34% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2521 of 21 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 September 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 (2)
- $32.7 million spent. PROGRAMMING: PROGRAMMING HAS INCLUDED NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED DANCE COMPANIES, MAJOR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAS, RENOWNED AND EMERGING CLASSICAL SOLOISTS, CHAMBER ENSEMBLES, BROADWAY TOUR COMPANIES, AND NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED POP, ROCK, AND JAZZ ARTISTS. SINCE ITS 1983 OPENING, RUTH ECKERD HALL HAS ESTABLISHED ITSELF AS AN INDUSTRY LEADER IN THE UNITED STATES AND HAS CONSISTENTLY BROUGHT NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED ARTISTS AND ARTISTIC COMPANIES TO THE TAMPA BAY AREA.(CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O) IN AN ECONOMIC AND FISCAL IMPACT ANALYSIS, RUTH ECKERD HALL'S ACTIVITIES WERE FOUND TO DELIVER AN ESTIMATED ECONOMIC IMPACT OF $86.8M IN FY15, WHICH CREATED 753 FTE JOBS AND ABOUT $3.4M IN LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT REVENUE. $25.6M OF THIS IMPACT COMES FROM OUT-OF-STATE VISITORS, WHICH IS NEW REVENUE FOR FLORIDA. ON AVERAGE, EACH VISITOR SPENDS $180 ABOVE THE COST FOR A TICKET. AUDIENCES AND ARTISTS USE OVER 43,000 HOTEL ROOMS PER YEAR. RUTH ECKERD HALL HAS DEMONSTRATED EXCELLENCE IN ARTISTRY AND LEADERSHIP IN THE COMMUNITY WITH MORE THAN A 40-YEAR HISTORY OF ACHIEVEMENTS: - PRESENTED OVER 6,300 PERFORMANCES SINCE INCEPTION (WITH 336 PERFORMANCES DURING THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR AT ALL VENUES). - PRESENTED TO MORE THAN 8 MILLION PEOPLE SINCE INCEPTION (INCLUDING OVER 1.5 MILLION YOUNG PEOPLE) WITH APPROXIMATELY 474,500 PATRONS DURING THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR AT ALL VENUES. IN 2025: RUTH ECKERD HALL WAS: -NAMED TAMPA BAY TIMES TOP 100 WORKPLACE -NAMED BEST CONCERT VENUE BY READERS OF TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE -NAMED BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE FINALIST BY VISIT ST. PETE-CLEARWATER -NAMED BEST LIVE PERFORMANCE VENUE FINALIST BY TAMPA BAY TIMES -NAMED BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE FINALIST BY ST. PETE LIFE MAGAZINE DURING 2025, INDUSTRY TRADE PUBLICATION POLLSTAR RANKED RUTH ECKERD HALL*: #1 IN TAMPA BAY AREA OF VENUES WITH 2,500 SEATS OR LESS #3 IN FLORIDA OF VENUES WITH 2,500 SEATS OR LESS #7 IN THE UNITED STATES WITH 2,500 SEATS OR LESS #10 IN THE WORLD OF VENUES WITH 2,500 SEATS OR LESS #48 VENUE OVERALL IN THE WORLD IN 2025, BILLBOARD MAGAZINE RANKED RUTH ECKERD HALL #8 IN THE WORLD AND #4 IN THE UNITED STATES OF CONCERT VENUES WITH A CAPACITY OF 2,500 OR LESS IN 2025, THE NANCY AND DAVID BILHEIMER CAPITOL THEATRE WAS: - NAMED BEST SMALL CONCERT VENUE BY READERS OF TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE - NAMED BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE FINALIST BY VISIT ST. PETE-CLEARWATER - NAMED BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE FINALIST BY TAMPA BAY TIMES DURING 2025, INDUSTRY TRADE PUBLICATION POLLSTAR RANKED THE BILHEIMER CAPITOL THEATRE*: - #1 IN TAMPA BAY AREA OF CLUB VENUES WITH 800 SEATS OR LESS - #1 IN FLORIDA OF CLUB VENUES WITH 800 SEATS OR LESS - #2 IN THE UNITED STATES WITH 800 SEATS OR LESS - #2 IN THE WORLD WITH 800 SEATS OR LESS - #20 CLUB VENUE OVERALL IN THE WORLD IN 2025, THE BAYCARE SOUND WAS: - NAMED BEST OUTDOOR CONCERT VENUE BY TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE - NAMED BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE BY VISIT ST. PETE CLEARWATER - NAMED BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE FINALIST BY TAMPA BAY TIMES - NAMED BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE FINALIST BY ST. PETE LIFE MAGAZINE DURING 2025, INDUSTRY TRADE PUBLICATION POLLSTAR RANKED THE BAYCARE SOUND*: - #1 IN TAMPA BAY AREA OF AMPHITHEATERS WITH 10,000 PERSON CAPACITY OR LESS - #2 IN FLORIDA OF AMPHITHEATERS WITH 10,000 PERSON CAPACITY OR LESS - #3 IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMPHITHEATERS WITH 10,000 PERSON CAPACITY OR LESS - #3 IN THE WORLD OF AMPHITHEATERS WITH 10,000 PERSON CAPACITY OR LESS - #5 AMPHITHEATER OVERALL IN THE WORLD * THESE RANKINGS ARE BASED ON GROSS TICKET SALES DURING THE PERIOD OF 11/16/24 -5/15/25 - NAMED 2024 STELLAR AWARDS/NONPROFIT EXCELLENCE AWARD BY AMPLIFY CLEARWATER (CHAMBER). NON-PROFIT OF THE YEAR BY THE CLEARWATER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN 2014 AND BY THE TAMPA BAY BUSINESS JOURNAL IN 2013. IN 2017, RUTH ECKERD HALL RECEIVED THE CLEARWATER REGIONAL CHAMBER JUDGES CHOICE AWARD. RECOGNIZED AS A TOP 100 WORKPLACES FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE YEARS, AND FOUR OF THE LAST FIVE YEARS (2020, 2023, 2024,2025) BY THE TAMPA BAY TIMES AND IN 2022 BY THE TAMPA BAY BUSINESS JOURNAL. INDUSTRY TRADE PUBLICATION, VENUESNOW, NAMED RUTH ECKERD HALL THE RECIPIENT OF THE 2021 ALL-STARS AWARD - THEATER AND PERFORMING ARTS CENTER. THE VENUE WAS A FINALIST FOR POLLSTAR'S THEATER OF THE YEAR SEVERAL TIMES AND FOR THE ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC'S THEATER OF THE YEAR AWARD IN 2021 AND 2022. SUSTAINED COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS: ACADEMY PREP OF ST. PETERSBURG, AGING WELL CENTER, ARTS FOR A COMPLETE EDUCATION (ACE), CITY OF CLEARWATER, CLEARWATER ARTS ALLIANCE (CAA), CLEARWATER JAZZ HOLIDAY FOUNDATION, CREATIVE PINELLAS, DEPAUL SCHOOL FOR DYSLEXIA, EXCEPTIONAL STUDENT EDUCATION CENTERS, HISPANIC OUTREACH CENTER, HOMELESS EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM (HEP), JOHNS HOPKINS ALL CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, JUVENILE WELFARE BOARD, LEALMAN & ASIAN NEIGHBORHOOD FAMILY CENTER, LIFT ACADEMY, LIFT UNIVERSITY, PINELLAS COUNTY SCHOOLS, PINELLAS YOUTH SYMPHONY, REGENCY OAKS CLEARWATER, SAINT PAUL'S INDEPENDENT SCHOOL, ST. PETERSBURG COLLEGE, ST. PETERSBURG COLLEGIATE HIGH SCHOOL NORTH PINELLAS, THE ARC TAMPA BAY, THE FLORIDA ORCHESTRA, THE GRAMMY MUSEUM, THE SALVATION ARMY OF CLEARWATER & UPPER PINELLAS COUNTY, NORTH GREENWOOD RECREATION & AQUATIC COMPLEX, THE JOHN F. KENNEDY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA, AND UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA - SUSAN CROCKETT, RUTH ECKERD HALL PRESIDENT & CEO, WAS NOMINATED FOR THE ANNUAL CLEARWATER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ACHIEVERS AWARD AND POLLSTAR MAGAZINE'S ANNUAL WOMEN OF LIVE AWARD. THE TAMPA BAY BUSINESS JOURNAL HONORED HER AS BUSINESSWOMAN OF THE YEAR IN 2019 AND TOP 25 PEOPLE TO WATCH IN 2023. CROCKETT WAS ALSO FEATURED BY FORBES AND FORTUNE MAGAZINES IN THEIR 2023 "EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN IN BUSINESS: BAY AREA" EDITIONS. THE MARCIA P. HOFFMAN SCHOOL OF THE ARTS ("THE SCHOOL") IS RECOGNIZED AS A NATIONAL LEADER IN ARTS EDUCATION, WAS SELECTED WITH PINELLAS COUNTY SCHOOLS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PRESTIGIOUS PARTNERS IN EDUCATION PROGRAM BY THE JOHN F. KENNEDY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, AND NOW CELEBRATES YEAR 8 OF PARTIC
- $1.0 million spent. THE MARCIA P. HOFFMAN SCHOOL OF THE ARTS ("THE SCHOOL") WAS ESTABLISHED ON THE RUTH ECKERD HALL CAMPUS IN 2003 AND IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF RUTH ECKERD HALL, INC. ITS STATED PURPOSE IS TO PROVIDE LIFELONG LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES WHICH PROVIDE ACCESSIBILITY TO AND EXPLORATION, DISCOVERY, AND MASTERY OF THE ARTS FOR ALL AGES, ABILITIES, AND CIRCUMSTANCES.(CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O) THE SCHOOL IS COMPRISED OF 3 CLASSROOMS (ONE SPECIFICALLY DEVOTED TO VIRTUAL LEARNING PLATFORMS), 4 PRIVATE LESSON ROOMS, 2 REHEARSAL STUDIOS, A RECORDING STUDIO, A VISUAL ARTS/MULTI-PURPOSE STUDIO, AND A 150-SEAT BLACK BOX THEATER, AS WELL AS OFFICE SPACE FOR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION AND FACULTY. THE YEAR-ROUND PROGRAMMING ON-SITE OFFERS CLASSES, PRIVATE LESSONS, AND SUMMER CAMPS IN ALL PERFORMING ARTS DISCIPLINES AND AN ANNUAL SCHOOLTIME SERIES PROVIDING HIGH-CALIBER PERFORMANCES FOR DURING-THE-SCHOOL-DAY AUDIENCES. THE SCHOOL ALSO PROVIDES ARTS EDUCATION EXPERIENCES OFF-SITE IN THE COMMUNITY FOR A COMBINED TOTAL OF OVER 60,000 ARTS EXPERIENCES PROVIDED EACH YEAR.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 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 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 November 6, 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 September 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 June 1979.
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 November 4, 2026.
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