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Country Dance and Song Society Inc

EIN 37-1752620 · Belfast, ME

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood79 out of 100GovernanceNot ratedThe short tax form does not cover thisImpact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

The mission of Belfast Flying Shoes is to build community and cultivate well-being through the joy of traditional music and dance for people of all backgrounds and identities in Midcoast Maine.

Income
$153,996
Spending
$145,479
Reserves
4.9 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 60%
Highest pay
$63,643, executive director

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

Financial health

Good: 79 out of 100. Higher than 55% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 4.9 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 3% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 6% of income.

Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, 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, 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. $32,136 spent. First Friday Dance Series: Every month we produce a Community Dance with an All Comers Band (open to all ages, instruments and skill levels) followed by a Contra Dance with various callers and musicians. We produced 12 two-part dances in 2025. An average of 240 people participated each month (children, adults, volunteer musicians in the All Comers Band, and arts professionals.)
  2. $7,127 spent. Flying Shoes Radio Hour and Podcast: A weekly contra dance music show on WBFY-Belfast Community Radio and a podcast featuring conversations and tunes with contra dance musicians. In 2025 we aired 52 radio programs and released 5 podcast episodes.
  3. $4,464 spent. Re-entry Center Program: We offer participatory music and dance programs to residents at the Maine Coastal Regional Reentry Center, an institution that gives incarcerated men the skills they need to live successfully as citizens and employees after they transition into their communities. In 2025, we provided 62 music lessons on guitar, fiddle, banjo, and harmonica for 10 individual residents at the Reentry Center. We hosted one dance with 7 participants, and later paused the dance portion of this program.
  4. $3,021 spent. School Residencies: We use participatory dance and music to build community, cultivate social/emotional learning, and integrate with the curriculum in PreK-12 schools. We also donate resources, including instruments and teaching materials. In 2025, we provided PreK-Gr5 dance & music programming involving 274 students, staff & family members from Belfast, Belmont, Morrill, Searsmont, Swanville; Cushing; and the island communities of Chebeague, Cliff Island, the Cranberry Isles, Frenchboro, Isle au Haut, Matinicus, and Monhegan.
  5. $372 spent. Programs for Older Adults: Our community-building music and movement programs for older adults include "Sing Along and Tap Your Toes" concerts of songs that resonate with this age demographic. We partner with retirement residences, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities. In 2025, we presented a concert for older adults at a residential facility, with 2 musicians and 45 older adult participants.
  6. $58,160 spent. Other Programs: We produce a wide variety of programs beyond our core offerings, some in partnership with other organizations. In 2025, we reached 2,464 participants. Programs included 28 other dances (4 contra, 5 English country, 2 barn, 4 outdoor, 9 square, and 4 other); 5 workshops (calling, music, song, dancing, and fundraising); 2 concerts; 5 youth jam sessions; and a professional development opportunity at the MAHPERD conference. We also acted as fiscal sponsor for a regional conference for dance organizers, Puttin' On the Dance. Additional expenses include those that are not allocated to one particular program, such as insurance, certain promotional and advertising expenses, and website expenses.

Source: Form 990EZ 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 October 13, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Worth knowing.

    Not individually listed by the IRS as eligible, which is usual for local chapters covered by a parent organization's exemption. The master file records contributions to it as deductible.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, 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 May 1993.

    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 October 21, 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.