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Lights Up Theater

Lights up! Theater, inc. Focuses on providing performance training and opportunities to local youths ages 10-18 with additional opportunities for educational outreach.

Lights Up Theater Inc

Arts & Culture Santa Barbara, CA EIN: 832116275 (IRS) Sign up to see website
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67
Integrity Assessment
Partial transparency
67/100 · methodology

About Lights Up Theater

Performance training and educational outreach.

Founded
Headquarters
Santa Barbara, CA
Foundation type
Supporting organization (509(a)(3))
NTEE code
A65
IRS subsection
501(c)(03)
Ruling date
Size
small

Verified certifications

Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.

IRS Tax-Deductible since 2018

Mission

Lights up! Theater, inc. Focuses on providing performance training and opportunities to local youths ages 10-18 with additional opportunities for educational outreach.

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 arts & culture in United States
Program spending This charity: 96%
Peer average: 76%
CEO comp as % of revenue This charity: 26.93%
Peer average: 0.48%
Integrity Assessment This charity: 67
Peer average: 90

Concerns

· 1 red flag
High Executive Pay
Top executive compensation is 27.5% of total expenses ($85,000 of $309,361).

Where every $1 goes

· FY2024 · IRS 990 (FY2024)
$0.96
Program$0.96
96% to programs beats the peer average (76%) and beats the Charity Navigator "highly efficient" threshold (75%).

GiveRadar Analysis

Original analysis from GiveRadar's dataset of comparable organizations

GiveRadar's verified records show Lights Up Theater with a complete profile, cross-referenced across 5 independent sources including the IRS.

  • GiveRadar has cross-referenced this organization across 5 independent sources, led by the IRS - among the most thoroughly sourced profiles in its cohort. See the sources
  • It has more complete governance disclosure than nearly all comparable organizations, because GiveRadar has verified leadership, executive compensation, a mission statement and a founding date. See national comparisons
  • GiveRadar's profile for Lights Up Theater draws on its financial disclosures and its governance, in line with the typical arts & culture charities in the United States it tracks. View this cohort
GiveRadar has verified
  • government registration
  • financial records (5 filed years)
  • disclosed leadership
  • a website
  • a donation page
  • third-party accreditation
Not yet verified by GiveRadar
  • a contact email
  • 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

Lights Up Theater is a registered arts & culture nonprofit based in Santa Barbara, CA, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 2018 and has been operating for 8 years. Its EIN is 832116275. 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 67/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports $316K in annual revenue. 15 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. GiveRadar has identified 1 potential concern.

Lights Up Theater's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 832116275. 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.

Lights Up Theater has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 67/100. 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 67 ('Partial transparency') means some public data is on file but key signals are missing - worth a closer look before donating. The charity allocates 96% of expenses to programs, which contributes positively to its score. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for arts & culture charities in United States is 90/100.

Lights Up Theater is located in Santa Barbara, CA, United States. The organization was established in 2018 and has been active for 8 years.

Based on official tax filings, Lights Up Theater has $316K in annual revenue. It allocates 96% of expenses to programs and services. This is above the average of 76% for arts & culture 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.

Lights Up Theater is classified as an Arts & Culture organization, registered in United States. It operates as a Supporting organization (509(a)(3)). By size, it is categorized as a small organization. It has $316K in annual revenue. The organization has 15 disclosed officers and directors.

GiveRadar has identified 1 potential concern for Lights Up Theater. Red flags are automatically detected from official data and may include high executive compensation relative to budget, low program spending, or missing financial filings. Red flags do not necessarily mean wrongdoing but indicate areas that may warrant further review before donating.

According to GiveRadar's records, Lights Up Theater 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 96% of expenses go to programs (the peer average is 76%). 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.

Among arts & culture charities registered in United States: It allocates 96% of expenses to programs, above the peer average of 76%. Its annual revenue of $316K is below the peer average of $1M.

Yes, donations to Lights Up Theater are generally tax-deductible in the United States. Lights Up Theater is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Its EIN is 832116275, 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
96% to programs
Source: IRS 990 (FY2024) why this matters
Unlock exact figures

Filing history

5 years on file from IRS 990 (FY2024): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.

Years on record: FY2024, FY2023, FY2022, FY2021, FY2020.
Financial details are free - with a GiveRadar account

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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

From FY2024 filing

AM
Amy L•••
Vice President

Officers & trustees (4)

Source: Public filings

See full names, roles, and stories

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

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Latest news

From global news sources

2 articles found

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

Activity timeline

Filings and press mentions, merged

Form filed
$0.3M revenue
FY2024
IRS 990
Form filed
$0.2M revenue
FY2023
IRS 990
Form filed
$0.3M revenue
FY2022
IRS 990
The show must go on: Audience lights up theater stage during power outage - News12 | New Jersey
Jul 2022
newjersey.news12.com
Form filed
$0.2M revenue
FY2021
IRS 990
'Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play' lights up Theater Wit - Hyde Park Herald
Sep 2021
www.hpherald.com
Form filed
$0.1M revenue
FY2020
IRS 990

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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 this charity 133,128
Advocacy & Civil Rights 128,026
Religion 114,636
Health 98,862
Community Development 56,086
Youth Development 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 2024 most recent on file.
Officers and trustees
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search - 15 disclosed in the public registry.
News and media coverage
GDELT Project + Google News
Supplementary verification
ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer
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 · FY2024 on record
  • Named leadership · 15 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 · 2018
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 Lights Up Theater

What is Lights Up Theater?
Lights Up Theater is a arts & culture supporting organization (509(a)(3)) based in Santa Barbara, United States. Performance training and educational outreach.
When was Lights Up Theater founded?
Lights Up Theater was founded in 2018.
Who leads Lights Up Theater?
Amy Love serves as Vice President.
Where is Lights Up Theater located?
Headquartered in Santa Barbara, CA, United States.
What is Lights Up Theater's annual budget?
Annual revenue for fiscal year 2024 is approximately $100K-$1M. 96% of expenses go to program services.
Is Lights Up Theater trustworthy?
Lights Up Theater has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 67 out of 100 (Partial 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 Lights Up Theater's registration number?
IRS EIN: 832116275.
What is Lights Up Theater's website?
http://www.lightsupsb.com