Skip to the page content
Your donations
Passes our checks

Bob Moog Memorial Foundation for Electronic Music Inc

EIN 20-5849794 · Asheville, NC

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair61 out of 100GovernanceStrong91 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

The Bob Moog Foundation fosters creativity and critical thinking by providing interactive educational experiences drawn from Bob Moogs pioneering legacy of synthesizing science, music, and imagination. We provide hands-on, immersive opportunites for children and adults to explore and engage with the science of sound through Dr. Bobs SoundSchool and the Moogseum. Through these projects, we inspire the next generation of innovative thinkers.

Income
$707,980
Spending
$604,278
Spent on programs
78%
Reserves
2.5 months of spending
Largest source of income
other income, 48%
Employees
5
Volunteers
20
Highest pay
$112,875, executive director

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Fair: 61 out of 100. Higher than 30% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    10 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 2.5 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 23% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 15% of income.

  • Income trend

    5 of 15

    Income fell 10% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    78% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 18 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 91 out of 100. Higher than 79% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    12 of 12 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    6 of 15

    Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 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 (3)
  1. $473,401 spent. In 2025, our hallmark education project, Dr. Bobs SoundSchool, once again served nearly 3,000 students in 125 classrooms in the Asheville area, providing an innovative 10-week curriculum that teaches the science of sound through music and technology. We delivered over 30,000 individual lessons to two school districts. We continued to develop and invest resources in creating a custom theremin-based educational tool, the ThereScope. When ready for manufacturing, this tool will enable us to serve children nationwide through our program. By the end of 2025, we had reached the final stages of developing prototypes for both hardware and software versions of the ThereScope and were beginning the process of beta testing.
  2. The preservation and expansion of the Bob Moog Foundation Archives continued as we added and restored numerous documents, correspondence, memorabilia, video, and important vintage instruments to our collection, including but not limited to a Model 351 R.A. Moog Theremin, Gary Wrights Moog Liberation, a LAB Series L9 Amp, and a R.A. Moog Segova Amp. We developed detailed cataloging and labeling procedures for all archive materials. With a grant award from the National Endowment for the Humanities, we continued an extensive rehousing project of our historic archival collection.
  3. The Moogseum, a 1,400-square-foot interactive public-facing museum located in downtown Asheville, NC, opened on May 23, 2019. The Moogseum comprises 12 custom- designed experiential exhibits created to inspire and engage people of all ages and knowledge levels. The Moogseum attracts over 10,000 visitors annually and is recognized locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally as one of the best museums of its kind. We have welcomed over 50,000 visitors to the Moogseum since its inception.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. 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 October 13, 2026.

  2. 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 November 6, 2026.

  3. 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 October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since March 2007.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. 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 November 4, 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.