Form 990 for tax year 2022

Filed by OPENING ACT INC.

Totals

Total revenue: $1,211,485
Total expenses: $1,482,053
Contributions and grants received: $1,250,408
Grants paid: $20,915
Program service revenue: $19,425
Investment income: $3,804
Other revenue: -$62,152
Total assets, end of year: $730,764
Total liabilities, end of year: $157,004
Net assets or fund balances, end of year: $573,760
Program services expenses (Part IX): $983,855
Management and general expenses: $197,464
Fundraising expenses: $300,734
Program service expenses (Part III): $983,855

Program services were 66.4% 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.

1a · Federated campaigns

$0
1b · Membership dues

$0
1c · Fundraising events

$203,087
1d · Related organizations

$0
1e · Government grants (contributions)

$138,080
1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

$909,241
1g · Noncash contributions included above

$1,562
2a · Program service revenue: WORKSHOP AND SPEAKING INCOME

total $19,425 · related or exempt $19,425 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
2f · All other program service revenue

total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
3 · Investment income

total $3,804 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $3,804
4 · Income from investment of tax-exempt bond proceeds

total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
5 · Royalties

total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
6c · Rental income or loss

real property $0 · personal property $0
7c · Gain or loss

securities $0 · other assets $0
8a · Fundraising events: gross income

$5,808
8a · Fundraising events: contributions included on line 1c

$203,087
8b · Fundraising events: direct expenses

$67,965
8c · Net income from fundraising events

total -$62,157 · unrelated business $0 · excluded -$62,157
11d · All other revenue

total $5 · related or exempt $5 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
11e · Other revenue, total

$5

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

2 · Grants to domestic individuals

total $20,915 · program services $20,915
5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

total $137,204 · program services $78,548 · management and general $21,574 · fundraising $37,082
7 · Other salaries and wages

total $852,368 · program services $643,838 · management and general $57,593 · fundraising $150,937
9 · Other employee benefits

total $70,100 · program services $51,173 · management and general $5,608 · fundraising $13,319
10 · Payroll taxes

total $95,249 · program services $69,532 · management and general $7,620 · fundraising $18,097
11c · Fees: accounting

total $74,472 · management and general $74,472
11g · Fees: other

total $116,155 · program services $57,825 · management and general $8,946 · fundraising $49,384
12 · Advertising and promotion

total $1,005 · program services $125 · management and general $840 · fundraising $40
13 · Office expenses

total $23,896 · program services $15,822 · management and general $5,850 · fundraising $2,224
16 · Occupancy

total $8,727 · program services $5,236 · management and general $3,491
17 · Travel

total $11,743 · program services $5,294 · management and general $2,069 · fundraising $4,380
20 · Interest

total $3,712 · management and general $3,712
22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

total $3,120 · management and general $3,120
23 · Insurance

total $1,815 · management and general $1,683 · fundraising $132
24a · Other expenses: VENUE RENTALS

total $22,341 · program services $16,153 · management and general $0 · fundraising $6,188
24b · Other expenses: PROGRAM EXPENSES

total $17,513 · program services $17,513 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
24c · Other expenses: PROCESSING AND BANK FEES

total $10,492 · program services $0 · management and general $678 · fundraising $9,814
24d · Other expenses: MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES

total $3,419 · program services $1,855 · management and general $0 · fundraising $1,564
24e · All other expenses

total $7,807 · program services $26 · management and general $208 · fundraising $7,573

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

beginning of year $429,665 · end of year $184,348
3 · Pledges and grants receivable

end of year $180,000
4 · Accounts receivable

beginning of year $224,580 · end of year $143,589
9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

beginning of year $7,824 · end of year $8,469
10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis

$24,342
10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

$14,448
10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

beginning of year $9,251 · end of year $9,894
11 · Investments: publicly traded securities

beginning of year $200,321 · end of year $203,464
15 · Other assets

end of year $1,000
17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

beginning of year $27,865 · end of year $87,004
24 · Unsecured notes and loans payable

end of year $70,000
25 · Other liabilities

beginning of year $0 · end of year $0
27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

beginning of year $704,276 · end of year $271,542
28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

beginning of year $139,500 · end of year $302,218

Mission and programs · 2022

Mission

OPENING ACT'S THEATER PROGRAMS PROVIDE STUDENTS ATTENDING NEW YORK CITY'S MOST UNDER-SERVED PUBLIC SCHOOLS THE OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN CONFIDENCE, PRIDE, AND THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THEY CAN SUCCEED AT ANYTHING IN LIFE. WE STRIVE TO OFFER AN EXCEPTIONAL AND CONSISTENT THEATER PROGRAM TO ANY NEW YORK CITY SCHOOL THAT NEEDS ONE.

Activities or mission (Part I)

GENERAL PROGRAM: OPENING ACT WAS FOUNDED TO ADDRESS A CLEAR NEED FOR TEENS ATTENDING THE MOST UNDERSERVED PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS IN NEW YORK CITY TO FEEL A GREATER SENSE OF EMPOWERMENT AND PURPOSE IN LIFE. THEIR VISION IS TO OFFER AN ACCESSIBLE HIGH-QUALITY ARTS EDUCATION PROGRAM TO THE CITY'S MOST UNDERSERVED STUDENTS - THOSE WHO COULD BENEFIT THE MOST FROM THEIR PROGRAM. SINCE ITS FOUNDING, OPENING ACT HAS REACHED MORE THAN 8,000 TEENS ATTENDING MORE THAN 70 HIGH SCHOOLS ON 32 EDUCATIONAL CAMPUSES IN BROOKLYN, MANHATTAN, QUEENS, AND THE BRONX. OPENING ACT'S CORE AFTER SCHOOL THEATER PROGRAM (ASTP) USES THEATER TRAINING TO HELP YOUNG PEOPLE IN UNSTABLE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS DEVELOP THEIR LEADERSHIP AND COLLABORATION SKILLS. THEIR INNOVATIVE, HIGH QUALITY, FREE, THEATER PROGRAMMING EMPLOYS ITS SIGNATURE TOOLS OF IMPROVISATION, ACTING, AND ORIGINAL WRITING TO HELP YOUNG PEOPLE DEVELOP A GREATER SENSE OF EMPOWERMENT AND PURPOSE IN LIFE. TEENS IN GRADES 6-12 MAKE A VOLUNTARY COMMITMENT TO ATTEND THE 30 WEEKLY 2-HOUR SESSIONS. EACH PROGRAM SERVES APPROXIMATELY 25 STUDENTS, LED BY TEAMS OF 2-3 TEACHING ARTISTS INCLUDING ONE LEAD TEACHER WHO HAS HAD AT LEAST ONE FULL YEAR OF TRAINING AND IN-CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE WITH THE ORGANIZATION. THE CULMINATION OF EACH CORE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM IS AN ORIGINAL PRODUCTION, CREATED AND PERFORMED BY THE STUDENTS IN PROFESSIONAL THEATERS. OPENING ACT INTENTIONALLY TARGETS SCHOOLS LOCATED IN TRADITIONALLY UNDER-RESOURCED COMMUNITIES INCLUDING BROWNSVILLE, EAST NEW YORK, AND THE SOUTH BRONX. THEY SPECIFICALLY REACH OUT TO SCHOOLS WITH LOWER THAN AVERAGE GRADUATION RATES AND AN EVIDENT LACK OF THEATER PROGRAMMING. MANY OF THEIR PARTNERING SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN FLAGGED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (DOE) AS "UNDER-PERFORMING", AND ARE AT RISK OF CLOSURE; THESE SITES LACK THE RESOURCES NEEDED TO PROVIDE THEIR STUDENTS WITH COMPREHENSIVE ARTS PROGRAMMING. THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH DISTRICT 79, NYC DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION'S ALTERNATIVE HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM, OPENING ACT IS ALSO WORKING WITH SOME OF THE CITY'S MOST VULNERABLE YOUTH INCLUDING THOSE WHO ARE HOMELESS, TEEN PARENTS, OR FORMERLY INCARCERATED. KEY TO THEIR MISSION IS A STEADFAST COMMITMENT TO ENSURING THAT ALL OF THEIR PROGRAMS CONTINUE TO BE OFFERED FREE OF CHARGE TO BOTH SCHOOLS AND STUDENTS SO THAT THEY MAY REMAIN A CONSISTENT AND POSITIVE FORCE IN THEIR STUDENTS' LIVES, REGARDLESS OF FLUCTUATING SCHOOL BUDGETS AND PRIORITIES. OPENING ACT OFFERS ALL PARTICIPANTS OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP SOCIAL EMOTIONAL COMPETENCIES-KEY INDICATORS OF LONG-TERM SUCCESS-SUCH AS POSITIVE SELF IDENTITY, SOCIAL SKILLS, AND SELF MANAGEMENT. THEY PROVIDE ANCILLARY PROGRAMMING DESIGNED TO SUPPORT STUDENTS AND ADDRESS THEIR CONCRETE NEEDS BEYOND THE ARTISTIC TRAINING THEY RECEIVE IN THE CORE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM - SERVICES THAT NOT ONLY REINFORCE AND DEEPEN THE CORE PROGRAMMING, BUT ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO THINK MORE EXPANSIVELY ABOUT APPLYING THEIR NEWLY ACQUIRED SKILLS TO BUILD CAREERS AND TO PURSUE FURTHER LEARNING AND LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES BEYOND THEIR FAMILIAR EVERYDAY ENVIRONMENT. THESE PROGRAMS INCLUDE THE STUDENT LEADERSHIP COMPANY AND THE SUMMER ARTS AND LEADERSHIP CONSERVATORY, AS WELL AS THE ACT 2: COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS PROGRAM, WHICH FURTHER SUPPORTS PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS AS THEY NAVIGATE THE TRANSITION FROM HIGH SCHOOL INTO COLLEGE AND THE WORLD OF WORK. OPENING ACT ALSO RECOGNIZES AND HONORS ITS STUDENTS - THEY ARE SOME OF NYC'S MOST PASSIONATE, IMAGINATIVE, AND ENGAGING YOUNG PEOPLE WHO, WHILE STORY-RICH, ARE POORLY SERVED BY THE INEQUITABLE AND UNDER-RESOURCED PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM. FROM BROOKLYN AND MANHATTAN TO THE BRONX AND QUEENS, THE STUDENT POPULATION INCLUDES IMMIGRANT YOUTH, NYC NATIVES, ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS, AND STUDENTS FROM FAMILIES WITH DEEP ROOTS IN THE COMMUNITIES INTO WHICH THE ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN INVITED. THEIR STUDENTS ARE PRIMARILY YOUNG PEOPLE OF COLOR (47% BLACK, 33% HISPANIC, AND 2% ASIAN); 57% ARE FEMALE, 41% ARE MALE, AND 2% ARE NON-BINARY. BEYOND THE DEMOGRAPHICS, THERE IS A SPECIAL KIND OF YOUNG PERSON WHO SELF-SELECTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ORGANIZATION'S PROGRAMMING: STUDENTS WHO ARE HUNGRY FOR OPPORTUNITIES NOT OTHERWISE AVAILABLE TO THEM. A 2018-2019 PROGRAM EVALUATION FOUND THAT 94% OF THE PARTICIPANTS STUDENTS ARE MORE MOTIVATED TO ATTEND SCHOOL AS A RESULT OF THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE ORGANIZATION, AS SUPPORTED BY EVIDENCE COLLECTED FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SHOWING THAT THE ORGANIZATION'S STUDENTS DEMONSTRATE A 15% HIGHER ATTENDANCE RATE THAN THEIR PEERS. WHILE MANY ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDE SHORT-TERM "ACCESS TO THE ARTS," OPENING ACT'S PROGRAMS GIVE STUDENTS A SENSE OF OWNERSHIP, COMMITMENT, AND COMMUNITY. AT THE OUTSET OF THE COVID-19 CRISIS IN EARLY SPRING 2020, OPENING ACT MOVED SWIFTLY TO DELIVER WEEKLY WORKSHOPS ONLINE, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. OPENING ACT IS COMMITTED TO REMAINING A CONSISTENT AND POSITIVE FORCE IN THEIR STUDENTS' LIVES DURING THIS UNPREDICTABLE TIME, AND CONTINUED ONLINE LEARNING THROUGH SPRING 2021 FOR ALL OF ITS PROGRAMS, MAINTAINING THE SAME HIGH-QUALITY OF PROGRAMMING THROUGHOUT.

Expenses $983,855 · Grants $20,915 · Revenue $19,425

As filed on the 2022 return.

Listed in Part VII

Zareta RicksZARETA RICKS

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Total calculated

$133,935

From this org

$121,406

From related orgs

$0

Other

$12,529

Hours/week

40
Jamie TrowbridgeJAMIE TROWBRIDGE

CHAIR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

5
Leah Day VanhornLEAH DAY VANHORN

VICE CHAIR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

5
Iliana GuibertILIANA GUIBERT

VICE CHAIR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

5
Chris WilkensCHRIS WILKENS

TREASURER

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

3
Michael FlemingMICHAEL FLEMING

SECRETARY

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
Gregg ArstGREGG ARST

BOARD MEMBER

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
Ken HyunhKEN HYUNH

BOARD MEMBER

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
Loren BlackLOREN BLACK

BOARD MEMBER

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
Kym BlanchardKYM BLANCHARD

BOARD MEMBER

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
Ashia JohnsonASHIA JOHNSON

BOARD MEMBER

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
Nikki CallisteNIKKI CALLISTE

BOARD MEMBER

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
Drew GarrisonDREW GARRISON

BOARD MEMBER

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
Sari GranatSARI GRANAT

BOARD MEMBER

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
Pam HackerPAM HACKER

BOARD MEMBER

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
Ali KaminALI KAMIN

BOARD MEMBER

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
Maza Tiyi MyrieMAZA TIYI MYRIE

BOARD MEMBER

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
Nicole KwanNICOLE KWAN

BOARD MEMBER

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
Jonathan SchorrJONATHAN SCHORR

BOARD MEMBER

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
Ira SchreckIRA SCHRECK

BOARD MEMBER

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
Rahul TripathiRAHUL TRIPATHI

BOARD MEMBER

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
Paul CellupicaPAUL CELLUPICA

BOARD MEMBER

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
Annie ParisseANNIE PARISSE

BOARD MEMBER

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2

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: 2022
Filed: 3 May 2024
IRS schema version: 2022v5.0
Source object: 202421289349300622

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