irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $0ADVOCACY: NIVA ENGAGES WITH FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL POLICYMAKERS TO PROTECT AND STRENGTHEN THE INDEPENDENT LIVE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY AND ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF INDEPENDENT VENUES, PROMOTERS, FESTIVALS, AND PERFORMING ARTS CENTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. IN FY 2025, NIVA ENGAGED ON LEGISLATION ACROSS 24 STATES AND CONTINUED LEADING THE FIX THE TIX COALITION, A BROAD ALLIANCE OF LIVE EVENT INDUSTRY ORGANIZATIONS AND PROFESSIONALS WORKING TO COMBAT PRICE GOUGING, SPECULATIVE TICKETING, DECEPTIVE MARKETING, HIDDEN FEES, AND OTHER HARMFUL PRACTICES IMPACTING FANS, ARTISTS, AND INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES. TO FURTHER SUPPORT THESE ADVOCACY EFFORTS, NIVA LAUNCHED THE STATE OF LIVE, THE FIRST COMPREHENSIVE NATIONAL ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY FOCUSED ON THE INDEPENDENT LIVE ENTERTAINMENT SECTOR. RELEASED ON JUNE 23, 2025, THE REPORT QUANTIFIES THE INDUSTRY'S ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTIONS, EXAMINES THE CHALLENGES THREATENING ITS SUSTAINABILITY, AND PROVIDES CRITICAL DATA TO INFORM POLICYMAKING AND PUBLIC AWARENESS EFFORTS. THE STUDY EMPOWERS NIVA MEMBERS WITH STATE AND LOCALIZED ECONOMIC IMPACT DATA AND INDUSTRY INSIGHTS TO STRENGTHEN ADVOCACY EFFORTS AT THE FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEVEL AND REINFORCE THE ESSENTIAL ROLE INDEPENDENT LIVE ENTERTAINMENT PLAYS IN COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL ECONOMIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
- #2 $0CONFERENCE: NIVA CONTINUES ITS GROWING AND INCREASINGLY IMPACTFUL CONFERENCE. NIVA HAS GROWN FROM A 550 ATTENDEE CONFERENCE IN 2022 TO A 1400 ATTENDEE CONFERENCE IN 2025. NIVA'S CONFERENCE HAS TAKEN PLACE IN CLEVELAND, WASHINGTON (D.C.), NEW ORLEANS AND MILWAUKEE. THE CONFERENCE PROVIDES ITS DIVERSE MEMBERS, AFFILIATES, AND PARTNERS WITH FOUR DAYS OF PROGRAMMING, EDUCATION, NETWORKING AND ENTERTAINMENT. IMPORTANT TOPICS DISCUSSED INCLUDED INDUSTRY DIVERSITY, MENTAL HEALTH, SAFETY, INSURANCE, ECONOMIC IMPACT OF LIVE ENTERTAINMENT, BOOKING, ARTIST DEVELOPMENT, TICKETING, AND THE ROLE OF LIVE ENTERTAINMENT IN POLICYMAKING. MONUMENTAL MOMENTS FROM NIVA '25 INCLUDED THE DEBUT OF THE STATE OF LIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY, THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF MINNEAPOLIS AS THE HOST CITY FOR NIVA '26, DISCUSSIONS ON HOW TO ADDRESS THE LIVE NATION MONOPOLY AND PROS NOT PAYING SONGWRITERS. NIVA '26 PLANNING, WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE JUNE 7 TO JUNE 10, 2026, IS WELL UNDERWAY.
named programs · 9 · from sources
What they call their work
Advocacy & Policy
NIVA engages with federal, state, and local policymakers to protect independent venues and promoters, including leading the Fix the Tix Coalition to combat speculative ticketing and deceptive marketing practices.
Certified Live Independent
Program that recognizes and promotes independently owned and operated venues, festivals, and promoters.
Emergency Relief Fund
Administered by the National Independent Venue Foundation (NIVF), this fund provides economic relief to independent venues and promoters facing severe emergencies.
End Overdose Training & Resources
Partnership program offering overdose prevention training, free naloxone, and fentanyl test strips to member venues.
NIVA Care
Health insurance program enabling members to provide healthcare coverage for employees and contractors.
NIVA Conference
Annual conference bringing together independent venues, promoters, and festivals for networking, education, and programming; grew from 600 attendees in 2022 to 1,400 in 2025.
State Policy Tracking Program
Provides members with tools to monitor and respond to state-level legislation and regulations affecting live entertainment.
The Live List
Artist development initiative curated by vote of NIVA members to highlight up-and-coming live touring artists.
Workforce Development Program
Offers virtual training and the 4-month Venue Operations Experience (VOX) to develop talent in independent live performance spaces, with a focus on underrepresented communities.
activities · 9 groups
What they do
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Arts Professional Advocacy & Equity Initiatives 1 activity
- Curating emerging artist development initiativesManages "The Live List," an artist development initiative that curates and promotes emerging touring artists based on votes from over 1,000 NIVA member venues and promoters.
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Workforce Readiness Training 1 activity
- Developing workforce training and inclusion programsManages a workforce development initiative featuring virtual training sessions and a 4-month Venue Operations Experience (VOX) program to train workers and reduce barriers to entry for underrepresented communities in the independent live entertainment sector.
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Charitable Grantmaking to Specific Causes 1 activity
- Funding emergency relief for independent venues through NIVFFunds and administers emergency economic assistance to independent live performance venues and promoters at risk of closure, including through the NIVA Emergency Relief Fund and #SOSFest fundraiser, distributing over $3.7 million to date.
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Professional Conference & Symposium Organization 1 activity
- Hosting annual national conference for independent venues and promotersOrganizes the first and only annual national conference for independent music and comedy venues, festivals, and promoters, growing from 550 attendees in 2022 to 1,400 in 2025, featuring education, networking, keynote conversations, and special events to support professional development and community building.
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Union and Association Benefit Funds 1 activity
- Offering health insurance and job placement services to membersProvides a health insurance program enabling members to cover full-time, part-time, and contract workers, and operates a job board that connects independent venues and promoters with job seekers, requiring salary transparency in all postings.
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Regional Economic Development Initiatives 1 activity
- Providing economic impact analysis tools for membersOffers an economic impact calculator that enables members to quantify the regional economic and employment impact of their venues to support advocacy and operational planning.
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Member Business Referral & Discount Programs 1 activity
- Providing group purchasing and cost-saving programs for membersOperates a group discount program leveraging collective purchasing power to provide members with 10–35% savings on food, barware, serving ware, and cleaning supplies.
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Opioid Harm Reduction Services 1 activity
- Supporting harm reduction and public health in venuesLaunched a partnership with End Overdose to provide NIVA members with free naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and harm reduction training to promote safety at live events.
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Uncategorized 4 activities
- Advocating for federal emergency relief for independent venuesPlayed a leading role in advocating for the passage of the Save Our Stages Act and the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program, securing $16.25 billion in federal emergency relief administered by the Small Business Administration to support independent venues and promoters during the pandemic.
- Conducting national economic impact research on independent live entertainment venuesProduced and disseminated "The State of Live," the first comprehensive national economic study on the independent live entertainment sector, including state-level economic impact reports for all 50 states and Washington, D.C., released in June 2025 and shared with nearly 8,000 legislators to inform policy and public awareness.
- Enhancing venue visibility through technology partnershipsEstablished partnerships with Bandsintown, Spotify, ROSTR, MasterTour, and DoStuff to increase discovery and visibility for independent live music venues, generating over 1 billion event recommendations and 2 million RSVPs.
- Leading advocacy against deceptive ticket resale practicesLaunched the Fix the Tix initiative and Fan Action Center, published exposés on exploitative ticketing practices, identified thousands of misleading resale websites, and advocated for enforcement actions by state attorneys general to combat consumer deception in ticketing.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$2.71M
Contributions & grants$348K13%
Program service revenue$2.19M81%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$179K
expenses
Total expenses$2.16M
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$779K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$1.16M
Cash$839K
Investments$0
Liabilities$495K
Net assets$664K
Liquid reserves4.7 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +6.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 3
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEPHEN PARKER | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $172K |
| LAUREN KEHRLI | HEAD OF MRKTG & BRAND STRAT. | 40 | $135K |
| CODY COWAN | COO (UNTIL 9/2024) | 40 | $107K |
board members · 11
- ANDRE PERRY — PRESIDENT
- AUDREY FIX SCHAEFER — VICE PRESIDENT
- BRAD GROSSMAN — TREASURER
- GRACE BLAKE — BOARD MEMBER
- HAL REAL — BOARD MEMBER
- JAMIE LOEB — BOARD MEMBER
- JIM BRUNBERG — VICE PRESIDENT
- KATIE TUTEN — BOARD MEMBER
- KIRA KARBOCUS — BOARD MEMBER
- SEAN WATTERSON — SECRETARY
- SHAHIDA MAUSI — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 38
Who they work with
- American Association of Independent Music Partner — Advisory board member organization represented by Richard Burgess
- Bandsintown Partner — Advisory board member organization represented by Fabrice Sergent
- Bandsintown Partner — Industry-leading live event discovery platform supporting the Live Independent certification program
- Bandsintown Partner — Partnership to promote Live Independent venues, resulting in event recommendations, ticket purchases, and RSVPs.
- Bandsintown Partner — Partnership to support the Fix the Tix platform and increase visibility for independent venues.
- Bandsintown Partner — Technology partner providing discovery and visibility tools for independent venues.
- CMA Foundation Partner — Advisory board member organization represented by Tiffany Kerns
- DoStuff Partner — Technology partner providing discovery and visibility tools for independent venues.
- Drake University Partner — Collaborates with Drake University to provide the State Funding Resource Guide for independent venues and small businesses.
- Drake University Partner — Partners with Drake University to provide the State Funding Resource Guide for independent venues and small businesses.
- End Overdose Partner — Partners with End Overdose to provide overdose response training, free naloxone, and fentanyl test strips to NIVA members.
- End Overdose Partner — Partners with End Overdose to provide overdose response training, naloxone, and fentanyl test strips to members.
- End Overdose Partner — Provides NIVA members with free naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and harm reduction training.
- Eventbrite Partner — Presenting partner for the NIVA '26 conference
- Fix the Tix Partner — Advocacy partner focused on ticketing reform and consumer protection in live event ticketing.
- Fix the Tix Partner — Collaborates with Fix the Tix to combat deceptive ticketing practices and resale scams.
- Fix the Tix Coalition Coalition — Co-founded and leads the Fix the Tix Coalition, a broad alliance of live event industry organizations and professionals advocating against harmful ticketing practices.
- Fix the Tix Coalition Coalition — NIVA is the founding member of the Fix the Tix Coalition, advocating for fair ticketing practices in the live entertainment industry.
- Fix the Tix Coalition Coalition — NIVA is the founding member of the Fix the Tix Coalition, advocating for fair ticketing practices.
- Google Partner — Advisory board member organization represented by Lyor Cohen
- Interscope Geffen A&M Partner — Advisory board member organization represented by Erika Spieldoch
- MasterTour Partner — Technology partner providing discovery and visibility tools for independent venues.
- Music Business Association Partner — Advisory board member organization represented by Dr. Portia Sabin
- National Independent Venue Foundation Partner — Partners with NIVF to administer the Emergency Relief Fund, Workforce Development Program, and Independent Venue Job Board.
- National Independent Venue Foundation (NIVF) Network — NIVA established NIVF as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to administer emergency relief, workforce development, and job placement programs.
- Pantages Theatre Partner — Host venue for the 2026 NIVA conference opening session.
- ROSTR Partner — Partnership to support the Fix the Tix platform and artist-venue connections.
- ROSTR Partner — Technology partner providing discovery and visibility tools for independent venues.
- Recording Industry Association of America Partner — Advisory board member organization represented by Michele Ballantyne
- Run the Jewels Partner — Advisory board member organization represented by Killer Mike
+ 8 more
strategies · 3
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.
- Collective Advocacy for Industry Reformmethodology: collective_powerBy uniting independent venues and empowering members with shared resources and coordinated action, the organization amplifies advocacy power to achieve systemic change in the live music industry, because collective action increases political and cultural influence beyond what individual venues can accomplish.
- Federal and Legal Advocacy for Structural Changemethodology: federal_advocacyBy engaging in federal policy and leveraging legal rulings, the organization pushes for structural reform in the concert industry, because high-level policy and legal interventions create binding changes that protect independent venues and reshape market practices.
- Public Awareness and Fan Empowerment to Drive Ticketing Reformmethodology: fan-empowerment advocacyBy exposing deceptive ticket resale practices through public advocacy and equipping fans with tools to demand accountability, the organization drives reform, because informed and mobilized audiences create public and political pressure that leads to consumer protection and industry change.