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Tucson Jazz Music Foundation

EIN 45-4049940 · Tucson, AZ

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood84 out of 100GovernanceNot ratedThe short tax form does not cover thisImpact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

The Tucson Jazz Music Foundation is dedicated to making jazz music education accessible for Arizona's youth and the community. We provide tuition and travel scholarships to middle and high school age students (financial needs based), sponsor guest artists for workshops, performances, and residencies and recordings; sponsor participation fees and group travel expenses to adjudicated competitions and jazz festivals, provide mentors and private lessons to scholarship students, and organize and sponsor educational jazz music school shows and annual jazz celebrations.

Income
$76,336
Spending
$82,173
Reserves
15 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 90%
Highest pay
$500, treasurer / organizer & program manager

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: 84 out of 100. Higher than 59% of charities in its peer group (education, under $250k).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 15.0 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 0% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    4 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 8% 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 (4)
  1. $22,495 spent. 19 financial needs based individual tuition and travel expenses scholarships to middle and high school students for jazz music education to attend the Tucson Jazz Institute (TJI) following HHS Poverty Guidelines
  2. $36,729 spent. Group travel expense sponsorship for 25-50 TJI students to three adjudicated Jazz Festivals (Las Vegas, Flagstaff, New Yor City): bus and airline travel $21,832, jazz festival participation fees $1700, lodging $12,400, meals $797.
  3. $11,095 spent. Sponsored guest artists, clinicians, mentors, and lecturer to serve 20-50 Tucson Jazz Institute middle & high school age students and the community: 5 out-of-state guest clinicians and lecturer, 9 performers and TJI Ellington Big Band for International Jazz Day Celebration, and 3 mentors for private lessons with 5 scholarship students. In addition, as fiscal agent, 6 additional performers are included for Alan Acosta's The New School Graduate Thesis project.
  4. $5,166 spent. Purchased Music Instrument: $4301 saxophone purchased while students were in NYC for the Essentially Ellington festival at Jazz at Lincoln Center/Jazz Academy. Maintenance of $865 included for routine tuning and annual maintenance of the Yamaha piano purchased in 2024.

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 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 December 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 September 2014.

    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.