Overview
What is First Stage Milwaukee?
First Stage Milwaukee, a nonprofit organization with a mission to enrich children and families' lives, accomplishes this through various activities. Their professional theater productions engage, enlighten, and entertain, while their Theater Academy fosters life skills like confidence and respect alongside stage skills. Their dynamic Theater-in-Education programs promote learning through theater, engaging students with interactive performances and workshops. In the 2021/22 school year, they offered their programs to 86 schools and organizations, with 44% located in Milwaukee. Their popular touring show, a 35-minute performance of the Three Little Pigs, invited students to immerse themselves in the story through storytelling, music, dance, and tactile experiences. Additionally, their Young Leaders Residency brought teaching artists into classrooms, encouraging drama activities, creative writing, and exploration of inspiring figures like Ruby Bridges and Amanda Gorman. Operating with 141 employees, First Stage Milwaukee continues to enrich the lives of children and families.
Official website here: www.firststage.org
What are the reviews and ratings of this charity?
Charity Navigator Rating: 97% (Four-Star out of Four Star rating)
First Stage Milwaukee demonstrates a strong commitment to accountability and financial health, as reflected in its impressive 97% score from Charity Navigator. This rating is significant as it highlights the nonprofit's adherence to best practices in governance and financial management, ensuring that donor funds are utilized effectively. The organization maintains a fully independent board, with an emphasis on transparency and oversight, contributing to its high ratings in various governance metrics.
The financial indicators reveal a well-managed organization, with a program expense ratio of 71.81%, indicating that a significant portion of its budget is allocated directly to its programs. Additionally, it boasts excellent fundraising efficiency, with only $0.10 spent to raise a dollar, demonstrating effective fundraising practices. The organization also benefits from a low liabilities-to-assets ratio, which suggests a solid financial foundation.
While the overall feedback is overwhelmingly positive, potential donors and supporters may still want to inquire further into specific program outcomes and community impact. However, with such a stellar accountability rating, First Stage Milwaukee appears to be a trustworthy and responsible nonprofit organization worthy of support.
This AI summary has been generated from information found on Charity Navigator.
What do the Facebook reviews say about First Stage Milwaukee?
96% of 590 reviewers on Facebook recommend First Stage Milwaukee. Here’s a summary of their thoughts:
Many attendees express a deep appreciation for the performances, highlighting the impressive talent showcased, particularly among the young actors. Reviewers frequently mention experiencing a range of emotions during the shows, including laughter and tears, which speaks to the emotional resonance of the performances. The overall sentiment reflects that families feel a strong connection to the productions, making it a memorable experience.
Comments emphasize the hard work put in by the cast and crew, with audiences feeling gratified by the quality of the entertainment. Overall, First Stage Milwaukee appears to deliver a fulfilling and engaging theatrical experience for community members of all ages.
This AI summary has been generated from reviews found on Facebook.
Is First Stage Milwaukee legitimate?
First Stage Milwaukee is a legitimate nonprofit organization registered as a 501(c)(3) entity. First Stage Milwaukee submitted a form 990, which is a tax form used by tax-exempt organizations in the U.S., indicating its operational transparency and adherence to regulatory requirements. Donations to this organization are tax deductible.
Heare are some key statistics you may want to consider:
Executive Compensation: $399,026
Professional Fundraising Fees: $0
Other Salaries and Wages: $2,333,180
For more financial information, click here
Official website here: www.firststage.org
What is the mission statement of First Stage Milwaukee?
First Stage, an organization dedicated to enriching the lives of children and families, achieves this through its mission. It creates exceptional theater experiences by presenting professional productions that engage, enlighten, and entertain, providing theater education that fosters life skills, and promoting learning through theater-in-education programs. During the 2021/22 school year, First Stage offered its theater-in-education programs to 86 schools and organizations, engaging 44% within the city of Milwaukee. Their field trip packages paired a classroom's field trip with a weekday matinee performance and in-school workshops, exploring thematically related books and stories. The Young Leaders Residency, a new program, brought teaching artists into classrooms, facilitating drama activities, creative writing, and delving into the true stories of young leaders like Ruby Bridges, Greta Thunberg, and Amanda Gorman. These lessons aimed to enhance literacy, creative thinking, and one's ability to effect change. The touring show, a 35-minute interactive performance of The Three Little Pigs, was popular among schools during that period. Students were invited to step into the story through storytelling, song, dance, and tactile experiences.
Official website here: www.firststage.org
What is the revenue of First Stage Milwaukee?
First Stage Milwaukee's revenue in 2024 was $5,216,935.
Official website here: www.firststage.org
Who are the executives of First Stage Milwaukee and what are their salaries?
The average compensation at First Stage Milwaukee during 2024 was $10,929. There are 250 employees and 100 volunteers at First Stage Milwaukee.
Here are 27 key members and their salaries:
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Official website here: www.firststage.org
Where can I find the form 990 for First Stage Milwaukee?
First Stage Milwaukee's most recent form 990 was submitted in 2024 and can be accessed here.
Official website here: www.firststage.org
Learn more at the official website: www.firststage.org
Mission Statement of First Stage Milwaukee
First Stage Milwaukee, a renowned organization, aims to enrich the lives of children and families by delivering exceptional theater experiences. Their mission is threefold: firstly, they produce professional theater productions that engage, enlighten, and entertain. Secondly, their Theater Academy fosters life skills such as confidence, respect, friendship, and support while teaching stage skills. Lastly, their dynamic Theater-in-Education programs promote learning through theater, enhancing literacy, creative, and critical thinking, and encouraging one's change-making ability. During the 2021/22 school year, First Stage offered its theater education programs to 86 schools and organizations, with 44% being within the city of Milwaukee. Their Field Trip Packages, which paired a classroom's field trip to a weekday matinee theater performance with weekly in-school workshops, were popular among schools. Additionally, their Young Leaders Residency brought teaching artists into classrooms, facilitating drama activities, books, and creative writing activities to explore the true stories of young leaders and their contributions to society.
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Impact
July, 2024
First Stage Milwaukee has a significant impact on enriching the lives of children and families by creating exceptional theater experiences. Through its professional theater productions, theater academy training, and dynamic theater-in-education programs, First Stage engages, enlightens, and entertains its audience while fostering life skills such as confidence, respect, friendship, and motivation. In the 2021/22 school year, First Stage offered its theater-in-education programs to 86 schools and organizations, with 44% located within the city of Milwaukee. These programs, including field trip packages, young leaders residency, and touring shows like "The Three Little Pigs," have proven popular among schools and have been designed to enhance literacy, creative and critical thinking, as well as inspire change-making abilities in students. This demonstrates the organization's commitment to using theater as a powerful tool for education, empowerment, and community enrichment.
This information is meant to be a general summary of First Stage Milwaukee. Please take the time to review official sources before making any decisions based upon the content provided here.
Financials
This financial information is from Propublica.
Other financial information:
This information is from the most recently submitted tax form from this organization, which was in 2024.
- Investment Income: $59,218
- Program Service Revenue: $1,500,309
- Gross Receipts: $5,617,596
Assets and Liabilities:
- Total Assets: $6,582,986
- Total Liabilities: $952,394
- Net Assets: $5,630,592
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Programs
Programs are reported by nonprofits in their tax forms and are normally their tax-exempt activities.
TICKET SALES
Revenue
$687,414
ACADEMY INCOME
Revenue
$459,984
SCHOOL GROUPS
Revenue
$240,381
THEATER IN EDUCATION
Revenue
$112,530
Organization Details
Founding Year
1987
Principal Officer
Jeff Spence
Website
www.firststage.orgNTEE Category
Code: A65Z - Arts
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