Washington Drama Society Inc
83% goes to programs $28 to raise $100 Strong reserves Growing revenue
Washington Drama Society Inc is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Washington, District of Columbia, registered in 1960, with $63,868,263 in FY2023 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 83% of spending to programs.
1101 6th St Sw, Washington, DC, 20024 EIN 53-0246894 Since 1960
Revenue (FY2023)
$63.9M
▲ 114.6% vs prior year
Arts & Culture median: $159K
Expenses (FY2023)
$26.4M
Net assets
$119.1M
Employees
378
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
A
AProgram efficiency40% of the rating83% to programs · $28 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 Washington Drama Society Inc: 83% to programs · $28 to raise $100 earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
AFinancial health25% of the rating54 mo reserves · +59% 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 Washington Drama Society Inc: 54 mo reserves · +59% 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 Washington Drama Society Inc: 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 Washington Drama Society Inc: 4 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
Arena stage is a center for the production, presentation, development & study of the american theater.
Contact & location
- Address
- 1101 6th St Sw, Washington, DC, 20024
- City
- Washington
- State
- District of Columbia
- Category
- Arts, Culture & Humanities
- Subcategory
- Performing Arts
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $28.1M (FY2013) to $63.9M (FY2023) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2023)
Liabilities $5.6MNet assets $119.1M
Operating margin
58.6%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$124.8M
Total liabilities
$5.6M
Net assets
$119.1M
Salaries & benefits
$12.1M
46% of expenses
Board members
43
41 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $63,868,263▲115% | $26,422,281▲2.0% | $119,139,306▲38.5% | $124,782,837▼14.3% | 990 |
| 2022 | $29,768,279▲54.3% | $25,892,323▲17.4% | $85,996,800▲7.5% | $145,591,791▲1.5% | 990 |
| 2021 | $19,294,701▲76.9% | $22,055,208▲63.8% | $79,987,873▼1.0% | $143,470,678▼4.3% | 990 |
| 2020 | $10,908,563▼39.5% | $13,462,884▼46.2% | $80,820,320▲3.0% | $149,879,794▲2.3% | 990 |
| 2019 | $18,030,478▼16.1% | $25,017,932▼9.8% | $78,466,615▼6.0% | $146,547,458▼1.9% | 990 |
| 2018 | $21,491,319▼17.7% | $27,747,280▼9.4% | $83,470,110▼3.5% | $149,435,233▼3.1% | 990 |
| 2017 | $26,108,354▲5.6% | $30,637,881▲4.7% | $86,538,660▲50.9% | $154,169,764▼19.1% | 990 |
| 2016 | $24,718,499▼3.9% | $29,258,200▲2.1% | $57,357,457▲24.7% | $190,480,122▼1.1% | 990 |
| 2015 | $25,733,153▼0.1% | $28,655,201▲1.6% | $45,985,939▼24.3% | $192,590,235▼2.1% | 990 |
| 2014 | $25,752,712▼8.5% | $28,216,996▲0.4% | $60,738,721▼16.5% | $196,647,605▼8.7% | 990 |
| 2013 | $28,144,011 | $28,113,263▼9.9% | $72,775,189▼3.9% | $215,291,215▼2.8% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $31,189,870▼0.9% | $75,729,166▲16.3% | $221,432,368▼3.5% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $31,477,672▲6.5% | $65,141,531▼33.8% | $229,506,221▼4.5% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $29,563,255▲98.3% | $98,470,039▲10.1% | $240,230,387▲0.8% | 990 |
| 2009 | — | $14,906,255 | $89,434,655 | $238,394,833 | 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 (FY2023)
Highest-paid: Edgar Dobie — $414,046 (1.57% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edgar Dobie | President/exec. Producer | 40 | $414,046 |
| Molly Smith | Former Artistic Director - To 6/2023 | 40 | $312,405 |
| Shonali Burke | Chief Marketing Officer | 40 | $193,515 |
| Joseph Berardelli | Treasurer/cfo | 40 | $172,141 |
| Ryan Merkel | Chief Development Officer | 40 | $172,045 |
| Hana Sharif | Artistic Director | 40 | $168,786 |
| Maria Lee Lewis | Interim Director, Hr | 40 | $122,577 |
| John K Monnett | Controller/interim Director, Finance | 40 | $121,560 |
| Robert Hand | Director of Production | 40 | $111,414 |
| Alison Irvin | Leadership Office Manager / Secretary | 40 | $100,229 |
| Alethia Jackson | Vice Chair | 1 | — |
| Andrew R Ammerman | Trustee | 5 | — |
| Beth Newburger Schwartz | Life Trustee | 1 | — |
| B Thomas Mansbach | Trustee | 0.5 | — |
| Catherine Guttman-mccabe | Chair | 10 | — |
| Celandra Deane-bess | Trustee | 0.5 | — |
| David B H Martin | Trustee | 1 | — |
| David E Shiffrin | Vice Chair | 2 | — |
| David Fisher | Trustee | 0.5 | — |
| Deborah E Bowles | Trustee | 0.5 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2023)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Aka Nyc Limited | Media & Marketing | $635,788 |
| Gigawatt Group LLC | Media & Marketing | $373,563 |
| Harris | Hvac Services | $368,692 |
| Willis Towers Watson Southeast Inc | Advisory | $323,040 |
| Vomela Commercial | Graphic Design | $258,247 |
Grants received · $6.3M total
80 grants to Washington Drama Society Inc totaling $6.3M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silicon Valley Community Foundation | Arts & culture | 2024 | $125,150 |
| Greater Washington Community Foundation | General support | 2024 | $121,000 |
| AARP | Sponsorship of various events | 2024 | $75,000 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2024 | $10,000 |
| The Seattle Foundation | To provide general support | 2024 | $10,000 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $6,769 |
| National Philanthropic Tr | Culture & arts | 2023 | $330,500 |
| AARP | Sponsorship of various 2023 performances | 2023 | $125,000 |
| Greater Washington Community Foundation | General support | 2023 | $115,500 |
| Silicon Valley Community Foundation | Arts & culture | 2023 | $104,600 |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2023 | $96,000 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Arts, culture & humanities | 2023 | $83,975 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $55,620 |
| American Endowment Foundation | Arts, culture | 2023 | $5,900 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2023 | $5,000 |
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Washington Drama Society Inc a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Washington Drama Society Inc is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 53-0246894, based in Washington, District of Columbia. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Washington Drama Society Inc's EIN?
- Washington Drama Society Inc's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 53-0246894.
- How much revenue does Washington Drama Society Inc report?
- Washington Drama Society Inc reported $63,868,263 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2023 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Washington Drama Society Inc's spending goes to programs?
- Washington Drama Society Inc spends about 83% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Washington Drama Society Inc have?
- CharityIndex grades Washington Drama Society Inc A, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Washington Drama Society Inc's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Washington Drama Society Inc's latest Form 990 is $414,046, paid to Edgar Dobie (President/exec. Producer).
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Data for Washington Drama Society Inc (EIN 53-0246894) 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.