Settlement Music School of Philadelphia
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
SETTLEMENT MUSIC SCHOOL'S MISSION IS TO PROVIDE THE HIGHEST QUALITY INSTRUCTION IN MUSIC AND THE RELATED ARTS TO CHILDREN AND ADULTS, WITHOUT REGARD TO AGE, RACE OR FINANCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES. SETTLEMENT'S BROAD RANGE OF PROGRAMS, TAUGHT BY HIGHLY CREDENTIALED AND DEDICATED FACULTY, HELP STUDENTS OF ALL AGES ACHIEVE ARTISTIC, EDUCATIONAL, AND SOCIAL GOALS. SETTLEMENT OFFERS MORE THAN 11,000 WEEKLY SERVICES OF MUSIC AND ARTS INSTRUCTION IN MORE THAN 20 INSTRUMENTS, GROUP CLASSES, CHOIRS, CHAMBER GROUPS, JAZZ ENSEMBLES, ORCHESTRA, ARTS THERAPY, DANCE, AND CREATIVE MOVEMENT, BOTH ONSITE AND ONLINE AT FIVE COMMUNITY BRANCHES AND ONLINE, AND WITH MORE THAN 70 COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS. WE ARE LEADING THE NATION IN INCREASING ACCESS TO MUSIC EDUCATION AND PIONEERING TOOLS TO EDUCATE TOMORROW'S CHILDREN.
- Income
- $18.6 million
- Spending
- $14.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 89%
- Reserves
- 2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 52%
- Employees
- 298
- Volunteers
- 85
- Highest pay
- $268,851, chief executive officer
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
Good: 75 out of 100. Higher than 49% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 2.0 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 8% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 23% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 38% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1589% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 7 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
Good: 75 out of 100. Higher than 5% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2528 of 28 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
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
0 of 10Did not give 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
0 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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 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 (5)
- $10.5 million spent. SETTLEMENT'S FINANCIAL AID PROGRAM IS THE VEHICLE THROUGH WHICH UNDERSERVED CHILDREN GAIN ACCESS TO THE SCHOOL'S PROGRAMS. THE SCHOOL ANNUALLY PROVIDES APPROXIMATELY $3 MILLION IN FINANCIAL AID AND SCHOLARSHIPS ACROSS ALL PROGRAMS TO NEARLY 60% OF ITS STUDENTS. SETTLEMENT HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN RECRUITING AND RETAINING CREDENTIALED AND EXPERIENCED FACULTY. THIS FACULTY PROVIDES 11,000 WEEKLY MUSIC AND ARTS RELATED PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO ALL THE COMMUNITIES THAT THE SCHOOL SERVES, INCLUDING LOW-INCOME AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. SETTLEMENT EMPLOYS APPROXIMATELY 160 FACULTY, MAKING IT ONE OF THE LARGEST EMPLOYERS OF MUSIC EDUCATORS IN PENNSYLVANIA.
- $1.7 million spent. THE KALEIDOSCOPE PROGRAM USES THE ARTS TO PREPARE 114 LOW-INCOME PRESCHOOL STUDENTS FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS. THE PROGRAM HAS A PROVEN RECORD OF SUCCESS, WITH PARTICIPANT'S SCHOOL READINESS SCORES THREE TIMES HIGHER THAN PEERS IN NON-ARTS ENRICHED PROGRAMS. 90% OF THE STUDENTS IN THE KALEIDOSCOPE PROGRAM QUALIFY FOR HEAD START FUNDING DUE TO FAMILY INCOME OR SPECIAL NEEDS AND ATTEND TUITION-FREE. THE INNOVATION AND QUALITY OF KALEIDOSCOPE HAS HELPED IT BECOME A NATIONAL MODEL OF ARTS-BASED PRESCHOOL EDUCATION.
- $531,825 spent. SETTLEMENT'S MUSIC EDUCATION PATHWAYS PROGRAM IS AN AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM AT EIGHT PHILADELPHIA SCHOOLS, IN OPERATION SINCE 2012, SERVING OVER 250 STUDENTS WITH OVER 130 HOURS OF ENSEMBLE AND GROUP LESSONS IN BAND, ORCHESTRA, AND CHOIR. RESEARCH HAS SHOWN STUDENTS LIVING IN POVERTY TO EXPERIENCE GAINS IN SOCIO-EMOTIONAL LEARNING WHILE ENGAGED IN THIS PROGRAM.
- SETTLEMENT IS THE LEAD PARTNER OF THE PMAY ARTISTS INITIATIVE, SINCE 2017 COLLABORATING WITH SIX YOUTH MUSIC ORGANIZATIONS TO INCREASE DIVERSITY IN THE PROFESSIONAL CLASSICAL MUSIC FIELD. PMAY ARTISTS ARE A COHORT OF STUDENTS COMING FROM HISTORICALLY EXCLUDED OR FINANCIALLY DISADVANTAGED BACKGROUNDS, RANGING FROM 5TH-12TH GRADE, WHO RECEIVE ALL THE SUPPORT NECESSARY TO BECOME PROFESSIONAL CLASSICAL MUSICIANS. SINCE ITS INCEPTION, PMAY ARTISTS HAVE RECEIVED EXTENSIVE AUDITION, LESSON, AND INSTRUMENT LOAN ASSISTANCE THAT HAS ENABLED THEM TO BE ACCEPTED INTO TOP MUSIC SCHOOLS AND CONSERVATORIES, INCLUDING CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY, NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC, CLEVELAND INSTITUTE OF MUSIC, AND BOSTON UNIVERSITY, WITH SCHOLARSHIP AND FINANCIAL AID OFFERS OF UP TO $12 MILLION.
- THE KARDON CENTER AT SETTLEMENT MUSIC SCHOOL OFFERS MUSIC, ART, AND DANCE/MOVEMENT THERAPY SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS WITH DIVERSE NEEDS AT SETTLEMENT BRANCHES AND AT OTHER LOCATIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY. CREATIVE ARTS THERAPY IS A FORM OF NON-VERBAL PSYCHOTHERAPY USING THE SENSES TO OPEN NEW CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PARTICIPANTS AND THEIR THERAPISTS, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES. CREATIVE ARTS THERAPY USES THE ARTS IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THERAPEUTIC GOALS. GOALS FOR CREATIVE ARTS THERAPY ARE TAILORED TO EACH PARTICIPANT, AND BENEFITS MAY INCLUDE IMPROVEMENT IN SOCIAL SKILLS, PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS, COGNITION, LANGUAGE, AND PHYSICAL SKILLS. 20+ CERTIFIED CREATIVE ARTS THERAPISTS DELIVER SERVICES ONSITE AND AT MULTIPLE COMMUNITY BRANCHES. THE PROGRAM IS APPROVED FOR MEDICAID.
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
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.
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 October 13, 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 October 13, 2026.
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 October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since October 1932.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 21, 2026.
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