Milwaukee Repertory Theater

Milwaukee, WI · EIN 39-0946025 · 501(c)(3) · Publicly supported organization (509(a)(2))
Latest filing: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 (tax year 2024) · View the filing · Correct or respond

Milwaukee Repertory Theater reported $26.5 million in revenue and $16.5 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $79.16 went to program services, $14.16 to management and general costs and $6.68 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 60.6% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $366,294 (EXECUTIVE DIR.). 5 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 92% 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 $16M

Program services$79.16 $13M
Management & general$14.16 $2.3M
Fundraising$6.68 $1.1M

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 $27M

Contributions & grants (non-government)$60.38 $16M
Government grants$0.23 $60,895
Program service revenue$25.96 $6.9M
Investment income$10.77 $2.9M
Other revenue$2.66 $705K

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)	79.2%	78.5%
Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A)	14.2%	13.6%
Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A)	6.7%	6.0%
Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h	$0.07	$0.10
Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12	60.6%	57.5%
Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12	0.2%	1.7%
Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12	26.0%	20.8%
Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F	$366,294	$385,706
Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A)	2.22%	2.03%
People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2	5	8
Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses	81.4	36.6
Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b	43 of 43	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

$12M expenses · 93.9% of program spending · revenue $7.0M

During the 2024/25 season we continued to provide world-class theater productions while continuing to bounce back from the loss of audiences as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Alongside a full season of productions, we continued raising critical funds for a capital campaign to remodel and expand our complex with state-of-the-art theaters, abundant community gathering spaces, an education center to expand student programming, and modern audience amenities

$795K expenses · 6.1% of program spending · revenue $112K

Milwaukee rep education & engagement programs aim to use theater as an agent of cultural and positive change in our communities and in our schools by eliminating barriers and dismantling assumptions about what our art form can do. Collectively we create positive change in our city through our unique position as a cultural organization that has the capacity to bring people together in a creative way. On stage. In our schools. Behind the scenes. In the lobby or across the table, we're individuals who care about making our region meet its full potential

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
EXECUTIVE DIR. Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$349,353	$0	$16,941	$366,294
ARTISTIC DIR Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$332,172	$0	$26,989	$359,161
MANAGING DIRECTOR Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$186,565	$0	$17,163	$203,728
CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$176,873	$0	$12,876	$189,749
CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$133,879	$0	$9,189	$143,068
CFO THROUGH 9/24 Officer, 20.00 hrs/week	$68,537	$0	$6,549	$75,086
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$51,290	$0	$0	$51,290
CFO THROUGH 4/24 Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$37,778	$0	$5,837	$43,615

5 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Milwaukee Repertory Theater (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $750K (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 ⓘ	$27M	$16M	79.2%	$112M	$366,294
FY2024 ⓘ	$35M	$16M	79.5%	$101M	$508,004
FY2023 ⓘ	$40M	$15M	84.3%	$79M	$376,198
FY2022 ⓘ	$36M	$15M	83.9%	$54M	$394,273
FY2021 ⓘ	$10.0M	$8.3M	73.0%	$37M	$306,003
FY2020 ⓘ	$14M	$14M	85.7%	$34M	$274,813

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–1b43 · 43 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 4No
Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18Yes
Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
Employees Part I, line 5527
Volunteers Part I, line 6650

Largest outside contractors

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

4JCP CONSTRUCTION LLC Construction	$960,222
DIVVYPAY LLC Expense management software	$633,390
BALESTRIERI ENVIRONMENTAL & DEVELOPMENT Renovation	$332,631
CHAMBERLIN GROUP LLC Construction consulting	$277,500
PLAZA HOTEL Provided hotel lodging for traveling art	$228,602

Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 6 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.

Private foundation grants it received

40 private foundations reported grants to Milwaukee Repertory Theater totaling $5.9M 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 Milwaukee Repertory Theater's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Milwaukee Repertory Theater, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.

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Similar-sized charities in this cause

PRX
Cambridge, MA · revenue $27M · programs 90.1% · FY2025
Hennepin Theatre Trust
Minneapolis, MN · revenue $27M · programs 79.4% · FY2025
Peabody Essex Museum
Salem, MA · revenue $26M · programs 79.4% · FY2025
Buffalo Fine Arts Academy
Buffalo, NY · revenue $27M · programs 43.9% · FY2025
Ukraine House DC Foundation
Washington, DC · revenue $26M · programs 100.0% · 2025

All arts, culture & humanities charities · Largest charities in Wisconsin

Questions people ask

How much of Milwaukee Repertory Theater's spending goes to programs?

In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Milwaukee Repertory Theater reported that 79.2% of its $16.5 million in expenses went to program services, 14.2% to management and general and 6.7% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).

How much does Milwaukee Repertory Theater pay its top executive?

The largest total compensation Milwaukee Repertory Theater reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $366,294, for the role of EXECUTIVE DIR. (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).

Where does Milwaukee Repertory Theater get its money?

Of $26.5 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 60.6% came from contributions and grants (including 0.2% from government grants) and 26.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).

Is Milwaukee Repertory Theater a registered charity?

The IRS lists EIN 39-0946025 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (509(a)(2))), 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 202611269349301106 · read the filing · XML
FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202511129349301356 · read the filing
FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202411239349300446 · read the filing
FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202311009349300801 · read the filing
FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202220829349301757 · read the filing
FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202140779349301604 · read the filing

All filings for EIN 39-0946025: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.