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Swallow Hill Music Association

EIN 84-0781725 · Denver, CO

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood74 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

SWALLOW HILL, FOUNDED IN 1979 AS A NON-PROFIT MUSIC ORGANIZATION, BRINGS LIFE TO CONCERTS, CLASSES AND COMMUNITY ACROSS METRO DENVER. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE OSWALLOW HILL IS HOME TO THE COUNTRY'S SECOND LARGEST ACOUSTIC MUSIC SCHOOL WITH 53 FACULTY MEMBERS HOSTING 29,000 VISITS ANNUALLY; PRODUCES 137 CONCERTS BRINGING TOGETHER 45,000 CONCERT GOERS EACH YEAR AND THROUGH COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS WHICH CREATES MORE THAN 77,000 MUSIC CONNECTIONS IN UNDER-SERVED COMMUNITIES WORKING IN MORE THAN 25 SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. SWALLOW HILL BRINGS TOGETHER PEOPLE OF ALL AGES TO LEARN ABOUT, LISTEN TO AND PERFORM MUSIC.

Income
$5.8 million
Spending
$6.4 million
Spent on programs
78%
Reserves
5.2 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 65%
Employees
116
Volunteers
110
Highest pay
$202,318, ceo

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: 74 out of 100.

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 5.2 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 9% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    4 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 11% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 17% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    78% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 34 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

Strong: 100 out of 100.

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    11 of 11 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

    7 of 7

    Has a 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

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited 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 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 (3)
  1. $3.1 million spent. IN 2024, SWALLOW HILL MUSIC PRODUCED 182 CONCERTS BETWEEN THE THREE VENUES AT OUR YALE LOCATION AND OFFSITE LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT DENVER INCLUDING FOUR MILE HISTORIC PARK, THE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES AND EVENINGS AL FRESCO AT DENVER BOTANIC GARDENS. WE ALSO PARTNERED WITH ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE DENVER ARTS & VENUES, CLYFFORD STILL MUSEUM, TWO PARTS, THE CITY OF BROOMFIELD AND BUTTERFLY PAVILION TO BOOK AND PROMOTE MUSICAL ACTS FOR THEIR EVENTS. IN TOTAL, THROUGH CONCERT PROGRAMMING, SWALLOW HILL MADE OVER 59,000 MUSICAL CONNECTIONS. OUR CONCERTS HIGHLIGHTED INTERNATIONAL, NATIONAL, AND LOCAL MUSICIANS. WE CONTINUE TO INCREASE OUR COMMITMENT TO NURTURE HOMEGROWN TALENT BY SHOWCASING LOCAL MUSIC IN THE DENVER METRO AREA, AND GROWING BIPOC, FEMME, AND LGBTQ+ ARTISTS' AUDIENCES.
  2. $1.3 million spent. AS THE COUNTRY'S SECOND LARGEST ACOUSTIC MUSIC SCHOOL, WE CONTINUED TO SEE EXCELLENT GROWTH IN OUR SCHOOL IN 2024. OUR PORTFOLIO INCLUDES GROUP CLASSES, PRIVATE LESSONS AND WORKSHOPS, BOTH ONLINE AND IN PERSON, TAUGHT BY 51 INSTRUCTORS WHO ARE ALSO PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS. WE CONTINUE TO RESHAPE OUR PROGRAMMING OFFERINGS TO REFLECT THE DIVERSE MUSIC AND THE CHANGING POPULATION OF THE DENVER METRO AREA. BY THE END OF THE YEAR, WE HAD GROWN TO OFFER 700 PROGRAMS TO OVER 2400 UNIQUE STUDENTS TO ESTABLISH MORE THAN 37,000 MUSICAL CONNECTIONS.
  3. $602,456 spent. TO MAKE MUSIC ACCESSIBLE ACROSS OUR CITY AND STATE, WE OFFER MUSIC EDUCATION AND PROGRAMS IN UNDER-RESOURCED COMMUNITIES. OUR PROGRAMMING INCLUDES LITTLE SWALLOWS, EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (ECE) INFUSED WITH MUSIC FOR PRESCHOOLERS, WHERE SWALLOW HILL PARTNERS WITH SCHOOLS AND ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE A MAJORITY OF STUDENTS THAT QUALIFY FOR FREE AND REDUCED-PRICED LUNCH AND/OR HEADSTART SUPPORT, AND HAVE HIGH DIVERSITY AMONG STUDENTS. IN 2024, OUR LITTLE SWALLOWS PROGRAM WAS IN 114 CLASSROOMS ACROSS 27 SCHOOLS. OUR OUTREACH PROGRAMMING ALSO INCLUDES WORKSHOPS AND INTERACTIVE PERFORMANCES IN K-12 SCHOOLS, MUSIC THERAPY FOR VETERANS, AND PEOPLE LIVING WITH DEVELOPMENTAL OR MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES. ACROSS ALL OUTREACH PROGRAMMING IN 2024 WE MADE OVER 86,000 MUSICAL CONNECTIONS.

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

  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 November 6, 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 December 2024.

    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 July 1979.

    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 November 4, 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.