McCarter Theatre Company

Princeton, NJ · EIN 21-0724198 · 501(c)(3) · Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))
Latest filing: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 (tax year 2024) · View the filing · Correct or respond

McCarter Theatre Company reported $14.7 million in revenue and $15.5 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $83.45 went to program services, $9.94 to management and general costs and $6.61 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was program service revenue such as fees, sales and contracts: 51.9% of the total. Government grants made up 6.0%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $379,370 (ARTISTIC DIRECTOR). 14 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 27% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.

Where $100 of spending went

The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $15M

Program services$83.45 $13M
Management & general$9.94 $1.5M
Fundraising$6.61 $1.0M

For context, the median across 876 covered arts, culture & humanities charities: $79.98 programs, $13.89 management, $6.13 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).

Where $100 of revenue came from

The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $15M

Contributions & grants (non-government)$27.71 $4.1M
Government grants$5.97 $879K
Program service revenue$51.91 $7.6M
Investment income$13.85 $2.0M
Other revenue$0.56 $82,428

The 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades

FY2025 filing. Median across 876 covered charities in this category, from their latest filings.
Measure	FY2025	Median
Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A)	83.5%	78.5%
Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A)	9.9%	13.6%
Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A)	6.6%	6.0%
Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h	$0.21	$0.10
Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12	33.7%	57.5%
Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12	6.0%	1.7%
Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12	51.9%	20.8%
Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F	$379,370	$385,706
Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A)	2.45%	2.03%
People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2	14	8
Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses	24.9	36.6
Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b	26 of 26	100.0%

A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.

What the money paid for, in its own words

FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expense

$13M expenses · 100.0% of program spending · revenue $7.6M

Artistic and education programsmccarter welcomed over 100,000 community members during the 2024-25 season for 275 performances and events including the theatre, dance and classical series productions and one-night only performances and events; student productions hosted in partnership with the triangle club and lewis center for the arts at princeton university; and education classes and student matinees.the theatre series included the world-premiere empire records: the musical with rock score by zoe sarnak and book by carol heikkinen, duel reality from acclaimed cirque company the 7 fingers…

Highest reported compensation

FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here

Role	From this org	From related orgs	Other	Total
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$328,439	$0	$50,931	$379,370
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$335,966	$0	$17,552	$353,518
DIRECTOR OF MKTG & AUDIENCE STRATEGY Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$145,049	$0	$31,443	$176,492
DIRECTOR OF PRESENTED PROGRAMMING Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$141,110	$0	$31,923	$173,033
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$145,064	$0	$12,973	$158,037
DIRECTOR OF UNIVERSITY & ARTISTIC PARTNERSHIPS Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$138,160	$0	$17,199	$155,359
DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$118,993	$0	$32,101	$151,094
CFO (THRU 9/24) Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$84,911	$0	$10,851	$95,762

14 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from McCarter Theatre Company (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $844K (Part IX, line 5).

6 years of filings

Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linked

RevenueExpenses

Filing	Revenue	Expenses	Programs	Net assets	Top pay
FY2025 ⓘ	$15M	$15M	83.5%	$32M	$379,370
FY2024 ⓘ	$14M	$15M	84.8%	$32M	$408,515
FY2023 ⓘ	$9.2M	$14M	83.9%	$33M	$373,123
FY2022 ⓘ	$14M	$11M	83.3%	$40M	$385,710
FY2021 ⓘ	$7.6M	$5.0M	67.2%	$39M	$262,346
FY2020 ⓘ	$12M	$12M	80.4%	$25M	$326,476

Governance answers, as filed

FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means

Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b26 · 26 independent
Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4Yes
Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
Employees Part I, line 5235
Volunteers Part I, line 626

Largest outside contractors

FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only

SITUATION MARKETING LLC Online/google/meta ads marketing consult	$220,517
LIVE NATION WORLDWIDE Tour producer/presenter fee	$178,741
LES 7 DOIGHTS DE LA MAIN Performance fee and royalties paid	$106,962

Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 3 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.

Private foundation grants it received

32 private foundations reported grants to McCarter Theatre Company totaling $826K on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.

Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.

Correct a figure or respond

Every number above is copied from McCarter Theatre Company's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for McCarter Theatre Company, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.

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Similar-sized charities in this cause

Honolulu Museum of Art
Honolulu, HI · revenue $15M · programs 63.3% · FY2025
The Parrish Art Museum
Water Mill, NY · revenue $15M · programs 76.3% · 2024
Chicago Architecture Foundation
Chicago, IL · revenue $15M · programs 61.7% · 2024
Storm King Art Center
New Windsor, NY · revenue $15M · programs 76.2% · 2024
Norton Simon Museum of Art at Pasadena
Pasadena, CA · revenue $15M · programs 74.8% · FY2025

All arts, culture & humanities charities · Largest charities in New Jersey

Questions people ask

How much of McCarter Theatre Company's spending goes to programs?

In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, McCarter Theatre Company reported that 83.5% of its $15.5 million in expenses went to program services, 9.9% to management and general and 6.6% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).

How much does McCarter Theatre Company pay its top executive?

The largest total compensation McCarter Theatre Company reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $379,370, for the role of ARTISTIC DIRECTOR (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).

Where does McCarter Theatre Company get its money?

Of $14.7 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 33.7% came from contributions and grants (including 6.0% from government grants) and 51.9% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).

Is McCarter Theatre Company a registered charity?

The IRS lists EIN 21-0724198 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.

Sources

FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, object 202611319349304776 · read the filing · XML
FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202521359349311632 · read the filing
FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202431169349300843 · read the filing
FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202310599349301311 · read the filing
FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202201199349300835 · read the filing
FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202023539349300617 · read the filing

All filings for EIN 21-0724198: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.