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Nonprofiteer
← WACO THEATER CENTER

Form 990 for tax year 2023

Filed by WACO THEATER CENTER.

Totals

Total revenue
$1,338,003
Total expenses
$1,981,256
Contributions and grants received
$1,310,612
Grants paid
$0
Program service revenue
$42
Investment income
$8,038
Other revenue
$19,311
Total assets, end of year
$3,396,255
Total liabilities, end of year
$304,992
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$3,091,263
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$1,365,370
Management and general expenses
$469,172
Fundraising expenses
$146,714
Program service expenses (Part III)
$1,365,370

Program services were 68.9% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Revenue

Part VIII, the statement of revenue.

  • 1e · Government grants (contributions)

    $281,650

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $1,028,962

  • 2a · Program service revenue: PROGRAM SERVICE REVENUE

    total $42 · related or exempt $42

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $8,038 · excluded $8,038

  • 11a · Other revenue: OTHER INCOME

    total $19,311 · excluded $19,311

  • 11e · Other revenue, total

    $19,311

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $250,000 · program services $200,000 · management and general $37,500 · fundraising $12,500

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $467,713 · program services $374,171 · management and general $70,157 · fundraising $23,385

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $69,315 · program services $55,452 · management and general $10,397 · fundraising $3,466

  • 11a · Fees: management

    total $118,572 · program services $81,242 · management and general $23,029 · fundraising $14,301

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $63,107 · management and general $63,107

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $178,710 · management and general $178,710

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $4,633 · program services $4,633

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $6,644 · program services $6,208 · management and general $327 · fundraising $109

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $249,326 · program services $199,461 · management and general $37,399 · fundraising $12,466

  • 17 · Travel

    total $16,705 · program services $10,930 · management and general $2,050 · fundraising $3,725

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $135,624 · program services $118,835 · management and general $12,592 · fundraising $4,197

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $41,627 · program services $14,096 · management and general $26,650 · fundraising $881

  • 24a · Other expenses: TALENT & PRODUCTION

    total $120,221 · program services $120,221

  • 24b · Other expenses: PRODUCTION COST

    total $117,745 · program services $117,745

  • 24c · Other expenses: LOSS ON CANCELLED EVENT

    total $64,820 · fundraising $64,820

  • 24d · Other expenses: SUBSCRIPTIONS

    total $34,585 · program services $26,913 · management and general $4,066 · fundraising $3,606

  • 24e · All other expenses

    total $41,909 · program services $35,463 · management and general $3,188 · fundraising $3,258

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $36,010 · end of year $400,706

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    beginning of year $148,665 · end of year $156,703

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    beginning of year $3,013,932 · end of year $2,150,077

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $77,410 · end of year $22,265

  • 10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis

    $839,324

  • 10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

    $432,738

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $620,757 · end of year $406,586

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $72,172 · end of year $259,918

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $165,619 · end of year $112,016

  • 22 · Loans and payables to officers and key people

    beginning of year $124,229

  • 25 · Other liabilities

    end of year $192,976

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $665,307 · end of year $731,749

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $3,013,791 · end of year $2,359,514

Mission and programs · 2023

Mission

WACO (WHERE ART CAN OCCUR) THEATER CENTER IS A PERFORMING AND VISUAL ARTS ORGANIZATION THAT PRESENTS, COMMISSIONS AND DEVELOPS ARTISTIC WORKS DEDICATED TO STORIES OF THE AFRICAN DIASPORA. CO-FOUNDED BY RICHARD LAWSON AND TINA KNOWLES, WACO PROVIDES ARTISTS AND YOUNG PEOPLE A PLATFORM TO VOICE AND SHOWCASE THEIR CREATIVITY TO CONNECT AND INSPIRE OTHERS. WACO'S ARTISTIC AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS ARE DRIVEN BY FOUR VALUES. WE CREATE WORK THAT UNAPOLOGETICALLY: CENTERS BLACK ART AND CULTURE FROM A DIASPORIC LENS AND VOICE; INCUBATES AND LAUNCHES NEW CREATIVE IDEAS TO MEMORIALIZE THE PAST AND ENVISION THE FUTURE OF BLACK LIFE; IS COLLABORATIVE AND LEADS WITH AN UBUNTU MINDSET, "I AM, BECAUSE WE ARE- AND SERVES THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY INCLUDING THE SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND CIVIC PRIORITIES OF OUR NEIGHBORS AND BLACK LOS ANGELES. NOW IN OUR EIGHTH SEASON, WE HAVE CONTINUED TO ELEVATE AN EMPHASIS ON THE HISTORY OF THE AFRICAN DIASPORA AND CULTURE IN OUR PROGRAMMING. WE FIRMLY BELIEVE IN THE POWER

Activities or mission (Part I)

WACO THEATER CENTER IS A PERFORMING AND VISUAL ARTS ORGANIZATION THAT PRESENTS, COMMISSIONS AND DEVELOPS ARTISTIC WORKS DEDICATED TO STORIES OF THE AFRICAN DIASPORA. WACO PROVIDES ARTISTS AND YOUNG PEOPLE A PLATFORM AND VOICE TO SHOWCASE THEIR CREATIVITY, IN ORDER TO CONNECT AND INSPIRE OTHERS.

  • OUR EDUCATION PROGRAM, THE ANGELS AND WARRIORS MENTORSHIP PROGRAM PROVIDES WRAP-AROUND SERVICES TO FACILITATE PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH FOR YOUNG PEOPLE FROM 8TH GRADE THROUGH COLLEGE. WE EMPOWER PARTICIPANTS TO IDENTIFY THEIR DREAMS, AND THROUGH MENTORSHIP, GAIN THE CLARITY,DISCIPLINE, AND SKILL TO ACHIEVE THOSE DREAMS. THE PROGRAM CURRICULUM INCLUDES OFF SITE FIELD TRIPS AND WORKSHOPS WITH GUEST ARTISTS TO FOSTER SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND AWARENESS OF THE ARTS AND FUTURE CAREERS.

    Expenses $582,383

  • WACO'S FY24 PROGRAMS INCLUDED THE PRODUCTION OF STILL HERE INCLUDING A WRITTEN PUBLICATION AND LIVE EVENT EXPERIENCE FEATURING STORIES AND RESOURCES THAT CENTER BLACK WOMEN LIVING WITH AND IMPACTED BY HIV. THE MAGAZINE WILL PRINT AND DISTRIBUTE 20,000 COPIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND PRESENT LIVE EXPERIENCES INSIDE BEAUTY SALONS OF LOS ANGELES, HOUSTON AND BATON ROUGE DURING THE 2025/26 PROGRAM YEAR. STILL HERE IS A CREATIVE INTERVENTION TO REDUCE STIGMA AND EDUCATE BLACK WOMEN ABOUT THEIR HEALTH AND THE GROWING RATE OF HIV DIAGNOSES IN THE COMMUNITY. THE EXPERIENCE IS POWERED BY THE VOICES OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL ACTIVISTS, ADVOCATES. 32 BLACK WOMEN WRITERS WERE COMMISSIONED TO WRITE STORIES FROM VARIOUS POINTS OF VIEWS AND A TEAM OF 20 CREATIVES WERE HIRED TO COLLABORATE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LIVE EXPERIENCE WHICH WILL BE PERFORMED IN LOS ANGELES, BATON ROUGE AND HOUSTON. AS A SECOND PRESENTATION OF THE WITNESS EXHIBITION AT WACO, WE COLLABORATED WITH CURATOR GENET AMBROSE OF GOOD MIRRORS INSTITUTE AND TEDWOMEN. THE EXHIBITION SAW 2500 VISITORS AND RECEIVED SUPPORT FROM PIVOTAL VENTURES, AND FEATURED NEW ARTISTS FROM LOCAL HBCU ART PROGRAMS AT SPELMAN COLLEGE AND CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY. OUR INAUGURAL TWO-WEEKEND FESTIVAL OF BLACK ART AND IDEAS, FEATURING THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY WORK OF FIVE LA-BASED ARTISTS. 500+ AUDIENCE MEMBERS JOINED US TO EXPERIENCE WORK FROM A DYNAMIC GROUP OF ARTIST-CITIZENS INCLUDING: JAMAAL TOLBERT, NICKOLAS VAUGHAN, SEMAJ MILLER, TASHARA GAVIN- MOORHEAD AND YAZMIN MONET WATKINS. LED BY AWARD-WINNING PLAYWRIGHTS ALESHEA HARRISS AND DOMINIQUE MORISSEAU, THE BLACK PLAYWRIGHTS GATHERING CURATED A CONVENING FOR AND BY BLACK PLAYWRIGHTS. 110 WRITERS GATHERED IN LOS ANGELES ON JUNETEENTH TO CONNECT AND BUILD COMMUNITY. THE EVENT WAS PRODUCED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ARTEQUITY. WACO OFF-STAGE HUMANITY EVENT PRESENTED ON THE SHOULDERS OF LORRAINE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SUPPORT BLACK THEATER, THE DRAMA GUILD FOUNDATION AND THE LORRAINE HANSBERRY INITIATIVE. THE EVENT FEATURED A PANEL OF ARTISTS AND ACTIVISTS WITH AUDIENCE MEMBERS REFLECTING ON THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF PLAYWRIGHT LORRAINE HANSBERRY.

    Expenses $782,987

As filed on the 2023 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

  • Richard Lawson

    PRESIDENT

    Total calculated
    $125,000
    From this org
    $125,000
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    40

  • Tina Knowles-Lawson

    VICE-PRESIDE

    Total calculated
    $125,000
    From this org
    $125,000
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    40

  • Angeliki Giannakopolous

    SECRETARY

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Melba Lfarquhar

    TREASURER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Glynn Turman

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Ralph Farquhar

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • John Wiseman

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2023
Filed
15 October 2025
IRS schema version
2023v6.0
Source object
202502879349302320

Check it against the return as filed: the GivingTuesday Data Lake hosts a public copy of the original XML.

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