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Original Music Workshop Inc

EIN 27-2974840 · Brooklyn, NY

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak30 out of 100GovernanceStrong90 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

Points to look into

  • It reported loans to or from officers, directors or other insiders.

These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.

What it says it does

ORIGINAL MUSIC WORKSHOP, DBA NATIONAL SAWDUST, AN ARTIST-LED NON-PROFIT VENUE, IS A PLACE FOR EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY, A PLACE WHERE EMERGING AND ESTABLISHED ARTISTS CAN SHARE THEIR MUSIC WITH SERIOUS MUSIC FANS AND CASUAL LISTENERS ALIKE. THEY CAN FLOURISH, A SETTING WHERE THEY ARE GIVEN SUPPORT AND CRITICAL RESOURCES ESSENTIAL TO CREATE, AND THEN SHARE, THEIR WORK.

Income
$3.8 million
Spending
$4.5 million
Spent on programs
72%
Reserves
-32.3 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 68%
Employees
67
Volunteers
0
Highest pay
$154,043, director-artistic 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

Weak: 30 out of 100. Higher than 4% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    0 of 35

    Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.

  • Debt

    5 of 20

    It owes 54% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 20% of income.

  • Income trend

    10 of 15

    Income fell 3% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    72% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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: 90 out of 100. Higher than 49% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    19 of 23 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

    0 of 10

    Reports at least one of: diversion of assets, excess benefits, 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 (4)
  1. $3.2 million spent. NATIONAL SAWDUST OFFERED A VIBRANT AND BOUNDARY-PUSHING ARTISTIC PROGRAM THROUGHOUT OUR 2023-2024 SEASON (SEASON 9), THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 111 IN-PERSON PERFORMANCES, WELCOMING OVER 12,600 ATTENDEES TO OUR SPACE, OUR VENUE IN WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN REMAINS A HOME FOR INNOVATION IN SOUND AND STORYTELLING, POWERED BY MEYER SOUND'S STATE-OF-THE-ART SPAITAL SYSTEM.
  2. NATIONAL SAWDUST PRODUCED AND HOSTED A DYNAMIC SLATE OF PERFORANCES, FESTIVALS, AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS DURING SEASON 9, WE LAUCED OPERA EVOLVED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE METROPOLITAN OPERA, CREATING SPACE FOR COMPOSERS AND ARTISTS TO EXPLORE HOW OPERA IS TRANSFORMING TODAY. NATIONALSAWDUST+ PRESENTED CATIE AND THE ROBOT, A DURATIONAL DANCE DUE BETWEEN CHOREOGRAPHER/ENGINEER CATIE CUAN AND AN INDUSTRIAL ROBOT ARM, UNFOLDING OVER AN EIGHT-HOUR AMERICAN WORKDAY. EXPERIMENTAL AND GENRE-DEFYING WORKS LIKE HESS IS MORE: APPOLLONIAN CIRCLES BLURRED BOUNDARIES BETWEEN MUSIC, THEATER, AND ART INSTALLATION, WHILE GRAMMY MUSEUM COLLABORATIONS BROUGHT MAJOR ARTISTS LIKE JON BATISTE, STROMAE, RHIANNON GIDDENS, AND NICK CAVE TO OUR STAGE, EXPANDING OUR REACH AND AUDIENCE DIVERSITY
  3. OUR SEASON 9 MEMBERSHIP PROGRAMS CONTINUED TO SUPPORT EMERGING AND ESTABLISHED ARTISTS ALIKE, GROUNDED IN EQUITY AND INNOVATION, STUDENT COLLAB, OUR FLAGSHIP EDUCATION INITIATIVE WITH EL PUENTE, ENGAGED MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN CREATING AND PERFORMING ORIGINAL MUSIC, WITH PERFORMANCES ACROSS COMMUNITY VENUES, THE BLUEPRINT FELLOWS PROJECT, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE JULLIARD SCHOOL, GUSDED EMERGING COMPOSERS THROUGH THE PROCESS OF BUILDING SUSTAINABLE ARTISTIC CAREERS, THE HILDEGARD COMMISSION OFFERED A 5K COMMISSION, MENTORSHIP, AND RECORDING SUPPORT TO COMPOSERS WHO ARE WOMAN AND OTHER MARGINALIZED GENDERS, THE TOULMIN FELLOWSHIP, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CENTER FOR BALLET AND THE ARTS AT NYU, PROVIDED SUPOORT FOR COMPOSERS AND CHOREOGRAPHERS DEVELOPING NEW INTERDISCIPLINARY WORK, ALL PROGRAMS FEATURED MENTORSHIP FROM LEADERS SUCH AS KAMILAH FORBES, DU YUN, ALICIA ADAMS, ANGLICA NEGRN, AND LIS LERMAN.
  4. OUR DIGITAL PLATFORM, MOTIF, CONTINUED TO DEEPEN ENGAGEMENT WITH OUR ARTISTIC PROGRAMMING.LED BY PORT-IN-RESIDENCE LYNNE PROCOPE, MOTIF OFFERED JOURNALISM, PLAYLISTS, ESSAYS AND LIVE CONVERSATIONS FEATURING ARTISTS, SCIENTISTS AND THOUGHT LEADERS. THIS WORK ENSURED THAT NATIONAL SAWDUST'S PROGRAMMING EXTENDED BEYOND THE STATE-ONTO CLASSROOMS, CONVERSATIONS, AND COMMUNITIES.

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

  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 August 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 October 2010.

    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.