Arts, Culture & Humanities (A65Z) IRS Verified DX Registered 990 on File

FIRST STAGE MILWAUKEE INC PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

EIN: 39-1634828 · MILWAUKEE, WI 53212-3868 · United States · FY 2023 Data

3 out of 5 50 / 100 Based on 2+ years of filings

Financial strength (30%) 66/100

Reliability (20%) 55/100

Effectiveness (25%) 78/100

Impact (25%) No data yet

Financial data: FY 2023 · Scored 9/13/2026

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CharityAI™ Score

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Mission Statement

First Stage touches hearts, engages minds, and transforms lives by creating extraordinary theater experiences for young people and families through: • Professional Theater productions that inspire, enlighten, and entertain • Unparalleled Theater Academy training that fosters life skills through stage skills • Dynamic Theater in Education programs that promote active learning in our schools and community

Financial Overview — FY 2023

$4.2M

Total Revenue

$5.2M

Total Expenses

$4.7M

Net Assets

241

Employees

Revenue Sources

Expense Breakdown

Program Expense Ratio 71.3%

Fundraising Efficiency 645.0%

Operating Reserve 10.69x

Liability-to-Asset 22.6%

Revenue Diversification 61.5%

Executive Compensation $286K

Compared with Peers

FY 2023

Compared with 4,647 similar organizations (United States, Arts, Culture & Humanities, $1M–$10M in expenses), FY 2023.

This organization Middle half of peers (P25–P75) Peer median

Ratio	This org	Peer median	Position (P10 → P90)
Program expense ratio Program expenses / total expenses · higher is better	71.3%	77.9%	P10P90	Below median
Admin expense ratio Management and general / total expenses · lower is better	22.3%	14.6%	P10P90	Bottom quarter
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expenses / total expenses · lower is better	6.4%	5.5%	P10P90	Below median
Fundraising efficiency Fundraising expenses / gross fundraising income · lower is better	645.0%	251.0%	P10P90	Below median
Operating reserve Months of expenses covered by net assets · higher is better	10.7 mo	16.8 mo	P10P90	Below median
Liabilities to assets Total liabilities / total assets · lower is better	22.6%	10.7%	P10P90	Below median
Revenue concentration Share of revenue from the largest source · lower is better	61.5%	74.6%	P10P90	Above median
Revenue growth Year over year revenue growth	-18.3%	3.5%	P10P90
Expense growth Year over year expense growth	18.3%	13.1%	P10P90
Surplus margin Surplus as a share of revenue	-25.6%	-0.9%	P10P90

Financial History

Year	Revenue	Expenses	Net Assets	Program %	Staff
2023	$4.2M	$5.2M	$4.7M	71.3%	241
2022	$5.1M	$4.4M	$5.6M	73.1%	141
2021	$4.5M	$2.9M	N/A	—	165

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Organization Details

EIN: 39-1634828
State: WI
City: MILWAUKEE
ZIP: 53212-3868
Classification: A65Z
Category: Arts, Culture & Humanities
Rating: 3★
Coverage: A
Last Updated: Aug 2026
IRS Ruling Year: 1987
Foundation Code: 16
Form 990: On File

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CharityAI™ rates charities from 0 to 100 using public filings (IRS Form 990 and the equivalent registries outside the US) together with the information the charity itself provides on DonationX. Ratings are recalculated every quarter, without human bias, and shown as stars.

Four pillars

Financial strength30%

Program expense ratio, fundraising efficiency, operating reserves, liabilities and revenue diversification, compared with similar organizations.

Reliability20%

Standing with the registry, filing history, verification and how complete the profile is.

Effectiveness25%

How much goes to programs and how consistently the organization delivers them.

Impact25%

The outcomes the charity reports on DonationX: people served, cost per service and results.

Stars

★★★★★ 80–100 ★★★★☆ 60–79 ★★★☆☆ 40–59 ★★☆☆☆ 20–39 ★☆☆☆☆ 1–19

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