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CHARITY REVIEW
Issued: December 2025 Expires: December 2027

Kentucky Shakespeare

Accredited Charity
Accredited Charity

Meets Standards

616 Myrtle St
Louisville, KY, 40208

Standards For Charity Accountability

Governance

  1. Board Oversight
  2. Board Size
  3. Board Meetings
  4. Board Compensation
  5. Conflict of Interest

Measuring Effectiveness

  1. Effectiveness Policy
  2. Effectiveness Report

Finances

  1. Program Expenses
  2. Fundraising Expenses
  3. Accumulating Funds
  4. Audit Report
  5. Detailed Expense Breakdown
  6. Accurate Expense Reporting
  7. Budget Plan

Fundraising & Info

  1. Truthful Materials
  2. Annual Report
  3. Website Disclosures
  4. Donor Privacy
  5. Cause Marketing Disclosures
  6. Complaints

Kentucky Shakespeare meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Stated Purpose:

Mission: Grounded in the works of Shakespeare, this organization enriches communities through accessible, inclusive, professional theatre experiences that educate, inspire, and entertain diverse audiences. Vision: To use Shakespeare’s truths and the power of the arts to transform lives. Shakespeare belongs to everyone.

Year, State Incorporated:
1963, KY

Kentucky Shakespeare serves communities through the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival in Central Park, education programs for schools, public performances, and community outreach programs. Entering its 66th season, the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival in Central Park is the longest-running free, non-ticketed Shakespeare festival in the United States. As the most comprehensive in-school arts education provider in the Commonwealth, Kentucky Shakespeare serves schools throughout the region with interactive educational programming directly tied to academic standards, helping impact student achievement. Its many community programs explore conflict resolution, empathy building, and communication, in a range of settings from parks to prisons, from preschools to senior centers.

For the year ended August 31, 2024, Kentucky Shakespeare's program expenses were:

Productions $725,528
Education $479,801
Total Program Expenses $1,205,329

Chief Executive
Matt Wallace, Producing Artistic Director

Chair of the Board
Anya Bond-Beckley

Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation
Director of Talent and Teamwork, Givaudan Sense Colour

Board Size
23

Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Print advertisements (newspapers, magazines, etc.), Television, Grant proposals, Cause-related marketing (affinity credit cards, consumer product sales, etc.)

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.

The following information is based on Kentucky Shakespeare's audited financial statements for the year ended August 31, 2024.

Source of Funds
Contributions $442,501
Grants $438,077
Education programs $274,589
Productions $205,800
Gifts in-kind $12,000
Special events, net $11,967
Other income $2,234
Total Income $1,387,168

Programs: 85% Fundraising: 4% Administrative: 11%

Total Income $1,387,168
Total expenses: $1,422,539
  Program expenses $1,205,329
  Fundraising expenses $60,841
  Administrative expenses $156,369
  Other expenses $0
Income in Excess of Expenses $-35,371
Beginning Net Assets $472,904
Other Changes In Net Assets $0
Ending Net Assets $437,533
Total Liabilities $524,466
Total Assets $961,999
Ending net assets as reported above include $260,876 without donor restrictions and $176,657 with donor restrictions.

Total assets as reported above include $462,589 in property and equipment.

An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgment. If the report is about a charity and states the charity meets or does not meet the Standards for Charity Accountability, it reflects the results of an evaluation of information and materials provided voluntarily by the charity. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus.

This report is not to be used for fundraising or promotional purposes.

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Report completed by:
BBB serving Greater Kentucky and South Central Indiana