irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $163KAUDITIONS - PROVIDES SCHOOLS AND THEATRES THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECRUIT TALENTED YOUNG ACTORS, DESIGNERS AND TECHNICIANS FOR PAID POSITIONS WITHIN THEIR PROGRAM.
- #2 $17KCOOPERATIVE ADVERTISING PROGRAM -PERMITS MEMBERS TO ADVERTISE IN LEADING THEATRE JOURNALS IN THE COUNTRY. THE MEMBERS CAN ADVERTISE A GRADUATE THEATER PROGRAM AND ASSOCIATED THEATER COMPANIES IN PERIODICALS SERVING LARGE,DIVERSE NATIONAL READERSHIP WHICH INCLUDES TEACHERS, STUDENTS, PRACTICING PROFESSIONALS IN THEATER, MOTION PICTURES AND TELEVISION.
named programs · 2 · from sources
What they call their work
AUDITIONS
Annual event connecting member graduate theatre programs with students; provides schools and theatres the opportunity to recruit talented young actors, designers, and technicians for paid positions within their programs
Cooperative Advertising Program
Enables member institutions to advertise graduate theater programs and associated theatre companies in leading national theatre journals with wide professional readership
activities · 9 groups
What they do
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Arts Education Scholarships 2 activities
- Candidate Awards for URTA Auditions & InterviewsProvides free registration to the URTA Auditions & Interviews through Candidate Awards for qualified applicants, including all candidates in Sound Design and Arts Leadership, national finalists from the American College Theater Festival, up to two returning costume design candidates, and a limited number of Pay-It-Forward awards for those with financial need.
- Funding candidate attendance through Excellence Award grantsFunds free registration to the URTA Auditions & Interviews for one student selected by each institution receiving the Excellence Award in Undergraduate Training.
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Theatre Awards and Honors Administration 1 activity
- Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Theatre TrainingRecognizes excellence in undergraduate theatre training by annually awarding instructors, mentors, and institutions across disciplines, including one institution each in acting and design and technology.
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Member-Focused Advertising Services 1 activity
- Cooperative advertising program for member institutionsOperates a cooperative advertising program that negotiates discounted print and digital advertising rates with national theatrical publications and online platforms, enabling member colleges, universities, and theatre training programs to increase visibility among students, educators, and professionals in theatre and entertainment.
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Youth Theater Arts Education 1 activity
- Free educational programming for emerging theatre artistsOffers free workshops, seminars, career outreach sessions, and discussion panels on graduate school preparation and career development for emerging theatre artists, available in-person or virtually, with travel expenses covered for in-person events hosted externally.
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Professional Networking Events 1 activity
- National Design Portfolio ReviewOrganizes the National Design Portfolio Review, an annual event that introduces emerging designers from 18 member schools and guest institutions to industry professionals through portfolio presentations and networking opportunities.
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Nonprofit Capacity Building Services 1 activity
- Nonprofit paymaster service for guest artistsProvides a nonprofit paymaster service that acts as Employer of Record for professional guest artists, managing tax reporting, benefits contributions, and workers compensation, while processing over one million dollars in artist earnings annually.
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Theatrical Casting and Audition Programs 1 activity
- URTA Auditions & Interviews eventOrganizes an annual audition and interview event that engages nearly 1,000 theatre candidates in auditions, interviews, workshops, and panel discussions related to graduate theatre training, with in-person locations including Atlanta, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Fullerton, CA, and remote participation options.
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Organization Website and Online Platform Management 1 activity
- Virtual and centralized showcase platforms for graduate theatre programsMaintains a virtual showcase platform and a centralized, freely accessible calendar of graduate theatre program presentations across the country, enabling member and non-member institutions to share digital work and allowing industry professionals to plan attendance at live and virtual showcases.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- URTA Designer Showcase at LDI ShowHosts the URTA Designer Showcase annually at the LDI Show in Las Vegas, providing early-career designers and technicians the opportunity to present their work and network with industry professionals, recruiters, and employers in live entertainment, with pre-registered participants receiving a discount code for a free expo hall pass.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$4.97M
Contributions & grants$00%
Program service revenue$4.93M99%
Investment income$19K0%
Other revenue$18K
expenses
Total expenses$4.91M
Program expenses93%
Admin / overhead7%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$3.08M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$1.44M
Cash$759K
Investments$431K
Liabilities$579K
Net assets$858K
Liquid reserves2.9 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +4.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANTHONY HAGOPIAN | SECRETARY/EXEC DIRECTOR | 40 | $124K |
board members · 11
- HOLLY POE DURBIN — IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
- JULIA GIBSON — DIRECTOR
- KEVIN MARTIN — DIRECTOR
- KEVIN MCCLATCHY — DIRECTOR
- KIP MARSH — VICE PRESIDENT
- KRISTIN SOSNOWSKY — PRESIDENT
- MARY BETH EASLEY — DIRECTOR
- MILAGROS PONCE DE LEON — DIRECTOR
- ROBIN SNELLER — DIRECTOR
- TIZA GARLAND — TREASURER
- TRACY NUNNALLY — DIRECTOR
relationships · 42
Who they work with
- American College Theater Festival Partner — Natural partner with overlapping missions; URTA provides Candidate Awards to ACTF national finalists.
- American Theatre Partner — URTA has negotiated advertising rates with American Theatre for its co-op advertising program.
- Backstage Partner — URTA has negotiated print and digital advertising rates with Backstage for its co-op advertising program.
- Boston University College of Fine Arts Partner — Collaborated on hosting a theatre showcase event, with information hosted on BU CFA's website.
- California Institute of the Arts Partner — URTA member school participating in the design/technology showcase.
- California State University, Long Beach Partner — Institutional recipient of the 2024 URTA Award for Excellence in Acting.
- Case Western Reserve University/Cleveland Play House Partner — URTA member school participating in the graduate showcase.
- College of Charleston Partner — Institution employing Associate Professor Janine McCabe, recipient of the 2024 URTA Award for Excellence in Costume Design & Technology.
- Concordia University Partner — Institutional recipient of the 2024 URTA Award for Excellence in Design & Technology and recipient of a Candidate Award.
- Drama Studio London Partner — New member institution of URTA, offering international training opportunities and participating in URTA Auditions & Interviews.
- Drama Studio London Partner — Newly welcomed as a member institution of URTA.
- LDI Show Partner — Co-hosts the URTA Designer Showcase as part of the LDI Show and its Young Career Professionals Program.
- LDI Show Partner — Hosts the URTA Designer Showcase as a collaborative event in Las Vegas.
- LEADING THEATRE JOURNALS Partner — Collaborates with leading theatre journals to provide members advertising opportunities in publications with national reach.
- Lighting & Sound America Partner — URTA has negotiated advertising rates with Lighting & Sound America for its co-op advertising program.
- Louisiana State University Partner — URTA member school participating in the graduate showcase.
- MFA programs Network — Member programs eligible to list showcases on the URTA calendar.
- Playbill Partner — URTA has negotiated digital advertising rates with Playbill for its co-op advertising program.
- Royal Shakespeare Company Partner — Collaborated with The Ohio State University on a production of The Tempest, enabled by URTA's services.
- Royal Shakespeare Company Partner — Hosts student residencies for Drama Studio London, part of URTA’s network training opportunities.
- Shakespeare’s Globe Partner — Hosts student residencies for Drama Studio London, part of URTA’s network training opportunities.
- Spelman College Partner — Hosts the 2026 URTA Acting Auditions in Atlanta.
- Stage Directions Partner — URTA has negotiated advertising rates with Stage Directions for its co-op advertising program.
- Symphony Space Partner — Hosted the 2026 Performance Showcase and Design, Production & Management Showcase at its Leonard Nimoy Thalia venue.
- Temple University Partner — Institution recognized with a 2023 URTA Award for Excellence in Acting training and granted a Candidate Award for student registration.
- The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Partner — URTA member school participating in the graduate showcase.
- The University of Texas at Austin Partner — URTA member school participating in the design/technology showcase.
- Theatre Design & Technology Partner — URTA has negotiated advertising rates with Theatre Design & Technology for its co-op advertising program.
- University of California, Irvine Partner — Institution recognized with a Candidate Award for excellence in undergraduate design and technology training.
- University of Connecticut Partner — URTA member school participating in the graduate showcase.
+ 12 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.
- Centralized Recruitment and Visibility for Graduate Theatre Talentmethodology: centralized_recruitmentBy centralizing recruitment and showcase events—both in-person and digital—into unified platforms, the organization increases accessibility and fit between graduate programs and candidates, and enhances visibility to industry professionals, because aggregated opportunities reduce scheduling conflicts and lower barriers to broad participation.
- Collective Advocacy and Visibility Through Cooperative Infrastructuremethodology: cooperative_advertisingBy leveraging cooperative advertising and centralized platforms, member institutions gain amplified visibility and access to national audiences, because collective action increases marketing reach and industry influence beyond what individual institutions can achieve alone.
- Coordinated Training-to-Production Pipeline Developmentmethodology: training-production_pipelineBy aligning training programs with producing entities and offering customized professional education, the organization develops young and emerging artists for sustainable theatre careers, because structured pathways that connect education to industry demand improve career readiness and professional longevity.
- Facilitation of Union and Payroll Access for Institutionsmethodology: paymaster_facilitationBy serving as a Producer of Record and nonprofit paymaster, the organization enables universities and theatres to hire union artists and guest professionals they otherwise could not access, because institutional compliance and payroll complexities are mitigated through centralized, trusted intermediation.
- Industry Integration Through Targeted Networking and Recognitionmethodology: industry-integration_through_networkingBy creating low-pressure networking events and recognizing excellence in training, the organization supports early-career and mid-career professionals’ entry into and continuation within the field, because informal industry integration and public validation strengthen professional identity and open pathways to mentorship and opportunity.