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Found Sound Nation

EIN 47-4207974 · Ridgewood, NY

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak39 out of 100GovernanceGood73 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

TO LEVERAGE THE POWER OF CREATIVE MUSICAL COLLABORATION TO MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON LOCAL AND GLOBAL COMMUNITIES.

Income
$1.8 million
Spending
$1.8 million
Spent on programs
89%
Reserves
0.7 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 95%
Employees
6
Volunteers
5
Highest pay
$108,022, interim treasurer

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

  • Reserves

    4 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 0.7 months of spending.

  • Debt

    2 of 20

    It owes 92% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    8 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 2% of income.

  • Income trend

    10 of 15

    Income fell 6% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    89% 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

Good: 73 out of 100. Higher than 23% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    5 of 7 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

    0 of 7

    Reports no 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

    0 of 5

    Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.

  • Independent check of accounts

    0 of 15

    Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or 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 (1)
  1. $1.6 million spent. FOUND SOUND NATION PARTNERS WITH LOCAL YOUTH, SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS, MUSIC FESTIVALS, AND ARTISTS ACROSS ALL DISCIPLINES TO ENGAGE PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE IN OUR INTERACTIVE PROCESS OF COLLABORATIVE MUSIC, AUDIO, AND VIDEO PRODUCTION, IN ORDER TO GIVE VOICE TO UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES, UNLOCK THE CREATIVE POTENTIAL OF YOUTH, AND BRIDGE CULTURAL AND POLITICAL DIVIDES.FISCAL YEAR 2025 PROGRAM ACTIVITES INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING:GLOBAL EXCHANGES: ONEBEATFOUND SOUND NATION IMPLEMENTED ONEBEAT 14, CONVENING 25 INTERNATIONAL MUSICIANS AND CREATIVE PRACTITIONERS FOR A COLLABORATIVE EXCHANGE FOCUSED ON CO-CREATION, CULTURAL DIALOGUE, AND PUBLIC-FACING ARTISTIC WORK. THE PROGRAM SUPPORTED PARTICIPANTS IN DEVELOPING NEW MUSICAL COLLABORATIONS, STRENGTHENING PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS, AND ENGAGING AUDIENCES IN THE U.S. THROUGH WORKSHOPS, PERFORMANCES, AND RELATED COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES. PROGRAM DATES: SEPTEMBER 18 - OCTOBER 14, 2024, WITH PRE-PLANNING AND POST-PRODUCTION THROUGHOUT THE YEAR BEFORE AND AFTER THE PROGRAM DATES. LOCATION & AUDIENCES: RESIDENCY PROGRAM TOOK PLACE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, VERMONT, MASSACHUSETTS AND MAINE, SERVING AUDIENCES AND WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS IN THOSE LOCATIONS. WITH OVER 5,000 CANDIDATES REGISTERING APPLICATIONS TO BE PART OF THE PROGRAM, THE SELECTED PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS, FELLOWS, CAME FROM 17 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AROUND THE GLOBE, INCLUDING THE U.S.THE ORGANIZATION ALSO IMPLEMENTED ONEBEAT TAIWAN, CONVENING 12 MUSICIANS AND CREATIVE PRACTITIONERS FROM TAIWAN, MALAYSIA, PHILIPPINES AND THE UNITED STATES FOR A TWO-WEEK COLLABORATIVE EXCHANGE FOCUSED ON ARTISTIC COLLABORATION, CROSS-CULTURAL DIALOGUE, ARTS EDUCATION, AND LOCAL PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT. PROGRAM DATES: SEPTEMBER 1 - 16, 2024, WITH PRE-PLANNING AND POST-PRODUCTION SEVERAL MONTHS BEFORE AND AFTER THE PROGRAM DATES. LOCATION & AUDIENCES: RESIDENCY PROGRAM TOOK PLACE IN HUALIEN, ON THE EAST COAST OF TAIWAN, SERVING AUDIENCES AND WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS IN THAT REGION. PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS CAME FROM ACROSS TAIWAN, THE PHILIPPINES, MALAYSIA AND THE U.S.IN ADDITION, FOUND SOUND NATION UNDERTOOK PLANNING AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT FOR ONEBEAT 15, A MILESTONE INITIATIVE MARKING THE FIFTEENTH YEAR OF ONEBEAT. FY25 WORK INCLUDED PROGRAM DESIGN, PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, ARTIST ENGAGEMENT, RESOURCE PLANNING, COMMUNICATIONS, AND PREPARATION FOR FUTURE PROGRAM DELIVERY. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO BEGAN PLANNING THE ONEBEAT SUMMIT, SCHEDULED FOR DECEMBER 2025, AS A CONVENING OF ARTISTS, CULTURAL LEADERS, PARTNERS, AND COLLABORATORS TO REFLECT ON ONEBEAT'S HISTORY AND EXPLORE FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL MUSIC EXCHANGE. DURING FY25, SUDDEN TERMINATION OF FEDERAL/PASS-THROUGH FUNDING AFFECTED THE TIMING AND SCOPE OF ONEBEAT INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE ACTIVITIES. FOUND SOUND NATION ADJUSTED PROGRAM DELIVERY, MAINTAINED PARTICIPANT SUPPORT WHERE POSSIBLE, AND CONTINUED TO ADVANCE ITS MISSION THROUGH ALTERNATIVE PARTNERSHIPS, LOCALLY BASED PROGRAMMING, AND ONGOING ARTIST ENGAGEMENT.MUSIC & CONFLICT: SOUND BRIDGEFOUND SOUND NATION COMPLETED SOUND BRIDGE, A CROSS-BORDER MUSIC COLLABORATION BRINGING TOGETHER ARTISTS FROM GEORGIA, ARMENIA, AND TURKEY. THE PROJECT TOOK PLACE IN THE REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA IN THE SUMMERS OF 2023 AND 2024, BRINGING TOGETHER A TOTAL OF 24 MUSICIANS FROM GEORGIA, TURKEY AND ARMENIA TO DEVELOP ORIGINAL COLLABORATIVE WORK THROUGH FACILITATED MUSIC-MAKING, CULTURAL EXCHANGE, AND SHARED CREATIVE PRACTICE.DURING FY25, THE ORGANIZATION FINALIZED PROJECT ACTIVITIES, SUPPORTED PARTICIPATING ARTISTS, COMPLETED PRODUCTION AND DISSEMINATION OF PROJECT MATERIALS, AND SHARED RESULTING WORK WITH AUDIENCES AND PARTNERS. SOUND BRIDGE CREATED OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTISTS FROM THE SOUTH CAUCASUS AND NEIGHBORING REGIONS TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS ACROSS BORDERS, DEVELOP NEW WORK TOGETHER, AND CONTRIBUTE TO DIALOGUE THROUGH MUSIC.GLOBAL EXCHANGE & MENTORSHIP: AMERICAN MUSIC MENTORSHIP PROGRAMFOUND SOUND NATION BEGAN IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AMERICAN MUSIC MENTORSHIP PROGRAM (AMMP), AN INTERNATIONAL PROFESSIONAL-DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE FOR 20 MUSIC-INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS FROM KENYA, NIGERIA, BRAZIL, AND SAUDI ARABIA. FY25 ACTIVITIES INCLUDED PROGRAM DESIGN, PARTNER COORDINATION, PARTICIPANT RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION, CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT, MENTOR ENGAGEMENT, AND PLANNING FOR THE PROGRAM'S IN-PERSON RESIDENCY AND VIRTUAL MENTORSHIP COMPONENTS. THE PROGRAM WAS DESIGNED TO STRENGTHEN PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS, BUILD PRACTICAL INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE, AND SUPPORT LONGER-TERM COLLABORATION ACROSS INTERNATIONAL MUSIC ECOSYSTEMS.OTHER PROGRAMS CONSISTED OF SMALL, DISCRETE COLLABORATIVE MUSIC AND PUBLIC-ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE FSN'S MAJOR FEDERAL AWARD PROGRAMS, INCLUDING PARTNER-LED CONVENINGS, DISCUSSION-BASED PROGRAMMING, AND COLLABORATIVE CULTURAL PROJECTS. THESE ACTIVITIES WERE SUPPORTED PRIMARILY THROUGH DIRECT PROJECT AND CONTRACTED COSTS.

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 October 13, 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 May 2016.

    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.