Puppeteers of America

Name

Puppeteers of America

Legal name

Puppeteers of America, Inc.

Website

https://puppeteers.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts & Cultural Nonprofit Services (Puppetry)

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Business Associations (81391)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Puppetry & Marionette Theatre (MPAGABAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB), Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH), Arts, Culture, Entertainment & Fan Conventions Organizers (THAHABAN)

Keywords

• Puppetry arts nonprofit
• Arts membership organization
• Fiscal sponsorship services
• Puppet festival events
• Arts education publication

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees at various tier levels including Adult ($65), College ($45), Company ($100), Couple ($75), Family ($85), and Library ($55). Automatic renewal options available. Provides access to Puppetry Journal, regional festivals, fiscal sponsorship, and member resources.
2. Fiscal Sponsorship Administration: PofA provides fiscal sponsorship services to artists without 501(c)(3) status,收取7.5%的拨款金额作为行政费用。This allows individual puppeteers and guilds to apply for grants through PofA's nonprofit status.
3. Puppetry Journal Publication: Quarterly publication featuring puppetry reviews, articles, and educational content. Available via subscription included with membership or separately for libraries.
4. Festival Registration: Revenue from regional festival registrations including early bird pricing ($100 full festival, $80 daytime only, $45 students/children) and party-only tickets ($25).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Puppeteers of America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization that supports the American puppetry arts community through tiered annual memberships, the quarterly Puppetry Journal publication, regional puppet festivals across the United States, and fiscal sponsorship services that allow individual artists without nonprofit status to receive grant funding through PofA's tax-exempt umbrella (with a 7.5% administrative fee). The organization also administers the New Works Fund grant program and Carol Sterling Festival Scholarship, and connects members through regional guilds, an online bulletin board, and professional development workshops.

Product overview

Puppeteers of America offers a membership-based organizational structure serving puppetry artists and enthusiasts. The core offerings include the Puppetry Journal publication, fiscal sponsorship for grant funding, annual regional puppet festivals, scholarship programs, and a member portal with resources and community access. The organization functions as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing benefits including advocacy, networking, and educational opportunities for the puppetry community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Puppetry Journal

Quantifiable outcome

• Access to grants through fiscal sponsorship that individual artists cannot receive directly
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sandglass TheatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSandglass Theater hosts the Puppets in the Green Mountains International Puppet Festival in Brattleboro and Putney, Vermont (September 17-20, 2026). PofA organizes a regional Meet Up at this festival with workshops, performances, and Festival Passes for PofA members.
• Great Plains Puppet TraincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreat Plains Puppet Train organizes the Regional Puppet Festival in West Liberty, Iowa (September 10-13, 2026). This is a PofA regional festival featuring family shows, school shows, workshops on shadow puppets, marionettes, giant puppets, and business workshops.
• Puppet PizzazzcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPuppet Pizzazz, led by Greg Ruhe, hosts the HOT (Heart of Texas) Puppet Festival in Houston, TX (October 2-3, 2026). PofA is a sponsor and the festival serves as PofA's Southwest Regional Festival.
• Holiday Inn Express & Suites (Houston)minorOthersOfficial festival hotel for HOT Puppet Festival. Located at 3401 North Main, Houston, TX 77009. Discounted room blocks reserved for festival participants under Puppeteers of America until August 1st.
• The Putney Inn and Brattleboro TravelodgeminorOthersDiscounted hotel rooms reserved for PofA members attending Puppets in the Green Mountains festival. Rooms held until August 1st when released to public.
• Local Puppet GuildscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional puppet guilds affiliated with PofA including Greater Houston Puppetry Guild, Atlanta Puppetry Guild, and others. These guilds serve as local community organizers and help promote PofA activities in their regions.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Theatre Communications Group (TCG): National nonprofit service organization for the professional not-for-profit American theatre. Comparable as a performing-arts membership organization publishing periodicals, running conferences, and providing grants/services to member companies and individuals.
• The Jim Henson Company: Major entertainment company with deep puppetry IP (Muppets, Sesame Workshop). A broader commercial incumbent in the puppetry space that engages with the same artistic community PofA serves, including past work with PofA's President.

Emerging players

• American Folklore Society: Membership organization advancing the study and preservation of folklore. Comparable nonprofit membership model publishing a journal, running conferences, and supporting individual artists/scholars — useful peer for analog community-building approaches.
• Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC): Theatrical labor union and professional organization for stage directors and choreographers. Adjacent performing-arts membership organization serving individual practitioners with advocacy and professional services.

Direct peers

• Jim Henson Foundation: Family foundation that funds puppetry in the US through grants to puppet artists. Directly comparable mission focus on supporting American puppeteers and is a potential funder or collaborator for PofA's New Works Fund and fiscal-sponsored projects.
• American Alliance for Theatre & Education: National nonprofit serving theatre educators, students, and artists with publications, conferences, and professional development. Closely comparable as a performing-arts/education membership organization with overlapping educator segments.
• UNIMA-USA: The US center of Union Internationale de la Marionnette, the international puppetry association. Directly comparable as a membership-based nonprofit supporting American puppeteers through publications, festivals, and networking — overlapping constituency with PofA.
• ASSITEJ USA: US center of the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People. Comparable membership-based nonprofit serving artists who create theatre for young audiences, including puppetry — overlapping festival and education-program model.
• National Theatre Conference: Membership organization of leading not-for-profit resident theatres in the US. Comparable peer organization structure for performing-arts professionals with networking, conferences, and member-service orientation.

Regional players

• League of Historic American Theatres: US-based membership nonprofit for theatres of historic significance. Comparable membership-services nonprofit structure focused on preserving and supporting American theatre infrastructure, including venues used by touring puppetry companies.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/puppeteersofamerica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/puppeteers-of-america-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Puppeteers of America