Arts, Culture & Humanities (A600) IRS Verified DX Registered 990 on File

MESNER PUPPET THEATER

EIN: 43-1458119 · KANSAS CITY, MO 64111-1531 · United States · FY 2023 Data

3 out of 5 59 / 100 Based on 2+ years of filings

Financial strength (30%) 87/100

Reliability (20%) 55/100

Effectiveness (25%) 93/100

Impact (25%) No data yet

Financial data: FY 2023 · Scored 9/13/2026

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Mission Statement

The mission of Paul Mesner Puppets is to conceive, make and perform plays of classic, folk and contemporary stories to stir the creative imagination; educate all about the art of puppetry; reach out to the greater Kansas City area in all its diversity; and be a cultural ambassador for Kansas City in our national and international touring

Financial Overview — FY 2023

$675K

Total Revenue

$642K

Total Expenses

$426K

Net Assets

Employees

Revenue Sources

Expense Breakdown

Program Expense Ratio 80.8%

Fundraising Efficiency N/A

Operating Reserve 7.96x

Liability-to-Asset 13.0%

Revenue Diversification 65.8%

Executive Compensation $82K

Compared with Peers

FY 2023

Compared with 16,962 similar organizations (United States, Arts, Culture & Humanities, $100K–$1M in expenses), FY 2023.

This organization Middle half of peers (P25–P75) Peer median

Ratio	This org	Peer median	Position (P10 → P90)
Program expense ratio Program expenses / total expenses · higher is better	80.8%	81.8%	P10P90	Below median
Admin expense ratio Management and general / total expenses · lower is better	16.1%	14.0%	P10P90	Below median
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expenses / total expenses · lower is better	3.1%	0.0%	P10P90	Below median
Operating reserve Months of expenses covered by net assets · higher is better	8.0 mo	10.4 mo	P10P90	Below median
Liabilities to assets Total liabilities / total assets · lower is better	13.0%	1.9%	P10P90	Below median
Revenue concentration Share of revenue from the largest source · lower is better	65.8%	79.8%	P10P90	Above median
Revenue growth Year over year revenue growth	15.4%	9.6%	P10P90
Expense growth Year over year expense growth	76.8%	13.6%	P10P90
Surplus margin Surplus as a share of revenue	4.9%	1.2%	P10P90

Financial History

Year	Revenue	Expenses	Net Assets	Program %	Staff
2023	$675K	$642K	$426K	80.8%	12
2022	$585K	$363K	$393K	72.4%	6
2021	$361K	$294K	N/A	—	4

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Organization Details

EIN: 43-1458119
State: MO
City: KANSAS CITY
ZIP: 64111-1531
Classification: A600
Category: Arts, Culture & Humanities
Rating: 3★
Coverage: A
Last Updated: Aug 2026
IRS Ruling Year: 1987
Foundation Code: 16
Form 990: On File

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CharityAI™ rates charities from 0 to 100 using public filings (IRS Form 990 and the equivalent registries outside the US) together with the information the charity itself provides on DonationX. Ratings are recalculated every quarter, without human bias, and shown as stars.

Four pillars

Financial strength30%

Program expense ratio, fundraising efficiency, operating reserves, liabilities and revenue diversification, compared with similar organizations.

Reliability20%

Standing with the registry, filing history, verification and how complete the profile is.

Effectiveness25%

How much goes to programs and how consistently the organization delivers them.

Impact25%

The outcomes the charity reports on DonationX: people served, cost per service and results.

Stars

★★★★★ 80–100 ★★★★☆ 60–79 ★★★☆☆ 40–59 ★★☆☆☆ 20–39 ★☆☆☆☆ 1–19

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The coverage grade (A to D) says how much filing data the score rests on; NONE means there is not enough to rate.
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