MIDDLE EASTERN NORTH AFRICAN THEATER MAKERS ALLIANCE INC Middle Eastern North African Theater Makers Alliance

During the fiscal year ending 12/31/25, Middle Eastern North African Theater Makers Alliance (MENATMA) carried out program service activities in furtherance of its exempt purpose, which is to amplify the voices of Middle Eastern and North African theater makers and expand how stories from and about our communities are told on U.S. stages. The organization's primary program activity was to design and plan its first awards program and to hire its first paid staff member, a General Manager. The General Manager will administer programs and provide operational support. Program activities included two week-long board retreats, one in Minneapolis and one in Portland, to develop and design the awards program and plan its implementation. These activities served approximately 14 board members and approximately 200 community members, a majority of whom were of Middle Eastern or North African descent, who attended two public events programmed by host organizations. Programming was delivered in person in Minneapolis and Portland. During the fiscal year, MENATMA also conducted six online board meetings and several committee meetings to further develop program details, including the implementation timeline, outreach plan, and selection process. The program was finalized in November, with a launch date of January 2026. Board members reviewed 18 applications for the General Manager position and interviewed the top three candidates. The General Manager was hired in December with a January 2026 start date. These program development and capacity-building activities were necessary to support mission-aligned services and were made possible through major funding from First Peoples Fund, Alternate ROOTS, and the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures. This work relates to MENATMA's membership in the National Arts Partners, a 12-member collective of arts service organizations assembled by The Wallace Foundation.