Bang on a Can Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
PRESENTING, COMMISSIONING, PERFORMING, RECORDING AND TEACHING CONTEMPORARY MUSIC.
- Income
- $3.2 million
- Spending
- $3.4 million
- Spent on programs
- 92%
- Reserves
- 2.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 60%
- Employees
- 9
- Volunteers
- 14
- Highest pay
- $177,498, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 55 out of 100. Higher than 26% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 2.9 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 21% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 6% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 2% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1592% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 5 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 56% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2514 of 16 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (2)
- $1.3 million spent. DURING THE 2024-25 (FY25) SEASON, BANG ON A CAN DEEPENED OUR ARTISTIC IMPACT AND CONTINUED TO GROW OUR REACH THROUGH BOLD, INCLUSIVE PROGRAMMING AND WIDE-RANGING PARTNERSHIPS. WE PRESENTED OVER 100 CONCERTS AND PUBLIC EVENTS ACROSS NEW YORK CITY AND INTERNATIONALLY, COMMISSIONING AND PREMIERING NEW WORK, SUPPORTING EMERGING AND ESTABLISHED ARTISTS, AND CONNECTING DIVERSE AUDIENCES TO ADVENTUROUS MUSIC. AT THE CENTER OF OUR SEASON WAS THE FOURTH ANNUAL LONG PLAY FESTIVAL, HELD MAY 2-4, 2025. IN 2025, LONG PLAY WELCOMED OVER 10,000 ATTENDEES ACROSS 12 VENUES INCLUDING BAM, ROULETTE, PIONEER WORKS, ISSUE PROJECT ROOM, THE SPACE AT IRONDALE, BRIC, PUBLIC RECORDS, FORT GREENE PARK, AND MORE. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)BOX OFFICE REVENUE MORE THAN DOUBLED FROM $103,000 TO $235,000. THE FESTIVAL INCLUDED A FREE TWO-DAY "FREE IN FORT GREENE" SERIES WITH 15 CONCERTS IN PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY-ACCESSIBLE SPACES. THE LINEUP SPANNED GENERATIONS AND GENRES--FROM EXPERIMENTAL ICONS TO NEW VOICES--UNDERSCORING OUR COMMITMENT TO MUSICAL INNOVATION AND CULTURAL INCLUSIVITY.PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED A 90TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION OF TERRY RILEY, FEATURING A NEW ARRANGEMENT OF A RAINBOW IN CURVED AIR PERFORMED BY THE BANG ON A CAN ALL-STARS AND A LARGE-SCALE, CROSS-CULTURAL PERFORMANCE OF IN C; THE WORLD PREMIERE OF PULITZER PRIZE WINNER HENRY THREADGILL'S LISTEN SHIP; ANTHONY BRAXTON'S MONUMENTAL COMPOSITION NO. 19 (FOR 100 TUBAS) AS A FREE, OUTDOOR EVENT, AND MUCH MORE. OTHER FEATURED ARTISTS INCLUDED KIM GORDON, TIM HECKER, ENSEMBLE SIGNAL PERFORMING WORKS BY JULIA WOLFE AND DAVID LANG, THE TOMEKA REID QUARTET, RINGDOWN (CAROLINE SHAW & DANNI LEE PARPAN), AND ENSEMBLE OFFSPRING FROM AUSTRALIA WITH A WORLD PREMIERE BY KATE MOORE. THE FESTIVAL'S "FREE IN FORT GREENE" SERIES EXPANDED PUBLIC ACCESS THROUGH TWO DAYS OF FREE CONCERTS AT BRIC STOOP, BAMCAF, AND FORT GREENE PARK.OUTSIDE OF LONG PLAY, WE SUSTAINED A YEAR-ROUND SLATE OF PROGRAMMING THAT BROUGHT MUSIC TO AUDIENCES ACROSS NYC AND BEYOND. WE CONTINUED LONG-RUNNING NY PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE JEWISH MUSEUM AND THE NOGUCHI MUSEUM, PRESENTING GALLERY CONCERTS THAT FOSTER INTIMATE ENCOUNTERS WITH CONTEMPORARY MUSIC AND VISUAL ART. 2024-25 CONCERTS AT THE JEWISH MUSEUM INCLUDED BANG ON A CAN ALL-STARS PERFORMING PHILIP GLASS, DITHER GUITAR QUARTET PLAYING MORTON FELDMAN AND JULIUS EASTMAN, AND FRANK LONDON'S KLEZMER BRASS ALL-STARS FOR THE MUSEUM MILE FESTIVAL.OUR ANNUAL 3-WEEK RESIDENCY AT MASS MOCA HOSTED 45 COMPOSERS AND PERFORMERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD, OFFERING AN ALWAYS-UNIQUE AND INSPIRING OPPORTUNITY FOR MUSICIANS TO EXPLORE, NETWORK, AND CREATE COMMUNITY , CULMINATING IN LOUD WEEKEND WITH 30+ CONCERTS OVER 3 DAYS THROUGHOUT THE MUSEUM CAMPUS (JULY 31-AUGUST 2, 2025).OUR RENOWNED ENSEMBLE, BANG ON A CAN ALL-STARS, PERFORMED IN OVER 20 ENGAGEMENTS NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY, INCLUDING NEW COLLABORATIONS, WORLD PREMIERES, AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES AIMED AT FOSTERING CREATIVE EXCHANGE. BANG ON A CAN ALSO CONTINUED TO PUT ITS 38+ YEAR EXPERIENCE AS LEADING PRODUCERS OF INNOVATIVE CONTEMPORARY MUSIC TO WORK IN ADVENTUROUS STAGED PRODUCTIONS WITH THE NASHVILLE SYMPHONY, THE NATIONAL SYMPHONY/KENNEDY CENTER, THE OSLO PHILHARMONIC, AND MORE.SOME TOURING PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED THE WORLD PREMIERE PERFORMANCES OF BEFORE AND AFTER NATURE BY CO-FOUNDER DAVID LANG, A MONUMENTAL MULTIMEDIA MEDITATION ON THE NATURAL WORLD, PERFORMED IN COLLABORATION WITH THE LA MASTER CHORALE AND THE HELSINKI CHAMBER CHOIR AMONG OTHER CELEBRATED VOCAL ENSEMBLES, WITH STUNNING VISUAL DESIGN BY TAL ROSNER. AFTER A WORLD PREMIERE AT STANFORD LIVE, THIS WORK TRAVELED TO PENN STATE, AND THE HELSINKI FESTIVAL, WITH 2025-26 PERFORMANCES TAKING PLACE AT THE RUHRTRIENNALE, DISNEY CONCERT HALL IN LOS ANGELES AND MORE, AND EVENTUALLY TO CARNEGIE HALL NEXT SEASON (APRIL 2027), REINFORCING OUR INTERNATIONAL FOOTPRINT AND REPUTATION FOR BOUNDARY-CROSSING INNOVATION.BANG ON A CAN CO-FOUNDER JULIA WOLFE'S WORK ALSO CONTINUES TO REACH GLOBAL AUDIENCES. DURING THE 2024-25 SEASON, BANG ON A CAN PRODUCED TOURING PERFORMANCES OF STEEL HAMMER, HER WIDELY CELEBRATED RETELLING OF THE JOHN HENRY BALLAD, IN UTRECHT, DEN HAAG, AND THE ELBPHILHARMONIE IN HAMBURG, FEATURING THE BANG ON A CAN ALL-STARS WITH TRIO MEDIAEVAL; PERFORMANCES AND A RECORDING OF FLOWER POWER--AN ORCHESTRAL ODE TO 1960S COUNTERCULTURE--WITH THE NASHVILLE SYMPHONY; HER STORY - A TELLING OF WOMEN'S STRUGGLE FOR EQUALITY THROUGH AMERICAN HISTORY - FEATURING LORELEI ENSEMBLE AND THE NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AT THE KENNEDY CENTER; AND MORE.FROM THE BARBICAN IN LONDON TO THE STREETS OF FORT GREENE, OUR REACH IS WIDER THAN EVER, BUT OUR ARTISTIC FOCUS REMAINS SHARP: CHAMPIONING INNOVATION, AMPLIFYING VOICES ACROSS THE MUSICAL SPECTRUM, AND CREATING SPACES WHERE AUDIENCES ENCOUNTER MUSIC AS SOMETHING THRILLINGLY ALIVE.
- $1.9 million spent. THROUGH A COMPETITIVE FEDERAL REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS, THE ORGANIZATION WAS AWARDED A GRANT IN SEPTEMBER 2011 TO ADMINISTER AN INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM CALLED ONEBEAT. THE CONTRACT WAS AWARDED THROUGH THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE BURUEAU OF EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS. THE PROGRAM CALLS FOR THE CREATION OF TWO (2) ITERATIONS OF MONTH- LONG RESIDENCY AND TOUR OF THE UNITED STATES FOR MORE THAN TWO DOZEN WORLD CLASS MUSICIANS FROM NATIONS SUCH AS CHINA, PAKISTAN, CONGO, POLAND, VENEZUELA, HAITI AND OTHERS, AS WELL AS PROGRAMS ABROAD DETERMINED ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. THE PROGRAM BEGAN DURING FISCAL YEAR 2012 AND HAD BEEN EXTENDED THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 2028 UNTIL THE ABRUPT TERMINATION BY THE FEDERAL GOVERMENT IN FEBRUARY 2025.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending August 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since January 1988.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.