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East County Youth Symphony

EIN 20-5881556 · El Cajon, CA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair69 out of 100GovernanceNot ratedThe short tax form does not cover thisImpact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

East County Youth Symphony's mission is to provide free, high quality orchestral education and performance opportunities to young musicians, and share the spirit of classical music with new audiences of adults and children.

Income
$67,538
Spending
$106,723
Reserves
6.6 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 89%
Highest pay
$42,000, executive director

Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Fair: 69 out of 100. Higher than 39% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 6.6 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 0% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 58% of income.

Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

This organization files the short tax form, which does not ask about boards, policies or audits. That is normal for a small charity and is not a mark against it.

Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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. $48,000 spent. Pre-Orchestra Division students are children ages 7 to 14. All of them are enrolled in string ensembles where they study orchestra repertoire. Every Pre-Orchestra Division student is required to attend Music Theory class. We also offer Solfeggio, collaborative piano and music software classes to those who is interested. These additional classes are electives.
  2. $42,000 spent. ECYS Advanced Orchestra consists of high school and college orchestra players. This group performs professional repertoire such as L. van Beethoven's Symphonies No.1,3,5,7, J. Brahms's Symphony No.3, Rachmaninoff's Symphony No.2, C Frank's Symphony in D, etc. This orchestra is designed to introduce advanced and pre-professional level players to the professional environment. We have mentors, who are experienced, high class professionals tutoring every orchestra section before the concerts. These seasoned musicians also perform with students. Usually we have 11 or 12 of htem to mentor and help kids to learn their difficult parts. This model is working very well for those who are just starting their professional career in classical music.
  3. $7,250 spent. We also offer additional classes such as Sibelius (professional music notation program), Cakewalk (former Sonar, a professional soundtrack writing program), and ProTools (recording and mixing software). These courses are for kids who are interested in carriers in Music Industry, audio recoding, composition, soundtrack writing, etc. Our alumni who went though ECYS very first digital music courses are now hold master's Degree in soundtrack writing and work at the most prestigious Burbank studios as composers and sound designers. These classes are as important as our performance classes.

Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 2024.

    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 January 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.