Every financial figure on Stage Door Society, defined: what it is, where it comes from, and — most importantly — what it means. Data is only useful when you know how to interpret it.
Total revenue minus total expenses, expressed as a percentage of total revenue, for a single fiscal year.
Range: −50% to +40% is typical for arts nonprofits; small surpluses are healthy.
What it means · A sustained negative margin means the organization spends more than it takes in and is drawing down reserves — a leading indicator of distress. A small positive margin is the healthy norm; very large surpluses can signal under-investment or a one-time gift.
Source: IRS Form 990, Part I (revenue line 12, expenses line 18).
A composite 0–100 score summarizing an organization's financial resilience across several factors (margin trend, liquid reserves, revenue diversification, and balance-sheet strength).
Range: 80+ excellent · 60–79 stable · 40–59 watch · <40 strained.
What it means · A single at-a-glance proxy for resilience. It is a relative signal, not an audit opinion — use it to compare peers and spot trajectory, then read the underlying margin and reserve figures for the why.
Source: Computed deterministically from IRS 990 history via compute functions; see financial_health_scores.
Unrestricted liquid assets divided by average monthly operating expenses — how long the organization could operate with zero new revenue.
Range: <3 fragile · 3–6 adequate · 6+ strong.
What it means · The clearest single measure of a cushion against shocks. Companies below three months are one bad season from a crisis; this is the number funders and boards watch first.
Source: IRS Form 990 balance sheet (Part X) ÷ annualized expenses (Part IX).
The mix of earned revenue (tickets, fees) versus contributed revenue (donations, grants, endowment draw).
What it means · Over-reliance on any one source is risk. Heavy dependence on contributed income makes an org vulnerable to a single donor or grant lapsing; heavy ticket dependence makes it vulnerable to a soft season.
Source: IRS Form 990, Part VIII revenue breakdown.
Total endowment / net assets relative to one year of operating expenses.
What it means · A larger ratio means more permanent financial ballast and a more reliable annual draw. It distinguishes institutions with structural stability from those living season-to-season.
Source: IRS Form 990 Schedule D + Part X (net assets).
Base pay plus bonus, deferred, and other reportable compensation for a listed officer, director, or key employee in a fiscal year.
What it means · Self-reported by the org and not independently audited. Compare within peer cohorts and against budget size — a figure that looks large in isolation may be ordinary for a major institution.
Source: IRS Form 990 Schedule J / Part VII, as reported by the organization.
Highest-paid executive compensation divided by the relevant performer union minimum / median scale.
What it means · A pay-equity lens. High ratios indicate concentration of compensation at the top relative to the artists on stage; useful for comparing institutional values across peers, not a judgment by itself.
Source: IRS 990 Schedule J (executive) ÷ union scale (AGMA/SDC/Actors' Equity).
Total ticket revenue a Broadway production took in for a performance week (typically eight shows, Monday–Sunday).
What it means · The headline health signal for a show. Read it alongside capacity and average ticket price: a high box office week from deep discounting is weaker than the same total at full price.
Source: The Broadway League, via BroadwayWorld; reported weekly for the prior week.
Seats sold as a percentage of total seats available for the week.
Range: Below ~60% sustained is a warning; 90%+ is a hit.
What it means · How full the house is, independent of price. Falling capacity is often the earliest sign a show is losing momentum, before box office declines show it.
Source: The Broadway League weekly grosses (attendance ÷ theatre capacity).
Weekly box office divided by tickets sold.
What it means · Pricing power. Rising average price with steady capacity signals strong demand; a high price propping up a half-empty house signals fragility. The interplay with Capacity % is the real story.
Source: The Broadway League weekly grosses (gross ÷ attendance).
The relationship between average ticket price and capacity — whether a show can raise prices without losing attendance.
What it means · A show in the top-right (high price AND high capacity) has genuine pricing power and a durable hit. One sustaining its box office only through discounting is more exposed than its headline number suggests.
Source: Derived from The Broadway League weekly grosses.
The degree to which an organization's grant income depends on a small number of funders.
What it means · High concentration is a risk: if one major funder shifts priorities, a big slice of the budget can vanish at once. Diversified funding is more resilient.
Source: Aggregated grant_awards by recipient organization.
Directors who sit on the boards of multiple organizations and/or funders simultaneously.
What it means · Maps influence and money flow in the sector. Interlocks can explain funding patterns and reveal where decision-making power concentrates across institutions.
Source: funder_board_members cross-referenced across organizations.
A 0–1 score reflecting how strongly the underlying records corroborate a published fact, derived from source tier, corroborating observations, and external IDs.
Range: Higher = more independent corroboration.
What it means · How much to trust a given data point. We publish deterministically from this signal rather than hand-curating — surfacing it lets you weigh a figure by how well-sourced it is.
Source: Computed from entity_observations / entity_external_ids / entity_claims.
The 12-month accounting period a filing covers — often not the calendar year.
What it means · Always check the fiscal year before comparing figures: two organizations' '2023' numbers may cover different 12-month windows, and the most recent filing can be 12–24 months behind today.
Source: IRS Form 990 tax-period fields.
Financial and compensation data is sourced from public filings and reports and is for informational purposes only. See full disclaimer.