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 StatesConcerns
· None foundWhere every $1 goes
· FY2025 · IRS 990 (FY2025)GiveRadar Analysis
Original analysis from GiveRadar's dataset of comparable organizations
From what GiveRadar has verified so far, Backlight Productions has a complete profile, cross-referenced across 4 independent sources including the IRS.
- It is one of the better-documented youth development charities in the United States GiveRadar currently tracks, because GiveRadar has verified its financial disclosures and its governance. Most of those have little verified data on record yet. View this cohort
- GiveRadar has cross-referenced this organization across 4 independent sources, led by the IRS - more than 95% of similar organizations. See the sources
- GiveRadar holds 6 years of financial filings for this organization, the most recent for fiscal year 2025 - a deeper filing history than 90% of the 18,694 youth development charities in the United States with filings on record. See the filings
- government registration
- financial records (6 filed years)
- disclosed leadership
- a website
- a contact email
- a donation page
- an owner-submitted profile claim
Analysis based on GiveRadar's benchmark dataset of 2026-07-03. It describes what GiveRadar has verified, not a judgment of the organization itself.
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. According to GiveRadar's records, it holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. GiveRadar's Integrity Assessment for the organization is 90/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports $340K in annual revenue. 49 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected.
Backlight Productions's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 462420034. This is the organization's IRS tax identification number; you can use it to verify tax-exempt status and to look up its Form 990 filings with the IRS.
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 79% of expenses to programs, which contributes positively to its score. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for youth development charities in United States is 90/100.
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 79% of expenses to programs and services. This is in line with the average of 79% 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 small 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.
According to GiveRadar's records, Backlight Productions holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It reports that 79% of expenses go to programs (the peer average is 79%). You can donate directly through their official donation page linked on their GiveRadar profile. GiveRadar provides data for research and does not endorse any organization. A GiveRadar Integrity Assessment reflects how much public data is available, not whether an organization is safe to donate to, so it is always smart to do your own research before giving.
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: It allocates 79% of expenses to programs, in line with the peer average of 79%. 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.
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.
Staff & volunteers
From filings and published profiles
Leadership
From FY2025 filing
Officers & trustees (13)
Source: Public filings
13 officers and trustees on file - free with a GiveRadar account.
Latest news
From global news sources
10 articles found
From news sources and the organization. Shown for transparency; news never affects the integrity score.
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
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
Magical Moments: Backlight Productions casts every actor as Belle or the Beast for one scene only - News Channel 5 Nashville
50 Nashville actors with disabilities will star in Backlight Productions’ ‘Beauty and the Beast’ - WPLN News
Activity timeline
Filings and press mentions, merged
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Sign up to write a reviewCause areas in United States
How many charities work in each area, with this charity's area highlighted.
Most common causes in United States
Causes charities work on most, with this charity's causes ticked.
Sources and verification
- 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 know and don't know
Exactly which public data we hold on this charity. Our score reflects transparency, not impact.
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Financial data · FY2025 on record
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Named leadership · 49 officers on file
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Executive pay · Disclosed
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Government registration · Registered with an official registry
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Mission statement · Published
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Official website · On record
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Headquarters address · On file
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Direct contact · Email or phone published
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Tax-deductibility · Verified
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Founding date · 2013
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Programs & activitiesNo named programs listed by the charity
Methodology
GiveRadar builds each profile primarily from official government charity registries, supplemented where available by third-party nonprofit databases and news archives, and combines it into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. The exact sources for this charity are listed above. 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, TN, United States.
- What is Backlight Productions's annual budget?
- Annual revenue for fiscal year 2025 is approximately $100K-$1M. 79% 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