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American String Teachers Association Incorporated

EIN 22-6080964 · Fairfax, VA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair54 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

ASTA creates and leads a community of diverse members to advance string teaching, performing, and scholarship. ASTA members are empowered to provide universal access to string teaching, playing, and learning.

Income
$1.9 million
Spending
$1.8 million
Spent on programs
70%
Reserves
0.3 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 96%
Employees
6
Volunteers
308
Highest pay
$194,237, executive director and ceo

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Fair: 54 out of 100. Higher than 25% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    4 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 0.3 months of spending.

  • Debt

    5 of 20

    It owes 57% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 7% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 10% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    70% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).

  • 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

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited 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 June 30, 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 (6)
  1. $849,872 spent. Conference / Competition/Webinars - In FY 2025, ASTA provided a conference in Atlanta, GA. More than 3,000 people participated this past March through in-person professional development sessions, keynote performances, jam session, and evening performances, and sight reading of new music serving all ASTA members - K-12 string educators, studio teachers, eclectic strings educators, and higher education faculty. The event included a live National Orchestra Festival featuring a record number 37 student ensembles from across the country. In addition, ASTA held its second annual Virtual String Teachers Summit, serving more than 200 members in July, 2024, and continued to offer webinars, averaging two webinars per month, accessed live or via recordings by 10% of ASTA's membership.
  2. $146,517 spent. Member Services - The Association provides professional development, career building & support, and a community of peers for all teachers of stringed instruments. ASTA communicates its message through various methods including social media and printed and electronic pamphlets and brochures intended to further the goals of increasing school programs, improving university programs, and enhancing string performance throughout the country.
  3. $51,156 spent. Publications - ASTA publishes two peer-reviewed journals -the American String Teacher Journal, published quarterly and the String Research Journal. The American String Teacher Journal is written for all members and features articles related to string teacher and performance, with an emphasis on educational approaches for string instruments. The String Research Journal (SRJ) represents the research community of ASTA. Its purpose is to encourage and improve scholarship and research within the string education profession and to disseminate the results of this work to the string and larger music teaching communities. It is produced annually. ASTA also partners with Alfred publishing to distribute books created in past years, including the recently updated ASTA String Curriculum, the only curriculum guide focused on string teaching.
  4. $26,177 spent. Foundation - ASTA welcomes donors to support ASTA's programs. ASTA partners with the Foundation for the Advancement of String Education to fund scholarships for new teachers to attend the in-person ASTA conference. This year, those dollars allowed 1 educator to participate in the national conference, and helped subsidize an additional FASE Diversity Fellows to participate in the conference offerings.
  5. $30,141 spent. New Canon Project - This year, ASTA partnered with Rising Tide Music Press, Hal Leonard Publications, and the American Choral Directors Association to premiere 7 new works of string music by Black and Latinx composers in the first decade of their composing careers. Premiered at the National Conference, these pieces are now available through SheetMusic.com and SheetMusicPlus.com for purchase and use by string educators around the world. Funded in part by the Sphinx Venture Fund this project fulfills ASTA's strategic plan directive to support new works by composers from historically excluded communities.
  6. $150,877 spent. All other projects - Journals and State Chapters

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 2026.

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

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

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

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

    Recognized by the IRS since January 1987.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 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.