United Sound Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
United Sound's mission is to remove barriers and foster social change through music. Our goal is to support musicians and educators to use music as a vehicle for transformative change. Working with peer mentors, teaching artists, specialists, therapists, educators, composers, performers, and industry professionals, United Sound provides training, support, organizational resources, and curriculum that leverage individual strengths to create equitable opportunities and outcomes for all. Through our own experiences, we know that the joy of learning and performing music is life-changing. We believe that all children should have access to meaningful and authentic music education and musical performance experiences.
- Income
- $389,375
- Spending
- $381,908
- Spent on programs
- 97%
- Reserves
- 14.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 55%
- Employees
- 5
- Volunteers
- 1,850
- Highest pay
- $78,300, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 92 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 14.4 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 1% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 2% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 7% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1597% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 84 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
18 of 254 of 4 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
10 of 10Gave 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
6 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 July 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)
- $289,939 spent. Peer mentoring program: Production of method training materials (music, books, and other teaching materials) for teachers and students in the United Sound program. We currently have method books available for flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, euphonium, mallet percussion, rhythmic percussion, violin, viola, cello, and guitar. The curriculum was created with research-based principles in mind. Using colors and foods, the abstract concepts of music (rhythm and pitch) are transformed into concrete steps. The method books include flash cards and other materials useful in helping New Musicians be successful on their chosen instrument. For example, the flute book would include textured stickers that can be placed on a New Musician's instrument to help them feel as well as see the hand position for each note. The Peer Mentors use these method books, along with the training they receive to create a modified, individualized plan for each New Musician. For the 24-25 academic year, 687 New Musicians (students with disabilities and special needs) and 1627 Peer Mentors (general education band and orchestra students) participated in United Sound. Training 1850 volunteers, teachers, students, and aides from participating United Sound schools who donated more than 55,500 hours during the fiscal year for the United Sound program. This training includes the production of training videos that are made available to teachers and students and conference calls with schools to discuss not only the implementation of a United Sound chapter but also on-going support as needed. In addition, our founder and executive director travels to various programs throughout the country to offer support and training. For the 24-25 school year, United Sound had 88 peer mentoring programs throughout the United States. In addition to this, we also give New Musicians and Peer Mentors the opportunity to perform together at local and national events and conferences/conventions.
- $18,597 spent. Composer project - we worked to form strategic alliances with teachers, students, and composers. For teachers, we are working on making the process of finding and obtaining diverse new music easier. For students, we are working on increasing access and opportunity, enabling more young people to play more diverse music at much younger ages. For composers, we are building structure to support the writing and distribution process.
- $48,823 spent. Play with US Program: this program was created as we navigated the "new normal" during the pandemic. Even though our peer mentoring programs couldn't meet in person, our focus still remained on students with disabilities and by extension their teachers and parents. The Play with US program brings the music class directly into self-contained special education classrooms by partnering with schools across the country to provide weekly interactive videoconference music classes. At the junior high and high school levels, general music is typically not an option and electives are being cancelled. Play with US enables special education teachers to participate with their students in an active music-making class that utilizes the existing United Sound curriculum and foundations. In addition to weekly music classes, instrument kits were provided to all participants and their teachers truly making this an interactive and fun class for all. For the 24-25 academic year, we had 46 classrooms/teachers participating in Play with US and were able to bring the joy of music into the lives of over 460 special education students.
- $11,184 spent. In 2022, United Sound merged with another 501(c)(3) public charity, Tempe Symphonic Wind Ensemble Association, a community ensemble based in Tempe, Arizona. the conductor of the Tempe Winds retired and this merger allowed this ensemble to continue to exist and also benefited United Sound's composer project.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 31, 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 July 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 August 2014.
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.
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.