Backlight Productions
Providing opportunities for adults with special needs to gain education in the arts and perform significant roles before live audiences.
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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 …
Verified certifications
Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.
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 whereHow it stacks up against peers
· vs. 8 similar youth development in United StatesRed flags
· All clearWhere every $1 goes
Common questions
· Auto-generated from filings + methodologyBacklight 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 .
Filing history
6 years on file from IRS 990 (FY2025): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.
See 5 years of revenue, expense breakdowns, and balance sheet.
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Tax-deductibility for donors
Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United States under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.
BACKLIGHT PRODUCTIONS is registered in United States. Donations from the Netherlands to charities outside the EU/EEA are generally not tax-deductible for Dutch donors unless the charity is listed on the Dutch ANBI register with foreign-recognized status.
Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.
Leadership
Officers & trustees (13)
Source: Public filings
Latest news
From global news sources
10 articles found
From global news sources
Sentiment
NeutralNashville Opera singers to perform alongside actors with disabilities in The Sound of Music production - News Channel 5 Nashville
Critic's Pick — Backlight Productions & Nashville Opera: 'The Sound of Music' - Nashville Scene
Backlight Productions: The Sound of Music - WKRN News 2
Backlight Productions: The Sound of Music - Yahoo
Backlight Productions: The Sound of Music - AOL.com
Backlight Productions to Play "The Sound of Music" May 30-31 - WSMV
Backlight Productions' "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe" Plays Feb 14-15 - WSMV
Multiple performers to play SpongeBob in show featuring actors with disabilities - News Channel 5 Nashville
Backlight Productions allows adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to write new musical - News Channel 5 Nashville
Broadway’s Cinderella Laura Osnes joins Backlight Productions special performance at TPAC on Oct. 22 - Williamson Herald
Activity timeline
Filings and press mentions, merged
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Other youth development in United States, by integrity assessment
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
What we don't know
Honest gaps - our score reflects transparency, not impact
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.
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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