Redtone Records
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
REDTONE RECORDS IS AS A NONPROFIT, COMMUNITY-BASED RECORD LABEL AND RECORDING STUDIO THAT PROVIDES FREE, PROFESSIONAL MUSIC AND VIDEO PRODUCTION TO CULTURAL ARTISTS WITH POSITIVE MESSAGES. WE HAVE A SPECIFIC FOCUS ON PRESERVING AND PROMOTING VARIOUS FORMS OF TRADITIONAL AND ROOTS MUSIC FROM AROUND THE WORLD. ADDITIONALLY WE WILL BE CONDUCTING REGULAR YOUTH SONGWRITING COMPETITIONS, INCENTIVIZING POSITIVE LYRICAL CONTENT FROM YOUNG, ASPIRING, COMMUNITY ARTISTS. OUR ACTIVITIES INCLUDE: IDENTIFYING AND RECRUITING ARTISTS, BOTH LOCALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY; SUBSIDIZING TRAVEL AND LODGING EXPENSES FOR ARTIST RESIDENCIES WHEN APPLICABLE; OPERATING A COMMUNITY-BASED RECORDING STUDIO; PRODUCING MUSIC AND VIDEO; HOSTING AND PROMOTING CONCERTS, FESTIVALS AND SIMILAR ACTIVITIES; PURSUING SONG PLACEMENTS IN TV, FILM, ADVERTISING, ETC.; MARKETING AND PROMOTION OF REDTONE ARTISTS; SUBMITTING REDTONE PRODUCTIONS TO MAJOR ARTISTS FOR POSSIBLE PROGRAM REVENUE TO FUND REDTONE ACTIVITIES. REDTONE'S MISSIO
- Income
- $592,631
- Spending
- $381,240
- Spent on programs
- 87%
- Reserves
- 3.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 71%
- Employees
- 1
- Highest pay
- $33,950, ed/pres/boar
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 63% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 3.5 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 15% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 36% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 50% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1587% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Fair: 59 out of 100. Higher than 28% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
18 of 252 of 3 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
0 of 15Reports no 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
0 of 10Did not give 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 December 31, 2024, 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)
- $332,764 spent. 2024 WAS MOSTLY A YEAR OF SUSTAINING ONGOING SUPPORT FOR THE ARTISTS WEVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE PAST FEW YEARS. WE PRODUCED TIFFANIS SECOND REDTONE ALBUM WHILE ALSO SPONSORING AND CO-PRODUCING A LIFE-SUSTAINING PRACTICES FELLOWSHIP SHE CREATED. PART OF THIS FELLOWSHIP INCLUDED THE CREATION OF A PODCAST, RECORDED IN OUR STUDIO, FOCUSED ON BLACK HEALTH AND WELLNESS AND FEATURING REDTONE MUSIC. WE RELEASED EFFIE ZILCHS 4TH ALBUM, MULTITUDES, A CELEBRATION OF THE SOUNDS AND SPIRIT OF A RICH BAY AREA MUSICAL LEGACY GOING BACK TO SAN FRANCISCOS GOLDEN AGE OF THE COUNTERCULTURE MOVEMENT. WE RELEASED KIAZI MALONGAS SECOND ALBUM, ZU DIA NGOMA, WITH SOME SINGLES HAVING ALREADY BEEN RELEASED IN LATE 2023. OVER THIS SAME PERIOD OF TIME, KIAZI AND HIS MUSICAL MENTOR TRAVELED EXTENSIVELY THROUGHOUT CONGO- BRAZZAVILLE, FINDING SINGERS AND MUSICIANS OFTEN IN MORE REMOTE COMMUNITIES AND BRINGING THEM INTO THE CITY TO RECORD THEIR TRADITIONAL MUSIC. KIAZI BROUGHT THESE RECORDINGS TO OUR STUDIO WHERE WE BEGAN ORGANIZING AND MIXING THE RECORDINGS TO PRODUCE A FULL ALBUM THAT WILL PRESENT A WIDE RANGE OF TRADITIONAL MUSICAL STYLES FROM VARIOUS CONGOLESE ETHNIC AND LANGUAGE GROUPS. MIKO MARKS SAW CONTINUED SUCCESS AS A TOURING ARTIST AND REDTONE AMBASSADOR. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: A 3-MONTH TOUR WITH THE TRAILBLAZING WOMEN OF COUNTRY REVUE; HER FIRST BOOKING AT STAGECOACH MUSIC FESTIVAL, THE LARGEST TICKETED COUNTRY/AMERICANA FESTIVAL IN THE WORLD; AND HER FIRST BOOKING AT SAN FRANCISCOS OWN HARDLY STRICTLY BLUEGRASS, ONE OF THE LARGEST FREE FESTIVALS IN THE WORLD, DRAWING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF ATTENDEES. SHE ALSO EXPANDED HER INTERNATIONAL TOURING TO INCLUDE SEVERAL LARGE FESTIVALS IN CANADA. 2024 WAS THE FIRST YEAR THAT REDTONES TOUR SUPPORT YIELDED MORE PROFIT THAN LOSS, A POSITIVE SIGN AS WE CONTINUE TO EXPLORE OUR BEST STRATEGIES FOR SUSTAINABILITY. IT EVEN PROMPTED MIKO TO BECOME THE FIRST REDTONE ARTIST TO DONATE SOME OF HER OWN PROCEEDS BACK INTO THE REDTONE ORGANIZATION WITH A GENEROUS 10K GIFT. WE CLOSED OUT THE YEAR WITH OUR FIRST-EVER FUNDRAISING HOUSE CONCERT. THE CONCERT WAS HOSTED BY A FRIEND AND NEW SUPPORTER OF REDTONE AT HIS HOME IN PALO ALTO. IT WAS AN AMAZING NIGHT WITH PERFORMANCES BY EACH ARTIST AND A STRONG PRESENTATION OF WHAT WE DO AND WHY WE DO IT. WE RAISED 35K AT THE EVENT AND ARE ENCOURAGED TO CREATE AN ONGOING SERIES THROUGHOUT THE BAY AREA. 2024 WAS MOSTLY A YEAR OF SUSTAINING ONGOING SUPPORT FOR THE ARTISTS WEVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE PAST FEW YEARS. WE PRODUCED TIFFANIS SECOND REDTONE ALBUM WHILE ALSO SPONSORING AND CO-PRODUCING A LIFE-SUSTAINING PRACTICES FELLOWSHIP SHE CREATED. PART OF THIS FELLOWSHIP INCLUDED THE CREATION OF A PODCAST, RECORDED IN OUR STUDIO, FOCUSED ON BLACK HEALTH AND WELLNESS AND FEATURING REDTONE MUSIC. WE RELEASED EFFIE ZILCHS 4TH ALBUM, MULTITUDES, A CELEBRATION OF THE SOUNDS AND SPIRIT OF A RICH BAY AREA MUSICAL LEGACY GOING BACK TO SAN FRANCISCOS GOLDEN AGE OF THE COUNTERCULTURE MOVEMENT. WE RELEASED KIAZI MALONGAS SECOND ALBUM, ZU DIA NGOMA, WITH SOME SINGLES HAVING ALREADY BEEN RELEASED IN LATE 2023. OVER THIS SAME PERIOD OF TIME, KIAZI AND HIS MUSICAL MENTOR TRAVELED EXTENSIVELY THROUGHOUT CONGO- BRAZZAVILLE, FINDING SINGERS AND MUSICIANS OFTEN IN MORE REMOTE COMMUNITIES AND BRINGING THEM INTO THE CITY TO RECORD THEIR TRADITIONAL MUSIC. KIAZI BROUGHT THESE RECORDINGS TO OUR STUDIO WHERE WE BEGAN ORGANIZING AND MIXING THE RECORDINGS TO PRODUCE A FULL ALBUM THAT WILL PRESENT A WIDE RANGE OF TRADITIONAL MUSICAL STYLES FROM VARIOUS CONGOLESE ETHNIC AND LANGUAGE GROUPS. MIKO MARKS SAW CONTINUED SUCCESS AS A TOURING ARTIST AND REDTONE AMBASSADOR. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: A 3-MONTH TOUR WITH THE TRAILBLAZING WOMEN OF COUNTRY REVUE; HER FIRST BOOKING AT STAGECOACH MUSIC FESTIVAL, THE LARGEST TICKETED COUNTRY/AMERICANA FESTIVAL IN THE WORLD; AND HER FIRST BOOKING AT SAN FRANCISCOS OWN HARDLY STRICTLY BLUEGRASS, ONE OF THE LARGEST FREE FESTIVALS IN THE WORLD, DRAWING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF ATTENDEES. SHE ALSO EXPANDED HER INTERNATIONAL TOURING TO INCLUDE SEVERAL LARGE FESTIVALS IN CANADA. 2024 WAS THE FIRST YEAR THAT REDTONES TOUR SUPPORT YIELDED MORE PROFIT THAN LOSS, A POSITIVE SIGN AS WE CONTINUE TO EXPLORE OUR BEST STRATEGIES FOR SUSTAINABILITY. IT EVEN PROMPTED MIKO TO BECOME THE FIRST REDTONE ARTIST TO DONATE SOME OF HER OWN PROCEEDS BACK INTO THE REDTONE ORGANIZATION WITH A GENEROUS 10K GIFT. WE CLOSED OUT THE YEAR WITH OUR FIRST-EVER FUNDRAISING HOUSE CONCERT. THE CONCERT WAS HOSTED BY A FRIEND AND NEW SUPPORTER OF REDTONE AT HIS HOME IN PALO ALTO. IT WAS AN AMAZING NIGHT WITH PERFORMANCES BY EACH ARTIST AND A STRONG PRESENTATION OF WHAT WE DO AND WHY WE DO IT. WE RAISED 35K AT THE EVENT AND ARE ENCOURAGED TO CREATE AN ONGOING SERIES THROUGHOUT THE BAY AREA.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since October 2019.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 2026.
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