irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2020
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $311KTHE WORKING FARM:THE ONLY ARTISTIC PROGRAM TO RUN IN 2020, THE SEASON EXTENSION RESIDENCY TOOK PLACE BEFORE THE SHUT DOWN DUE TO COVID-19. THE SEASON EXTENSION PROGRAM IS A FULLY SUBSIDIZED RESIDENCY FOR PLAYWRIGHTS TO SPEND 2-4 WEEKS ON THE FARM DURING THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY TO DEVELOP NEW PROJECTS. 2020 PARTICIPANTS INCLUDED STEPHEN BELBER, ERIN COURTNEY, KAREN HARTMAN, GRACE MCLEAN, MAX POSNER, NAOMI RADDATZ, ARABELLE SICARDI AND JENNY RACHEL WEINER.ALL OTHER IN PERSON PROGRAMS: THE WORKING FARM, THE FAMILY RESIDENCY, CREATIVE RESIDENCY, INSTITUTIONAL RESIDENCY, GREENHOUSE RESIDENCY AND CREATIVE SOLUTIONS SYMPOSIUM WERE CANCELLED AS A RESULT OF COVID-19.
named programs · 8 · from sources
What they call their work
Bryan Gallace/Posthumous Prodigy Productions Fellowship
Supports artists in producing and staging new work, with a focus on underrepresented voices
Creative Residency
Flexible-term residency for multidisciplinary artists across theatre, music, film, and activism to develop new projects
Creative Solutions Symposium
Gathering of activist collectives and advocacy groups using creative practices to address social justice issues
Family Residency
Residency program supporting artists who are parents, providing space and resources to develop new work while accommodating family needs
Greenhouse Residency
Early-career artist residency focused on emerging voices in theatre and performance
Institutional Residency
Partnership program hosting organizations such as Playwrights Horizons, Joe’s Pub, and Audible Theater to support ensemble-based development
Season Extension Residency
February-based residency for playwrights to develop new projects during the off-season
The Working Farm
Subsidized five-week residency for 7 playwrights and 1 composer/lyricist during the June–October season, culminating in the Roving Dinner event featuring excerpts of new plays
activities · 6 groups
What they do
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Artist Residencies and Studio Programs 2 activities
- Hosts fully subsidized creative residencies for artists, playwrights, and artist-parentsProvides time, space, and support for artists, playwrights, and artist-parents to create through fully subsidized residency programs at Ryder Farm, including multi-week programs culminating in presentations of new work. The organization has hosted over 1,600 residents since inception, with programs such as The Working Farm and Family Residency offering discipline-specific and family-inclusive opportunities.
- Runs specialized residency programs for emerging artists and theater organizationsOffers targeted residency opportunities including The Greenhouse for emerging artists and institutional residencies for theater and arts organizations, providing creative development space and resources. These programs support artistic growth and collaboration across disciplines.
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Strategic Planning and Organizational Development 1 activity
- Develops organizational strategy through community engagementDeveloped a five-year strategic plan through a nine-month community engagement process involving over fifty community members, guiding organizational development and growth.
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Artist Support Grants 1 activity
- Funds and administers fellowship and grant programs for artistsAdministers the Bryan Gallace/Posthumous Prodigy Productions Fellowship and the Bader+Simon Empowerment Grant, providing financial support, mentorship, and producing opportunities to underrepresented and early-career artists.
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Professional Theatrical Production 1 activity
- Produces and co-produces new theatrical worksCreates, produces, and invests in theatrical productions such as Slave Play, The Wiz (2024), Sweeney Todd (2017), and Gypsy (2014), presenting them in venues across the U.S., U.K., and internationally. The organization has produced multiple award-nominated and record-setting plays.
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Workforce Readiness Training 1 activity
- Provides educational and reentry support to incarcerated individualsOffers the Engaging Futures Internship to provide education, skills, and opportunities to currently incarcerated individuals to support successful reentry into society.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Delivers professional instruction and mentorship through training programsMentored over 75 young professionals through fellowship and internship programs and provided instruction at institutions including Northwestern University, The Chapin School, and Hunts Point Alliance for Children.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$360K
Contributions & grants$322K90%
Program service revenue$14K4%
Investment income$960%
Other revenue$24K
expenses
Total expenses$465K
Program expenses52%
Admin / overhead21%
Fundraising27%
Salaries & benefits$288K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$16K
Cash$14K
Investments$0
Liabilities$14K
Net assets$2K
Liquid reserves0.4 mo
4 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -34.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 2
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| KELLY BURDICK | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (LEFT 2024) | 40 | $71K |
| ALLYSON DAVIS | CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER | 40 | $51K |
board members · 18
- ALAN RYDER — BOARD MEMBER (LEFT 2024)
- BILL SHEA — BOARD MEMBER (LEFT 2024)
- BLAIR RUSSELL — BOARD MEMBER
- CAROLINE KELLEN — BOARD MEMBER (LEFT 2024)
- DARREN ROBERTSON — CO-VICE-CHAIR (LEFT 2024)
- DEEPA PURHOIT — BOARD MEMBER (LEFT 2024)
- EMILY SIMONESS — EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
- JANET OLSHANSKY — CO-CHAIR (LEFT 2024)
- JOE FINNEGAN — BOARD MEMBER (LEFT 2024)
- LAKISHA MAY — CO-VICE-CHAIR (LEFT 2024)
- LEE SEYMOUR — CO-CHAIR (LEFT 2024)
- MFONSIO UDOFIA — BOARD MEMBER (LEFT 2024)
- MICHAEL LIGUORI — BOARD MEMBER (LEFT 2024)
- MONET HURST-MENDOZA — BOARD MEMBER
- NINA CURLEY — TREASURER (LEFT 2024)
- SALLY CODE HOLMES — BOARD MEMBER (LEFT 2024)
- TAMARA WHITE — BOARD MEMBER
- THERESE BARBATO — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 33
Who they work with
- Ars Nova Partner — Partner organization whose artists and staff participated in working residencies at SPACE on Ryder Farm.
- Audible Partner — Partner organization whose artists and staff participated in working residencies at SPACE on Ryder Farm.
- Audible Theater Partner — Collaborates with SPACE on Ryder Farm through institutional residencies.
- Black Lives Matter Partner — Referenced in organizational anti-racism statement and linked communications.
- Broadway Advocacy Coalition Partner — Engages in institutional residencies at SPACE on Ryder Farm.
- Cave Canem Partner — Participates in institutional residencies at SPACE on Ryder Farm.
- Colorado Lodge Partner — Host site for the 2025 Family Residency for artists affected by the Eaton and Palisades fires.
- Colorado Lodge Partner — Host site for the Family Residency program.
- David Byrne Partner — Collaborated with David Byrne on nonprofit, TV, film, theatre, and book projects.
- Goodspeed Musicals Partner — Blair Russell is a member of the Board of Trustees of Goodspeed Musicals.
- Hunts Point Alliance for Children Partner — Organization where Therese Barbato taught.
- Imagine5 Partner — Provided fundraising consulting, executive coaching, and strategic advising services.
- Joe’s Pub Partner — Engages in institutional residencies at SPACE on Ryder Farm.
- Liberation Theater Company Partner — Participates in institutional residencies at SPACE on Ryder Farm.
- Little Sister Creative Partner — Receives financial and/or producing services from Erica Laird.
- Matthew Strother Center for The Examined Life Partner — Provided fundraising consulting, executive coaching, and strategic advising services.
- Northwestern University Partner — Organization where Therese Barbato taught.
- Page 73 Partner — Partner organization whose artists and staff participated in working residencies at SPACE on Ryder Farm.
- Playwrights Horizons Partner — Participates in institutional residencies at SPACE on Ryder Farm.
- Playwrights Horizons Partner — Partner organization whose artists and staff participated in working residencies at SPACE on Ryder Farm.
- Rattlestick Theater Partner — Partner organization whose artists and staff participated in working residencies at SPACE on Ryder Farm.
- Roundabout Theater Company Partner — Partner organization whose artists and staff participated in working residencies at SPACE on Ryder Farm.
- Roundtable Theatre Company Partner — Collaborates through institutional residencies at SPACE on Ryder Farm.
- SPACE Partner — Blair Russell is a member of the Board of Trustees of SPACE.
- Soul Science Lab Partner — Provided fundraising consulting, executive coaching, and strategic advising services.
- Switser + Knight Partner — Receives financial and/or producing services from Erica Laird.
- The Builders Association Partner — Erica Laird serves on the board of directors of this organization.
- The Chapin School Partner — Organization where Therese Barbato taught.
- The Flea Theater Partner — Receives financial and/or producing services from Erica Laird.
- The Kennedy Center Partner — Partner organization whose artists and staff participated in working residencies at SPACE on Ryder Farm.
+ 3 more
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Artist-Centered Time and Space Modelmethodology: artist-centered time-and-space modelBy providing dedicated time and uninterrupted space, artists are able to focus deeply on creative work and produce their best output, because removing logistical and temporal pressures enables creative risk-taking and exploration.
- Family-Integrated Residency Designmethodology: family-integrated artist residencyBy integrating child care and family life into the residency experience, parent-artists can fully engage in creative work without sacrificing family needs, because inclusive design reduces structural barriers that otherwise exclude caregivers from artistic development opportunities.
- Interdisciplinary Integration of Art, Agriculture, and Foodmethodology: arts-and-agriculture-integrationBy combining artist residencies with sustainable farming and immersive dining, the organization creates a multidimensional creative environment where art and ecology inform one another, because shared sensory and ritual experiences deepen artistic engagement and community connection.
- Radical Hospitality as Creative Containermethodology: radical hospitalityBy practicing radical hospitality and maintaining a continuously accessible, safe environment, artists can lower emotional guard and become more open to creative exploration and community engagement, because psychological safety is a prerequisite for deep artistic work.
- Transportable Intentional Artistic Communitymethodology: transportable artist residency modelBy grounding the residency model in shared values and intentional community rather than fixed geography, the program can be replicated across locations, because cultural coherence enables sustainability independent of physical site.