Harbor Playhouse Company
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
PROMOTION/PRODUCTION OF LIVE THEATRE
- Income
- $654,829
- Spending
- $685,893
- Spent on programs
- 84%
- Reserves
- 4.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 85%
- Employees
- 22
- Volunteers
- 250
- Highest pay
- $70,269, managing director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 69 out of 100. Higher than 40% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 4.9 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 18% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 5% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 1% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1584% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 32 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 91 out of 100. Higher than 79% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 257 of 9 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
6 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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 December 31, 2024, 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)
- $544,811 spent. FOR OVER NINETY YEARS, THE HARBOR PLAYHOUSE HAS BEEN AN ARTISTIC STAPLE ACROSS THE COASTAL BEND AND ALL THROUGHOUT ALL OF SOUTH TEXAS. EACH HARBOR PLAYHOUSE PRODUCTION TELLS A STORY-BOTH ON STAGE AND WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY OF VOLUNTEERS. WE ARE THE PLACE WHERE THE FABRIC OF OUR COMMUNITY STORY IS WOVEN AND STRENGTHENED THROUGH THE CATALYST OF CREATIVE COMMUNITY COLLABORATION.OVER 100,000 HOURS ARE DONATED BY OUR VOLUNTEERS EVERY YEAR. THESE VOLUNTEERS RANGE FROM AGE FOUR TO EIGHTY. ACTORS, TECHNICIANS, USHERS, COSTUMERS, PROPS, CONCESSION STAFF, BOX OFFICE, AND PARKING ATTENDANTS MAKE UP OUR HUGE VOLUNTEER PRESENCE. GENERATIONS OF FAMILIES DESCRIBE THEIR EXPERIENCES AT THE PLAYHOUSE AS A POWERFUL INFLUENCE IN SHAPING THEIR LIVES AND HONING IMPORTANT LIFE SKILLS, I.E., DISCIPLINE, TEAMWORK, TIME MANAGEMENT, PROJECT MANAGEMENT, INITIATIVE, AND CONFIDENCE.
- $28,674 spent. OUR ACCLAIMED YOUNG PEOPLE'S THEATRE CAMP (YPTC) AT HARBOR PLAYHOUSE IS BOTH A CREATIVE AND EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE. CAMPERS FROM FIVE TO FIFTEEN ENJOY A SPIRITED ATMOSPHERE OF LEARNING ABOUT ALL AREAS OF THEATRE ARTS AS WELL AS DEVELOPING LIFE SKILLS THAT WILL BENEFIT THEM IN ALL ASPECTS OF THEIR LIVES. EACH THEME WEEK OF CAMP OFFERS SPECIALIST TRAINING IN CHOREOGRAPHY, VOICE AND ACTING AS WELL AS PLAYWRITING, SET BUILDING, CREATING PROPS AND ELEMENTS OF TECHNICAL THEATRE IN SOUND, LIGHTING AND OPERATING THE FLY SYSTEM. IN MERELY FIVE DAYS THE CAMPERS WRITE, LEARN SONGS AND CHOREOGRAPHY, REHEARSE AND THEN PERFORM FOR A FULL HOUSE OF FAMILIES AND FRIENDS EACH FRIDAY AFTERNOON. HARBOR PLAYHOUSE'S YPTC HAS GROWN EVERY YEAR. IN THE SUMMER OF 2024, WE WELCOMED OVER 488 CAMPERS WITH 30% OF ALL CAMPERS ATTENDING ON FULL SCHOLARSHIP GENEROUSLY DONATED THROUGH CORPORATE AND INDIVIDUAL SUPPORTERS. WE RECEIVE MANY LETTERS OF GRATITUDE FROM PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS AS WELL AS FOSTER PARENTS COMMENTING ON THE POSITIVE INFLUENCE THE CAMP HAD ON THEIR YOUNGSTERS. ONE SUCH LETTER INDICATED THAT SEVERAL OF THE CHILDREN WERE EXTREMELY VULNERABLE AND, THROUGH THE POWER OF THE PERFORMING ARTS IN THE ACCEPTING AND AFFIRMING ATMOSPHERE OF THE CAMP, THEY BLOSSOMED AND BEGAN TO EXCEL ACADEMICALLY IN MATH, READING AND SPORTS AS WELL AS INCREASING THEIR ABILITY TO CONCENTRATE AND THEIR WILLINGNESS TO ENGAGE WITH OTHERS. THE LETTER WENT ON TO SAY, "WHAT YOU DO AT THE PLAYHOUSE IS TAKE A CHILD WHO HAS BEEN DAMAGED IN LIFE AND NO LONGER TRUSTS THE WORLD AND RESTORED HOPE AND THE BELIEF THAT THEY CAN ACHIEVE ANYTHING IF THEY BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES AND BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE LOVED BY THEIR COMMUNITY."WE ARE CHANGING THE WORLD ONE CHILD AT A TIME AND ARE PROUD TO PLAY AN IMPORTANT PART IN THE CULTURAL AND ARTISTIC STORY OF OUR COMMUNITY.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 December 2024.
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 April 1950.
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.