Theatre & Arts Foundation of San Diego County
75% goes to programs $13 to raise $100 Strong reserves Growing revenue
Theatre & Arts Foundation of San Diego County is a 501(c)(3) organization based in La Jolla, California, registered in 1958, with $26,664,190 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 75% of spending to programs.
Po Box 12039, La Jolla, CA, 92039 EIN 95-1941117 Since 1958
Revenue (FY2024)
$26.7M
▲ 22.3% vs prior year
Arts & Culture median: $159K
Expenses (FY2024)
$23.8M
Net assets
$97.8M
Employees
595
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
A
B+Program efficiency40% of the rating75% to programs · $13 to raise $100
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Theatre & Arts Foundation of San Diego County: 75% to programs · $13 to raise $100 earns a B+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
AFinancial health25% of the rating49 mo reserves · +11% margin
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Theatre & Arts Foundation of San Diego County: 49 mo reserves · +11% margin earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Governance25% of the rating6 of 6 checks met
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Theatre & Arts Foundation of San Diego County: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
ATransparency10% of the rating4 of 5 disclosure signals
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Theatre & Arts Foundation of San Diego County: 4 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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A live seal — it updates automatically when the grade changes and links donors to this verified profile.
Mission
To advance theatre as an art form and as a vital social, moral and political platform by providing unfettered creative opportunities for the leading artists of today and tomorrow.
Contact & location
- Address
- Po Box 12039, La Jolla, CA, 92039
- City
- La Jolla
- State
- California
- Category
- Arts, Culture & Humanities
- Subcategory
- Performing Arts
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $15.6M (FY2013) to $26.7M (FY2024) across 12 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2024)
Liabilities $6.7MNet assets $97.8M
Operating margin
10.6%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$104.5M
Total liabilities
$6.7M
Net assets
$97.8M
Salaries & benefits
$14.1M
59% of expenses
Board members
45
45 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $26,664,190▲22.3% | $23,829,091▲7.7% | $97,817,968▲6.4% | $104,471,070▲8.1% | 990 |
| 2023 | $21,802,645▼8.0% | $22,122,964▼2.7% | $91,943,934▲11.0% | $96,640,617▲9.8% | 990 |
| 2022 | $23,690,799▲50.0% | $22,739,965▲59.6% | $82,845,155▼5.5% | $87,986,932▼8.5% | 990 |
| 2021 | $15,790,250▲161% | $14,245,696▲86.2% | $87,670,345▲4.3% | $96,134,792▲7.2% | 990 |
| 2020 | $6,048,442▼90.2% | $7,648,864▼56.4% | $84,046,062▲16.3% | $89,641,155▲16.8% | 990 |
| 2019 | $61,817,025▲238% | $17,542,715▲16.2% | $72,247,926▲141% | $76,758,479▲122% | 990 |
| 2018 | $18,304,883▼16.0% | $15,097,682▼23.4% | $29,971,459▲11.5% | $34,545,038▲7.9% | 990 |
| 2017 | $21,802,551▲33.5% | $19,706,336▲21.0% | $26,880,084▲12.9% | $32,027,979▼0.1% | 990 |
| 2016 | $16,334,715▼4.5% | $16,285,446▼3.7% | $23,810,459▲4.6% | $32,072,096▲2.3% | 990 |
| 2015 | $17,104,929▲6.7% | $16,904,758▲9.2% | $22,756,354▼2.7% | $31,349,544▼4.8% | 990 |
| 2014 | $16,029,933▲2.7% | $15,475,323▼5.8% | $23,383,381▲1.3% | $32,937,467▼0.8% | 990 |
| 2013 | $15,605,827 | $16,420,417▲8.2% | $23,090,897▲0.2% | $33,197,587▲0.9% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $15,180,778▲21.3% | $23,044,140▲4.3% | $32,893,569▼0.7% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $12,517,965▼13.7% | $22,103,225▼1.7% | $33,117,129▼0.1% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $14,501,381 | $22,496,156 | $33,145,078 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Leadership & compensation (FY2024)
Highest-paid: Christopher Ashley — $444,774 (1.87% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher Ashley | Artistic Dir | 40 | $444,774 |
| Debby Buchholz | Managing Dir | 40 | $401,713 |
| Eric Keen-louie | Artistic Prod Dir | 40 | $196,693 |
| Ryan Meisheid | General Manager | 40 | $178,485 |
| Laura Killmer | Cfo | 40 | $176,629 |
| Keely Daximillion | Dir of Philanthrpy | 40 | $173,885 |
| Jared Drake | Director of Financ | 40 | $137,989 |
| Rebecca Duhaime | Production Mgr | 40 | $134,911 |
| Ann Cathcart Chaplin | Trustee | 5 | — |
| Annie Ellis | Secretary | 10 | — |
| Barbara Zobell | Trustee | 5 | — |
| Becky Robbins | Trustee | 5 | — |
| Byron Pollitt | Trustee | 5 | — |
| Clark Guy | Trustee | 5 | — |
| David Brenner | Trustee | 5 | — |
| Dean Haas | Trustee | 5 | — |
| Debby Jacobs | Trustee | 5 | — |
| Denise Bevers | 1st Vice Chair | 10 | — |
| Doug Dawson | Trustee | 5 | — |
| Edward Dennis Phd | Trustee | 5 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2023)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Optika Moderna LLC | Production | $219,650 |
| Ghost Light Global LLC | Travel | $191,069 |
Grants received · $25.9M total
85 grants to Theatre & Arts Foundation of San Diego County totaling $25.9M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
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Compare Theatre & Arts Foundation of San Diego County
Frequently asked questions
- Is Theatre & Arts Foundation of San Diego County a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Theatre & Arts Foundation of San Diego County is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 95-1941117, based in La Jolla, California. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Theatre & Arts Foundation of San Diego County's EIN?
- Theatre & Arts Foundation of San Diego County's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 95-1941117.
- How much revenue does Theatre & Arts Foundation of San Diego County report?
- Theatre & Arts Foundation of San Diego County reported $26,664,190 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Theatre & Arts Foundation of San Diego County's spending goes to programs?
- Theatre & Arts Foundation of San Diego County spends about 75% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Theatre & Arts Foundation of San Diego County have?
- CharityIndex grades Theatre & Arts Foundation of San Diego County A, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Theatre & Arts Foundation of San Diego County's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Theatre & Arts Foundation of San Diego County's latest Form 990 is $444,774, paid to Christopher Ashley (Artistic Dir).
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Data for Theatre & Arts Foundation of San Diego County (EIN 95-1941117) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.