Charities United States Youth Development Backlight Productions
Backlight Productions logo

Backlight Productions

Providing opportunities for adults with special needs to gain education in the arts and perform significant roles before live audiences.

Youth Development Franklin, TN EIN 462420034 · IRS Sign up to see website
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90
Integrity Assessment
Strong transparency
90/100 · methodology

About Backlight Productions

GENERAL PROGRAM - Our general program is the overall operational costs to run our business, including entities such as facility rental for our classes to take place, storage unit to store costumes, sets, and props for all classes, and employee and contractor salaries. THEATER PROGRAMS - Our theater program teaches everything from musical theater to playwrighting, teaching students essential skills such as expressing emotions, eye contact, memorization, and speaking clearly. There are over 40 students in our theater program and they work as a team to produce professional-level theater performances. PRODUCTION - Every class we teach culminates into a production. These productions range in expense, but each one is a chance for our students to show what they have learned …

Founded
Headquarters
Franklin, TN
Foundation type
Publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2))
NTEE code
O50
IRS subsection
501(c)(03)
Ruling date
Size
micro

Verified certifications

Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.

IRS Tax-Deductible since 2014

Mission

Providing opportunities for adults with special needs to gain education in the arts and perform significant roles before live audiences.

Focus areas & reach

· What they work on and where
Youth Development · NTEE O50
Cause tags

How it stacks up against peers

· vs. 8 similar youth development in United States
Program spending This charity: 77%
Peer average: 94%
CEO comp as % of revenue This charity: 6.12%
Peer average: 0.48%
Integrity Assessment This charity: 90
Peer average: 92

Red flags

· All clear
IRS revocation history
OFAC / EU / UN sanctions
Open investigations
Governance scandals
Related-party deals
Excessive exec comp

Where every $1 goes

$0.77
Program expenses$0.77 ($280,738)
77% to programs beats the Charity Navigator "highly efficient" threshold (75%).

Common questions

· Auto-generated from filings + methodology

Backlight Productions is a registered youth development nonprofit based in Franklin, TN, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 2013 and has been operating for 13 years. Its EIN is 462420034. It has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 90/100 (Strong transparency), indicating well-documented governance, financials, and contact details. The organization reports $340K in annual revenue. 49 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected.

Backlight Productions has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 90/100. This score combines five components: Registration (20 pts), Financial Transparency (30 pts), Governance (20 pts), Contact Availability (10 pts), and Data Recency (20 pts), with negative adjustments for any red flags. A score of 90 ('Strong transparency') reflects well-documented governance, recent financials, named leadership, and working contact details. The charity allocates 77% of expenses to programs, which contributes positively to its score. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for youth development charities in United States is 92/100.

Backlight Productions is located in Franklin, TN, United States. The organization was established in 2013 and has been active for 13 years.

Based on official tax filings, Backlight Productions has $340K in annual revenue. It allocates 77% of expenses to programs and services. This is below the average of 94% for youth development charities in United States. Its revenue is below the peer average of $1M. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.

Backlight Productions is classified as a Youth Development organization, registered in United States. It operates as a Publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)). By size, it is categorized as a micro organization. It has $340K in annual revenue. The organization has 49 disclosed officers and directors.

No red flags have been detected for Backlight Productions. GiveRadar automatically screens charities for concerning patterns including high executive compensation, low program spending, and missing financial filings. Based on available official data, no issues have been identified.

Backlight Productions has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 90/100 (Strong transparency) and no red flags have been detected, which suggests it is a well-documented organization. It is regulated by the IRS. 77% of expenses go to programs. The peer average is 94%. You can donate directly through their official donation page linked on their GiveRadar profile. GiveRadar provides data for research purposes and does not endorse any organization. Always do your own due diligence.

GENERAL PROGRAM - Our general program is the overall operational costs to run our business, including entities such as facility rental for our classes to take place, storage unit to store costumes, sets, and props for all classes, and employee and contractor salaries. THEATER PROGRAMS - Our theater program teaches everything from musical theater to playwrighting, teaching students essential skills such as expressing emotions, eye contact, memorization, and speaking clearly. There are over 40 students in our theater program and they work as a team to produce professional-level theater performances. PRODUCTION - Every class we teach culminates into a production. These productions range in expense, but each one is a... Backlight Productions is classified as a youth development organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 2013.

Among youth development charities registered in United States: Backlight Productions's GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 90/100 is in line with the peer average of 92/100. It allocates 77% of expenses to programs, below the peer average of 94%. Its annual revenue of $340K is below the peer average of $1M.

Yes, donations to Backlight Productions are generally tax-deductible in the United States. Backlight Productions is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Its EIN is 462420034, which you can use for tax filing purposes. Donors can typically deduct contributions on their federal income tax return if they itemize deductions. Consult a tax professional for guidance specific to your situation.

Verified against 5 official sources, last refreshed .

Annual revenue
$100K-$1M
77% to programs
Source: IRS 990 (FY2025) why this matters
Unlock exact figures

Filing history

6 years on file from IRS 990 (FY2025): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.

Years on record: FY2025, FY2024, FY2023, FY2022, FY2021, FY2020.
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Taxes

Tax-deductibility for donors

Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United States under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.

Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.

Leadership

ME
Melissa Smith
Exec Director

Officers & trustees (13)

Source: Public filings

AR
Art G•••••••
BOARD MEMBER
CH
Christie T•••••••
BOARD MEMBER
CO
Colin S••••
BOARD MEMBER
FE
Fernanda A••••••
BOARD MEMBER
JI
Jill M••••••
VICE PRESIDENT
JO
John D•••
FISCAL OFFICER
LA
Laura B•••••
BOARD MEMBER
ME
Melinda W•••••
BOARD MEMBER
ME
Melissa S••••
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
RE
Rebecca S•••••••
BOARD MEMBER
SC
Scott W•••••
PRESIDENT
TA
Taylor E•••
SECRETARY
TI
Tim M••••••
BOARD MEMBER
Full names, contact details & compensation

Free with an account.

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Latest news

From global news sources

10 articles found

From global news sources

Sentiment

Neutral

Activity timeline

Filings and press mentions, merged

Nashville Opera singers to perform alongside actors with disabilities in The Sound of Music production - News Channel 5
May 2026
www.newschannel5.com
Critic's Pick — Backlight Productions & Nashville Opera: 'The Sound of Music' - Nashville Scene
May 2026
www.nashvillescene.com
Backlight Productions: The Sound of Music - WKRN News 2
May 2026
www.wkrn.com
Backlight Productions: The Sound of Music - Yahoo
May 2026
www.yahoo.com
Backlight Productions: The Sound of Music - AOL.com
May 2026
www.aol.com
Backlight Productions to Play "The Sound of Music" May 30-31 - WSMV
May 2026
www.wsmv.com
Backlight Productions' "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe" Plays Feb 14-15 - WSMV
Jan 2026
www.wsmv.com
Form filed
$0.3M revenue
FY2025
IRS_990
Multiple performers to play SpongeBob in show featuring actors with disabilities - News Channel 5 Nashville
May 2025
www.newschannel5.com
Form filed
$0.3M revenue
FY2024
IRS_990
Backlight Productions allows adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to write new musical - News Channel
Jul 2024
www.newschannel5.com
Form filed
$0.2M revenue
FY2023
IRS_990
Broadway’s Cinderella Laura Osnes joins Backlight Productions special performance at TPAC on Oct. 22 - Williamson Herald
Oct 2023
www.williamsonherald.com
Form filed
$0.1M revenue
FY2022
IRS_990
Form filed
$0.1M revenue
FY2021
IRS_990
Form filed
$0.1M revenue
FY2020
IRS_990

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Peer charities

Other youth development in United States, by integrity assessment

Charity Score Revenue Program %
Backlight Productions This page 90 $339,945 77%
West Chester Dance Works 93 $322,940 100%
Beyond the Game 93 $612,348 86%
Centennial Childrens Chorus 93 $198,966 87%
Gorham Youth Soccer Association 93 $101,760 98%
Achla Alianza Chicana Hisp Lat Amer Alliance Chicanos … 93 $593,739 100%
Westchester Childrens Chorus Inc 93 $149,918 100%
Bull City Woodshop 90 $186,528 83%
Idaho West Central Mountain Youth Advocacy Coalition 90 $376,629 100%

Sources and verification

Refreshed

Registration and legal identity
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search
Financial filings
IRS Form 990 filings - Fiscal year 2025 most recent on file.
Officers and trustees
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search - 49 disclosed in the public registry.
News and media coverage
GDELT Project + Google News
Supplementary verification
Charity Navigator

Data freshness

Last updated
May 27, 2026
Profile completeness
100%

What we don't know

Honest gaps - our score reflects transparency, not impact

Programs & projects
No named programs listed by the charity
Operating reach
Countries where programs run not specified

Methodology

GiveRadar combines public registry filings, ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, Charity Navigator, GuideStar, and news archives into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.

Read full methodology

Quick facts about Backlight Productions

What is Backlight Productions?
Backlight Productions is a youth development publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)) based in Franklin, United States. GENERAL PROGRAM - Our general program is the overall operational costs to run our business, including entities such as facility rental for our classes to take place, storage unit to store costumes, sets, and props for all classes, and employee and contractor salaries. THEATER PROGRAMS - Our theater program teaches everything from musical theater to playwrighting, teaching students essential skills such as expressing emotions, eye contact, memorization, and speaking clearly. There are over 40 students in our theater program and they work as a team to produce professional-level theater performances. PRODUCTION - Every class we teach culminates into a production. These productions range in expense, but each one is a chance for our students to show what they have learned and worked toward over the course of a season. These productions incorporate entities such as costumes, sets, props, contractors, and theater rentals. OTHER PROGRAMS - include music, dance, summer camp, dance party, and contracted classes.
When was Backlight Productions founded?
Backlight Productions was founded in 2013.
Who leads Backlight Productions?
Melissa Smith serves as Exec Director.
Where is Backlight Productions located?
Headquartered in Franklin, United States.
What is Backlight Productions's annual budget?
Annual revenue for fiscal year 2025 is approximately $100K-$1M. 77% of expenses go to program services.
Is Backlight Productions trustworthy?
Backlight Productions has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 90 out of 100 (Strong transparency). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
What is Backlight Productions's registration number?
IRS EIN: 462420034.
What is Backlight Productions's website?
http://backlightproductions.org