Ars Nova Theater I Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
SEE SCHEDULE OARS NOVA EXISTS TO DISCOVER, DEVELOP & LAUNCH SINGULAR THEATER, MUSIC & COMEDY ARTISTS WHO ARE IN THE EARLY STAGES OF THEIR PROFESSIONAL CAREERS. OUR DYNAMIC SLATE OF PROGRAMS SUPPORTS OUTSIDE-THE-BOX THINKING AND ENCOURAGES INNOVATIVE, GENRE-BENDING WORK. BY PROVIDING A PROTECTIVE ENVIRONMENT WHERE RISK-TAKING AND COLLABORATION ARE PARAMOUNT, ARS NOVA AMPLIFIES THE VOICES OF A NEW GENERATION OF DIVERSE ARTISTS AND AUDIENCES, PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF LIVE ENTERTAINMENT BY NURTURING CREATIVE IDEAS INTO SMART, SURPRISING NEW WORK.
- Income
- $3.2 million
- Spending
- $4.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 76%
- Reserves
- -2.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 69%
- Employees
- 159
- Volunteers
- 20
- Highest pay
- $182,068, founding artistic 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
Weak: 36 out of 100. Higher than 8% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 18% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 30% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 12% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1576% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 23 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 65% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2515 of 17 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 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 (1)
- $3.2 million spent. IN FY25, ARS NOVA SERVED APPROXIMATELY 400 EMERGING ARTISTS AND 6,300 AUDIENCE MEMBERS THROUGH OUR DISCOVER, DEVELOP, AND LAUNCH PROGRAMS. IN FALL 2024, ARS NOVA PRODUCED THE WORLD PREMIERE OF THE BEASTIARY, A COMMISSIONED, PUPPET-DRIVEN PLAY BY ON THE ROCKS THEATRE CO. (CHRISTOPHER FORD AND DAKOTA ROSE). THE PRODUCTION RAN FROM OCTOBER 7 - NOVEMBER 9, 2024 AT ARS NOVA @ GREENWICH HOUSE, REACHING 3,045 AUDIENCE MEMBERS. TO CELEBRATE THE LEGACY OF OUR FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR JASON EAGAN, IN SPRING 2025 WE PRODUCED THE STARS NOVA SERIES: THREE NIGHTS OF COMEDY, MUSIC, AND THEATER PERFORMANCES BY ALUMNI ARTISTS. THESE INCLUDED A STAGED READING OF JACUZZI BY THE DEBATE SOCIETY (MAY 12, 2025); THE SONGBOOK SESSION, FEATURING MUSIC BY CSAR ALVAREZ, THE BENGSONS, MANIK CHOKSI, AND DANIEL ZAITCHIK, PERFORMED BY THE COMPOSERS ALONG WITH STEPHANIE HSU, KUHOO VERMA, AND EMILY WALTON (MAY 19, 2025); AND SEPTEMBER L. DAVIS: THE APOLOGY TOUR, A COMEDY SHOW BY ANA GASTEYER AND PHILLIP TARANTULA (JUNE 2, 2025). A TOTAL OF 245 PEOPLE ATTENDED THESE SHOWS. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, ARS NOVA DEVELOPED NEW WORK WITH 26 RESIDENT ARTISTS AND 8 COMMISSIONED ARTISTS, AND PRESENTED 35 ONE-NIGHT-ONLY SHOWS IN THEATER, COMEDY, MUSIC, AND MORE. THESE SHOWS TOOK PLACE AT ARS NOVA'S 54TH STREET THEATER AND REACHED 2,927 AUDIENCE MEMBERS IN-PERSON, AS WELL AS ONLINE VIEWERS ON ARS NOVA SUPRA, OUR DIGITAL STREAMING PLATFORM.
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 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 June 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 April 2009.
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.