Metropolitan Entertainment &
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
MECA'S MISSION IS TO PROVIDE THE COMMUNITY WITH STATE OF THE ART FACILITIES, INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY AND UNSURPASSED SERVICE THAT ATTRACTS INTERNATIONAL, NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND LOCAL EVENTS AND WORLD-CLASS ENTERTAINMENT. AS WE WORK TO CREATE A POSITIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT, WE ARE DEDICATED TO THE HIGHEST STANDARD OF ETHICS AND STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE, INSTILLING PRIDE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
- Income
- $99.6 million
- Spending
- $96.9 million
- Spent on programs
- 93%
- Reserves
- 4.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 55%
- Employees
- 729
- Volunteers
- 0
- Highest pay
- $701,814, president/ceo
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: 65 out of 100. Higher than 50% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 4.1 months of spending.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 55% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 3% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 2% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1593% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 13 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 42% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 255 of 5 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)
- $90.2 million spent. SEE ATTACHED SUPPLEMENT TO SCHEDULE O DESCRIBING THE FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS OF THE ORGANIZATION'S PRIMARY PROGRAM SERVICES. THROUGH DILIGENT PLANNING AND EXECUTION, MECA CONTINUED TO DRAW PREMIER EVENTS AND SIZEABLE CROWDS TO DOWNTOWN OMAHA IN FISCAL YEAR 2025. APPROXIMATELY 980,000 GUESTS ENTERED THE DOORS AT THE CHI HEALTH CENTER OMAHA CONVENTION CENTER AND ARENA FOR THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2025. CHARLES SCHWAB FIELD OMAHA WELCOMED 350,000 BASEBALL FANATICS THROUGH ITS GATES DURING THE SAME TIME PERIOD, WHILE THE RIVERFRONT, A 72-ACRE PUBLIC PARK IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN OMAHA, HOSTED OVER 2.3 MILLION VISITORS. THE CHI HEALTH CENTER OMAHA ARENA PLAYED HOST TO NUMEROUS STAR-STUDDED ACTS, INCLUDING LAINEY WILSON'S COUNTRY'S COOL AGAIN TOUR, JELLY ROLL'S BACKROAD BAPTISM TOUR, BARRY MANILOW'S FINAL CONCERTS, AND BILLIE EILISH'S HIT ME HARD AND SOFT: THE TOUR. MECA ALSO ROLLED OUT THE RED CARPET FOR ANDREA BOCELLI AND HIS VALENTINE'S DAY-THEMED PERFORMANCE WITH THE OMAHA SYMPHONY AS PART OF HIS 2025 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR. THE ARENA AND CONVENTION CENTER AGAIN HOSTED THE ANNUAL BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY SHAREHOLDERS' MEETING, WHERE THE ORACLE OF OMAHA, WARREN BUFFETT, ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT. AS AN ECONOMIC DRIVER FOR THE CITY OF OMAHA, THE CHI HEALTH CENTER OMAHA CONVENTION CENTER ALSO EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT DEMAND, ACCOMMODATING OVER 242,000 GUESTS ACROSS 255 EVENT DAYS. THESE INCLUDED 41 CITYWIDE EVENTS, 24 CONSUMER SHOWS, AND 190 ADDITIONAL EVENTS, ENCOMPASSING A RANGE OF PHILANTHROPIC GATHERINGS, MEETINGS, SPORTS COMPETITIONS, AND VIP PRE-CONCERT ACTIVITIES. TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE IN THE REGION AND GARNER ADDITIONAL BUSINESS, THE CONVENTION CENTER IS UNDERGOING A MASSIVE EXPANSION AND RENOVATION. CONSTRUCTION ON THE $200 MILLION, 90,000-SQUARE-FOOT PROJECT COMMENCED IN JANUARY 2025. WITH THE ADDITION OF 25 NEW MEETING ROOMS, EXPANSIVE GLASS WALLS OVERLOOKING THE MISSOURI RIVER, AND RENOVATIONS TO THE REST OF THE CONVENTION CENTER, MAKING FOR A MODERN AND SEAMLESS TRANSITION FROM THE EXPANSION TO THE ORIGINAL CONVENTION CENTER AREAS, CHI HEALTH CENTER OMAHA IS ESTIMATED TO GENERATE UP TO $1.2 BILLION IN MEETING BUSINESS FOR THE CITY. CONSTRUCTION IS SLATED TO BE FINISHED IN THE FALL OF 2027. CHARLES SCHWAB FIELD OMAHA (CSFO) HAD ANOTHER HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL YEAR, CULMINATING IN RECORDBREAKING PARTNER REVENUES DURING THE 2025 MEN'S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES (MCWS). THE THRILLING CHAMPIONSHIP, IN WHICH THE LSU TIGERS DEFEATED THE COASTAL CAROLINA CHANTICLEERS TO CLAIM THEIR EIGHTH NATIONAL TITLE IN PROGRAM HISTORY, AND SECOND IN THREE YEARS, CLOSED OUT THE FISCAL YEAR ON A HIGH NOTE. IN ADDITION TO THE MCWS, CSFO HOSTED ALL HOME GAMES FOR THE CREIGHTON BLUEJAYS, THE BIG TEN BASEBALL TOURNAMENT, AND THE HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. CONTRACTUALLY, MECA IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FIRST $100,000 OF STADIUM PROFITS OR LOSSES. FOR FISCAL 2024-2025, CSFO GENERATED A PROFIT OUTSIDE OF THE NCAA MEN'S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES OF $494,000, OF WHICH MECA RETAINED $100,000. THE REMAINING $394,000 WILL BE REMITTED TO THE CITY OF OMAHA UPON ISSUANCE OF THIS REPORT. MECA'S WHOLLY OWNED SUBSIDIARY, MECA TRI-PARK COMPLEX, LLC, BRANDED AS "THE RIVERFRONT," HOSTED OVER 700 COMMUNITY EVENTS IN THIS HIGHLY ACTIVATED PARK SPACE, RANGING FROM EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING TO FITNESS CLASSES AND NATURE AND STORY WALKS, TO THEMED SKATE NIGHTS AT THE SKATE RIBBON. THE ANNUAL INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION KICKED OFF THE FISCAL YEAR WITH FIREWORKS AND SEVERAL ENTERTAINERS IN THE GENE LEAHY MALL PERFORMANCE PAVILION. THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR CULMINATED WITH AN EVENT FOR CWS OF OMAHA'S DIAMOND ANNIVERSARY, CELEBRATING OMAHA'S 75TH YEAR OF HOSTING THE MEN'S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES. THE RIVERFRONT HAS ESTABLISHED ITSELF AS A COMMUNITY TREASURE, WELCOMING OVER 2.3 MILLION VISITORS DURING THE FISCAL YEAR. AS THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE WINDS DOWN ON THE 72-ACRE OUTDOOR SPACE, FINAL AMENITIES HAVE BEEN ADDED, INCLUDING THE HIGHLY POPULAR PICKLEBALL COURTS, PUBLIC INDOOR SPACE, AND ADDITIONAL FLOOD FIGHT FACILITIES. THE CONSTRUCTION BUDGET, WHICH TOPPED OUT AT $331 MILLION OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE CONTRIBUTIONS, HAS HELPED REVITALIZE OMAHA'S DOWNTOWN AND CREATE A CROWN JEWEL FOR THE CITY THAT LOCALS LOVE TO BRAG ABOUT. FINANCIALLY, FISCAL 2024-2025 WAS A HIGHLY PROFITABLE YEAR BEFORE DEPRECIATION AND AMORTIZATION. THE AUTHORITY POSTED A NET PROFIT OF $6.2 MILLION BEFORE DEPRECIATION AND AMORTIZATION, AND $2.6 MILLION AFTER DEPRECIATION AND AMORTIZATION FOR CHIHCO. THESE RESULTS REFLECT MECA'S SUSTAINED SUCCESS AND HIGHLIGHT ITS ROLE AS A KEY DRIVER IN OMAHA'S ECONOMY, SOLIDIFYING ITS REPUTATION AS A LEADER IN EVENT MANAGEMENT, VENUE OPERATIONS, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. THE TABLE BELOW SUMMARIZES THE NET PROFIT GENERATED BY THE AUTHORITY OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS. YEAR NET PROFIT DEPRECIATION NET (LOSS) BEFORE PROFIT AFTER DEPRECIATION DEPRECIATION 2025 $6,157,000 $3,602,000 $2,556,000 2024 $11,535,000 $3,245,000 $8,290,000 2023 $7,436,000 $3,072,000 $4,364,000 2022 $4,954,000 $2,782,000 $2,172,000 2021 $8,328,000 $2,990,000 $5,338,000 MECA'S PRUDENT MANAGEMENT OF EXCESS CASH HAS ALLOWED THE AUTHORITY TO BUILD CAPITAL RESERVES AND FUND NUMEROUS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THROUGH THE YEARS WITHOUT ADDITIONAL TAXPAYER EXPENSE. THIS STRATEGIC USE OF FUNDS ENSURES BOTH THE ONGOING IMPROVEMENT OF MECA'S FACILITIES AND ITS CONTINUED FINANCIAL STABILITY. WITH THE EXPANSION OF THE CONVENTION CENTER AND THE RENOVATIONS OF THE EXISTING SPACE THROUGH ADDITIONAL CITY OF OMAHA AND PHILANTHROPIC FUNDING, MECA'S CAPITAL RESERVES ARE POISED TO SUSTAIN THE ORGANIZATION'S GOAL OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AND RENEWAL TO REMAIN A STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY WELL INTO THE FUTURE. SEE NOTE A - CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT RESERVES OF THE NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS" FOR A COMPLETE DISCUSSION OF HOW MECA'S CAPITAL RESERVES ARE FUNDED.
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 December 1997.
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.
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