PLATINUM2023

Highwire Improv

Community First

Baltimore, MD   |  https://www.highwireimprov.com

Mission

Highwire Improv’s mission is to steward a community of artists committed to growth, collaboration, joy, and justice — in Baltimore and around the world — through improvisational theater.

Ruling year info

2021

President

Barry Wright III

Main address

3351 Chestnut Ave

Baltimore, MD 21211 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

85-3485640

NTEE code info

Performing Arts (A60)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990-N.

Communication

Blog

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

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Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Online Improv Shows

Highwire Improv provides an online stage for improv performing groups all over the world. With a combination of technology, hosts and show runners, and a programming committee, we have helped over 200 performing groups produce over 1000 comedic and dramatic improv shows and broadcast them to the world.

Population(s) Served

Highwire Improv produces in-person improv shows (comedic and dramatic) all over the Baltimore region. We create space for solo and group performances that delight audiences. We focus on being in a wide range of venues to maximize the availability of great comedy in the Baltimore region!

Population(s) Served
Adults
Children and youth

Building spaces for new and experience improvisers to meet and practice allows us to grow the community of local performers. We host weekly, free improv jams as well as regular paid workshops with both local and out-of-town instructors to bring new perspectives to the improv scene in Baltimore.

Population(s) Served
Adults
Children and youth
Adults
Children and youth

Where we work

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Total number of paid admissions

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

This metric reflects the breadth of our in-person show programming, bringing the joy of improv to Baltimore and the surrounding areas.

Total dollars paid to artists

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Highwire Improv specifically aims to make the art of improv more sustainable, both for audiences to consume and for artists to create.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

Looking ahead to 2023, we have big goals! Much centers around building out a larger community of improvisers through our core curriculum rollout and associated teacher training program. This will work alongside our continued investment in shows and applied improv programs. Further, we’ll continue to invest in continuous professional development and learning in support of our anti-racism and anti-oppression efforts.

1. Deliver at least 2 cohorts of our teacher development program, resulting in at least 20 graduates of the program. We plan on delivering one cohort in-person and one online.
2. Deliver 12 core curriculum improv classes, with at least 2 of these delivered online. Deliver these with an average of 8 paid students per class.
3. Conduct quarterly professional development programs in DEI / anti-racism and anti-oppression, offering attendance to the broader global improv community.
4. Host regular jams and community spaces, aiming for once per week.
5. Host at least 4 out-of-town troupes for shows and workshops, building on our online connections, and learning more about the logistics which will support a future festival.
6. Run a successful donation campaign raising funds for a semi-permanent space to be booked early 2024. Raise sufficient funds to build out our Last Laugh fund sufficiently to protect the organization in the face of catastrophic events which limit our operations.
7. Double the performer pay rate to $60/half-hour set by the end of the year.
8. Transition at least one currently volunteer activity to a paid activity.
9. Establish a more official coalition/partnership in support of the operations and marketing of online improv shows, jams, and workshops.
10. Deliver 12 paid applied improv workshops and 3 free workshops to non-profit/community organizations.
11. Achieve 5x growth across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and establish a similarly sized presence on TikTok.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • Who are the people you serve with your mission?

    Members of the global improv community, members of the Baltimore improv community, and patrons of Baltimore arts events.

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals

  • What significant change resulted from feedback?

    We recently found that improvisers who were not already part of a performance group were lacking opportunities to perform during our shows. As a result, we built a new program for solo improvisers, called the Highwire Hive, to specifically bring these members of our community together and get them into performance events.

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback

Financials

Highwire Improv
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

Highwire Improv

Board of directors
as of 02/05/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Barry Wright

Kristen McKenzie

Brian Shea

William Taylor

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? No
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Not applicable
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Not applicable
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 1/31/2023
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Male, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

No data

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

Disability

Equity strategies

Last updated: 01/31/2023

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
  • We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
Policies and processes
  • We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.