named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
10-Minute Playwriting Festival: Legacy. Resistance. Evolution.
A virtual festival featuring live-streamed readings of selected finalists' plays, accompanied by post-show talk-backs and professional production support.
CAATA ConFest
A biennial gathering offering professional development, networking, and artistic exchange for Asian American and related theater communities; includes full access for prize participants.
Godfather Prize for Playwriting
A national award recognizing AANHPI, SWANA, MENA, and Mixed-Race playwrights whose work reflects artistic excellence, cultural impact, and the themes of legacy, resistance, and evolution.
activities · 9 groups
What they do
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Arts Professional Advocacy & Equity Initiatives 2 activities
- Advocate for equity and justice in the theater fieldEngages in collective advocacy with theater networks of color to advance equity and justice, including public campaigns responding to anti-Asian hate and the production of advocacy materials such as the short film "Beyond Yellowface" and the "Strong Together" public service announcement.
- Conduct field-wide research and needs assessmentsConducts surveys in partnership with theater organizations of color to assess community needs, generate data, and inform advocacy and programming efforts in the AANHPI, SWANA, MENA, and Mixed Race theater field.
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New Play Development Programs 1 activity
- Administer the Godfather Prize and 10-Minute Playwriting FestivalManages an annual playwriting award program that includes a $1,000 prize for one winning playwright, a $200 honorarium for each of six to eight finalists, a staged reading of the winning play, and a one-year complimentary membership for all eligible applicants.
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Professional Association Capacity Building 1 activity
- Deliver capacity-building programs for membersOffers training sessions led by industry experts, one-on-one mentorship opportunities, and ongoing working groups focused on organizational development, membership engagement, and institutional knowledge preservation to support professional growth and sustainability.
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Professional Networking Events 1 activity
- Host regional and local theater gatherings and eventsOrganizes in-person regional gatherings, "CAATA Night" events, artist mixers, showcases, fireside chats, panels, and collective meals in cities across the U.S. to celebrate productions, highlight local talent, strengthen community ties, and foster dialogue among theater professionals.
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Archival Digitization and Preservation 1 activity
- Maintain organizational archives and historical resourcesPreserves institutional memory through an online archive of past ConFests, including photos, program lineups, and thematic content, and hosts committees focused on 20th-anniversary commemoration and knowledge preservation.
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Organization Website and Online Platform Management 1 activity
- Operate online member community and amplify member opportunitiesHosts a digital community platform featuring a member directory, event calendar, group chat, affinity spaces, media recommendations, and healthcare resources. Regularly amplifies member-submitted events, performances, castings, and job postings to the public and within the network.
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Professional Conference & Symposium Organization 1 activity
- Organize biennial National Asian American Theater Festival and Conference (ConFest)Hosts a biennial national festival and conference in rotating U.S. locations to convene AANHPI, SWANA, MENA, and Mixed Race theater artists, organizations, and leaders for performances, dialogue, and community-building. Recent in-person events include the 2024 ConFest in Honolulu, Hawaii.
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Trauma-Informed Community Resilience Initiatives 1 activity
- Produce virtual series and forums for community engagement and healingProduces ongoing virtual programming including the "Return to the Source," "Healing Over Hate," and "Legacy. Resistance. Evolution" series, as well as discipline-based, regional, student, and members-only forums to support connection, reflection, collaboration, and emotional care within the AANHPI, SWANA, MENA, and Mixed Race theater community.
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Union and Association Benefit Funds 1 activity
- Provide access to national healthcare benefits programOffers members a national healthcare benefits program that includes health, dental, vision, and supplemental insurance options as part of membership services.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$69K
Contributions & grants$69K100%
Program service revenue——
Investment income——
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$138K
Program expenses64%
Admin / overhead35%
Fundraising1%
Salaries & benefits$78K
Grants paid out—
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$238K
Cash$62K
Investments$0
Liabilities$3K
Net assets$235K
Liquid reserves5.4 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue -27.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| KAYLA KIM VOTAPEK | EXECUTIVE DI | 40 | $66K |
board members · 12
- ALISON YUEMING QU — DIRECTOR
- ANH THU T PHAM — DIRECTOR
- CJ OCHOCO — DIRECTOR
- KIRAN MERCHANT — DIRECTOR
- LILY TUNG CRYSTAL — DIRECTOR
- MEENA MALIK — DIRECTOR
- MINA MORITA — DIRECTOR
- SOPHIA SKILES — DIRECTOR
- STEFANIE LAU — DIRECTOR
- TAMMY HAILIOPUA BAKER — DIRECTOR
- TORANGE YEGHIAZARIAN — DIRECTOR
- VINITA BELANI — DIRECTOR
relationships · 61
Who they work with
- (X) Collective Partner — Artist collective dedicated to community-centered collaboration and reciprocal relationship-building in theatre.
- (x) Collective Partner — Co-hosted CAATA Night and gathering in Chicago as part of the 20th anniversary celebrations.
- Anti-Racist Theatre (A.R.T.) Partner — Partner organization collaborating on anti-racist theatre training that integrates social justice and healing practices.
- Artist at Play Partner — Board member Stefanie Lau is Producing Artistic Leader at Artist at Play.
- Artist at Play Partner — Co-hosted CAATA Night in Los Angeles as part of the 20th anniversary celebrations.
- Artists At Play Network — Network theater in Los Angeles that produces work centering Asian American stories and underrepresented artists.
- Artists at Play Partner — Organizational supporter of CAATA's work in advancing equity and representation in theater.
- Breaking Wave Theatre Company Network — Network theater based in Guam focused on expanding theater in Micronesia and globally.
- Breaking Wave Theatre Company Partner — Organizational supporter of CAATA's work in advancing equity and representation in theater.
- CHUANG Stage Network — Network theater in Boston creating innovative Asian American theater with a focus on pan-Asian stories and translingual performance.
- Chungdahm Performing Arts Partner — Hosted CAATA Night in Boston as part of the 20th anniversary celebrations.
- Circle Partner — Hosts CAATA's membership platform and online community.
- Color Arc Productions Partner — Engages Christine Hoang, founder of Color Arc Productions, in its selection committee, indicating collaboration with the organization.
- Crowded Fire Theater Partner — Collaborates with Caro Asercion, who is affiliated with Crowded Fire Theater, in new play development and production.
- East West Players Network — Founding theater company and organizer of the first National Asian American Theater Conference.
- East West Players Network — Network theater in Los Angeles producing world-class theater that raises visibility of Asian American stories and develops artists of color.
- East West Players Partner — Co-hosted CAATA Night in Los Angeles as part of the 20th anniversary celebrations.
- East West Players Partner — Co-organized the first National Asian American Theater Conference; led by Tim Dang who spearheaded the initiative.
- EnActe Arts Network — Network theater in California developing bold performances that center South Asian voices and cross-cultural storytelling.
- EnActe Arts Partner — Board member Vinita Belani is Artistic Director of EnActe Arts.
- ExSE (East by Southeast) Partner — Works with Amee Vyas, co-founder of ExSE, a festival dedicated to American artists of Asian descent, suggesting alignment and potential partnership.
- Fellow theater organizations of color Partner — Partners with theater organizations of color to conduct field surveys and support equity and justice advocacy.
- Golden Thread Productions Network — Network theater in San Francisco producing plays from or about the Middle East that celebrate diverse perspectives and identities.
- HowlRound Theatre Commons Partner — Co-presented the online performance INFLECTIONS and hosted CAATA’s "Healing Over Hate" series livestreams on HowlRound TV.
- Howlround Partner — Hosted CAATA’s virtual events including panel discussions and community conversations.
- Howlround Theatre Commons Partner — Free, open platform that amplifies underrepresented voices and advances equity and inclusivity in theatre practice.
- IMPACT Boston Partner — Partnered to present skills for responding to race-based harassment, including de-escalation and verbal boundary setting, in the "Healing Over Hate" series.
- In;Between Artistry Partner — Global collective building a creative ecosystem for multicultural artists through transformative storytelling and healing practices.
- Kia Mau Festival Network — Network theater in Wellington, New Zealand empowering Indigenous artists through contemporary performance and cultural exchange.
- Lia Chang Partner — Photographer documenting CAATA Regional Gatherings
+ 31 more
strategies · 4
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.
- Artistic Activism and Storytelling for Social Transformationmethodology: artistic_activismBy centering transformative storytelling, collective artistic voice, and public media campaigns, we advance social justice and resist anti-Asian hate, because narrative power builds cultural resilience, fosters belonging, and enables political advocacy against discriminatory practices like yellowface.
- Community Care as Foundational Practicemethodology: community_careBy designing gatherings that prioritize presence, listening, and joyful connection over productivity, we build trust and sustainable relationships across the network, because fostering emotional safety and collective care enables deeper collaboration and long-term movement resilience.
- Decentralized Engagement with Regional and Virtual Adaptationmethodology: decentralized_regional_engagementBy rotating national events across regions and hosting virtual and regionally tailored gatherings, we increase inclusion and accessibility for geographically dispersed communities, because physical and digital decentralization reduces participation barriers and honors locally specific cultural needs.
- Networked Collective Action for Cultural Equitymethodology: cultural_equity_collectiveBy building a decentralized, national network of AANHPI, SWANA, MENA, and Mixed Race theater artists and organizations, we strengthen regional and national artistic ecosystems and amplify underrepresented voices, because collective infrastructure increases cultural visibility, resource sharing, and political leverage in the broader theater field.