Saint Paul, MN

PENUMBRA THEATRE COMPANY INC

EIN 41-1563764

Arts, Culture & Heritage Performing Arts Black communities Children & youth

Mission

Penumbra creates professional productions that are artistically excellent, thought-provoking, and relevant, illuminating the human condition through the prism of the African American experience while advancing racial equity and community healing.

IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) public charity Contributions are tax-deductible

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About PENUMBRA THEATRE COMPANY INC

Penumbra Theatre Company is a long-established Black professional theater and arts organization based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, founded in 1976. The organization produces plays, develops playwrights and artists, and delivers community-facing programs that center the African American experience. In recent years Penumbra has been evolving into the Penumbra Center for Racial Healing, expanding its work to include equity training, wellness and healing programming, youth institutes, and broader community engagement; it marked its 50th anniversary in 2026 (founded 1976).

Notable achievements

Major philanthropic investments

Received transformational unrestricted support (including a $5 million gift in 2021) and multi‑million grants that accelerated Penumbra’s strategic transition into the Penumbra Center for Racial Healing and expanded program capacity.

Ford Foundation Cultural Treasures support

Awarded significant recognition and funding through national philanthropic programs (including support from the Ford Foundation) that underscored Penumbra’s national stature as a leading Black arts institution.

Five-decade legacy and artistic impact

Founded in 1976, Penumbra has produced and developed new plays and artists for more than 50 years, nurturing nationally recognized playwrights and sustaining Minnesota’s only long-standing Black professional theatre company.

At a glance

Total assets: $7.2M
Annual revenue: $2.0M
Tax status: 501(c)(3)Public charity
EIN: 41-1563764
Location: Saint Paul, MN
Website: penumbratheatre.org
On Mahalo since: September 2026

Financial figures from the IRS Business Master File, the IRS’s registry of tax-exempt organizations.

Recognition

Widely cited in local and national arts coverage as one of the nation’s prominent African American professional theatres and a leader in Black cultural authorship.

Listed and profiled in nonprofit data services and charity evaluators as an active 501(c)(3) public charity serving Saint Paul, MN (EIN 41-1563764).

Acknowledged by major foundations and national philanthropic initiatives for cultural preservation, racial equity work, and organizational leadership in the arts.

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