Home Countries 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
Claim this charity
Ready to give?
100% goes to Backlight Productions

GiveRadar doesn't take a cut. Donate directly on their site.

Make your donation
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
small

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
Cause tags
SDG alignment The 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the global agenda for ending poverty, protecting the planet, and ensuring prosperity by 2030. We tag each charity to the goals its work advances.

How it stacks up against peers

· vs. 8 similar youth development in United States
Program spending This charity: 79%
Peer average: 79%
CEO comp as % of revenue This charity: 6.12%
Peer average: 0.48%
Integrity Assessment This charity: 90
Peer average: 90

Concerns

· None found
No red flags found
Screened for IRS revocation history, Open investigations, Governance scandals, Related-party deals, Excessive exec comp.

Where every $1 goes

· FY2025 · IRS 990 (FY2025)
$0.79
Program$0.79
79% to programs beats the Charity Navigator "highly efficient" threshold (75%).

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
GiveRadar has verified
  • government registration
  • financial records (6 filed years)
  • disclosed leadership
  • a website
  • a contact email
  • a donation page
Not yet verified by GiveRadar
  • 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 + 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. 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.

Annual revenue
$100K-$1M
79% 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.
Financial details are free - with a GiveRadar account

See 5 years of revenue, expense breakdowns, and balance sheet.

Sign up to view
Already have an account? Log in
No credit card · Takes 20 seconds

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.

Staff & volunteers

From filings and published profiles

Employees
3

Leadership

From FY2025 filing

ME
Melissa S••••
Exec Director

Officers & trustees (13)

Source: Public filings

See full names, roles, and stories

13 officers and trustees on file - free with a GiveRadar account.

Already have an account? Log in
Sign up to view

Latest news

From global news sources

10 articles found

From news sources and the organization. Shown for transparency; news never affects the integrity score.

Activity timeline

Filings and press mentions, merged

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
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
Magical Moments: Backlight Productions casts every actor as Belle or the Beast for one scene only - News Channel 5 Nashv
May 2023
www.newschannel5.com
50 Nashville actors with disabilities will star in Backlight Productions’ ‘Beauty and the Beast’ - WPLN News
May 2023
wpln.org
Form filed
$0.1M revenue
FY2022
IRS 990
Form filed
$0.1M revenue
FY2021
IRS 990
Form filed
$0.1M revenue
FY2020
IRS 990

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience.

Have you donated or volunteered here?

Share your experience - it takes 30 seconds. Verified reviews help other donors decide.

Sign up to write a review

Cause areas in United States

How many charities work in each area, with this charity's area highlighted.

Human Services 322,679
Education 195,586
Arts & Culture 133,128
Advocacy & Civil Rights 128,026
Religion 114,636
Health 98,862
Community Development 56,086
Youth Development this charity 53,450
See all cause areas in United States

Most common causes in United States

Causes charities work on most, with this charity's causes ticked.

Community Development 235,146
Education 159,016
Religion 103,741
Arts & Culture 101,203
Human Rights 76,926
Health 65,250
Youth Development 47,775
Animal Welfare 32,425

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

Last updated
Jun 12, 2026
Registry checked
Jun 6, 2026
Profile completeness
100%

What we know and don't know

Exactly which public data we hold on this charity. Our score reflects transparency, not impact.

On record · 10
  • Financial data · FY2025 on record
  • Named leadership · 49 officers on file
  • Executive pay · Disclosed
  • Government registration · Registered with an official registry
  • Mission statement · Published
  • Official website · On record
  • Headquarters address · On file
  • Direct contact · Email or phone published
  • Tax-deductibility · Verified
  • Founding date · 2013
Not available · 1
  • Programs & activities
    No 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.

Read full methodology

Are you the owner or a board member?

If you represent this organization and want to correct or update its data, you can claim this listing to edit details yourself, or email [email protected] with the correct information. We review every request and respond within 30 days.

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