Voena
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- Only 22% of its spending went to programs.
- Raising each dollar of donations cost 99 cents.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
UNITING THE WORLD WITH CHILDRENS VOICES
- Income
- $225,444
- Spending
- $270,933
- Spent on programs
- 22%
- Reserves
- 15.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 73%
- Employees
- 2
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 51 out of 100. Higher than 21% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 15.5 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 18% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 20% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 42% on the year before.
Spending floor
0 of 1522% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 99 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Fair: 62 out of 100. Higher than 48% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).
Independent board
25 of 255 of 7 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
0 of 15Reports no written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no 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.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 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 (2)
- $60,286 spent. VOENA CHILDRENS CHOIR IS A PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM, UNIQUE BECAUSE OF ITS NO-AUDITION POLICY. VOENA TEACHES CHILDREN AGES 5-18 ETHNICALLY DIVERSE MUSIC, INSTILLING IN THEM AN APPRECIATION AND ENTHUSIASM FOR DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND CULTURES WHILE CULTIVATING, WHAT DIRECTOR ANNABELLE MARIE CALLS, THE VOENA BIG 3: 1) ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE, 2) BE SELF-MOTIVATED, AND 3) EMBRACE AN ETHIC FOR HARD WORK. VOENA PARTICIPANTS LEARN TO THINK BEYOND BORDERS WHILE SINGING MUSIC FROM MANY COUNTRIES, ALL IN THE NATIVE LANGUAGE, PROMOTING PEACE THROUGH THE EXCHANGE OF CULTURE. THROUGH INTERNATIONAL TOURS, OUR CHILD AMBASSADORS CELEBRATE DIVERSITY ABROAD, PERFORMING CULTURAL SONGS SPECIFIC TO EACH COUNTRY VISITED, GIVING VALUE TO OUR DIFFERENCES. VOENAS MISSION STATEMENT IS UNITING THE WORLD WITH CHILDRENS VOICES. JULY 1, 2024 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2025 MARKED VOENAS 30TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY, A MOMENTOUS AND CELEBRATORY OCCASION FOR THE ENTIRE VOENA FAMILY, PAST AND PRESENT. THE YEAR STARTED OFF WITH AN INCREDIBLY REWARDING TRIP TO CROATIA, WHERE PARTICIPATING CHOIR MEMBERS PERFORMED IN FOLKLORIC MUSIC EVENTS AND DISCOVERED THE JOY OF TRADITIONAL DALMATIAN MUSIC AND FOOD. NOT ONLY DID THE CHILDREN GET OPPORTUNITIES TO PERFORM AT MORE THAN 5 TRADITIONAL KLAPA FESTIVALS AND LEARN SONGS FROM CROATIAN CHILDREN AND ADULTS, AND THEY ALSO ENJOYED CULTURALLY IMMERSIVE OUTINGS WHICH STIMULATED THEIR APPRECIATION FOR THE COUNTRY AND WERE REWARDING WAYS TO SPEND TIME WITH THEIR FAMILIES AND WITH EACH OTHER - BUILDING SHARED MEMORIES AND EXPERIENCES. VOENA WAS PRIVILEGED TO BE THE ONLY NON-CROATIAN CHOIR TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS IMPORTANT ANNUAL EVENT. THE ENTIRE EXPERIENCE WAS AN OVERWHELMING CULTURAL AND ARTISTIC SUCCESS. VOENA IS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING QUALITY, DIVERSE MUSIC EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN AGES 6 TO 18 FROM ALL ETHNIC AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS. THROUGH HARD WORK AND DEDICATION, THE CHOIR CAN SING IN OVER 25 LANGUAGES. THIS YEAR, OUR MUSIC EDUCATION PROGRAM WAS COMPRISED OF THE FOLLOWING COMPONENTS: BENICIA AND REDWOOD CITY BASED CHOIR REHEARSALS FOR PREPARATORY, INTERMEDIATE, CONCERT CHOIR I AND II, AND ADVANCED CREAVO LEVELS HELD WEEKLY AND CULMINATING IN RECITALS AND PERFORMANCES SUMMER SCHOOL SESSIONS WHICH INTRODUCE SINGING AND RHYTHM BASICS TO PRE-ADOLESCENT MUSIC ENTHUSIASTS VOENA IN SCHOOLS (VIS) WHICH BRINGS THE MAGIC OF MUSIC INTO TITLE I ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN BENICIA, CALIFORNIA AND IN THE VALLEJO CITY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICTS PROGRESSIVE ENHANCED LEARNING PROGRAM CONDUCTED AFTER SCHOOL. VOENA BEATS LEVELS I & II PERCUSSION CLASSES USING DRUMS FROM AFRICA, THE MIDDLE EAST, AND IRELAND AND OTHER RHYTHMIC INSTRUMENTS PLUS COLLABORATIVE COMPOSITIONS AND WORKSHOPS WITH RICHARD SHERWOOD, CREATOR OF DRUMDALA. OUR CHOIR, VOENA BEATS, AND SUMMER CAMP HAD A COMBINED ENROLLMENT OF 207 STUDENTS; VOENA IN SCHOOL HAD SEVERAL HUNDRED ELEMENTARY STUDENTS SEMESTER; AND OUR IN-PERSON AUDIENCE MEMBERS WERE ABOVE 500. BY ACTIVELY PARTICIPATING IN VOENA, CHILDREN COME AWAY WITH MUCH MORE THAN MUSIC EDUCATION. THEY LEARN CRITICAL ELEMENTS OF LEADERSHIP, INCLUDING TEAMWORK, GOAL SETTING, COMMUNICATION, TRUST AND PROBLEM SOLVING, WHILE BUILDING SELF-CONFIDENCE, AND EXPERIENCING THE JOY OF ACHIEVEMENT IN A SAFE AND ENCOURAGING ENVIRONMENT WHICH SHAPE THEIR DEVELOPMENT IN THEIR FORMATIVE YEARS. IN ADDITION TO GRANTS AND DONATIONS, THIS YEARS REVENUE WAS AUGMENTED BY THE INTRODUCTION OF TWO NEW ANNUAL FUNDRAISING EVENTS: THE VOENA FALL TEA FUNDRAISER AND THE VOICES & VINES GARDEN GALA. BOTH WERE FINANCIAL SUCCESSES, AND TESTAMENTS TO VOENAS COMMITMENT TO TAKING GREATER OWNERSHIP OF GENERATING REVENUE AND DESIGNING EVENTS THAT DRAW DIVERSE AUDIENCES. VOENA IS PROUD TO HAVE AWARDED 28 SCHOLARSHIPS DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR, WHICH IS THE MONETARY EQUIVALENT OF $10,450. OUR ONGOING GRANT PROGRAM AND DONATIONS PROVIDE FUNDS THAT SUPPORT OUR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. WHICH INCREASES DIVERSITY BY MAKING WORLD CLASS MUSIC EDUCATION AND PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO FAMILIES FACING FINANCIAL CHALLENGES. VOENA THANKED BOARD MEMBERS SHIVA GARSHASBI, NESTOR ALIGA, JR., CHERISE WHITE-PETERSON AND MARIANNE BUNCE FOR THEIR SERVICE AS THEIR TERMS DREW TO A CLOSE IN JANUARY, 2025, AND WELCOMED THERESA HURLBUT, JULIE DAIGLE, AND DAWN NORTON, WHO WERE VOTED IN AS CHAIR, VICE-CHAIR, AND SECRETARY, RESPECTIVELY. WITH THE ADDITION OF THESE 3 NEW BOARD MEMBERS, VOENA HAS EXPANDED ITS BACKGROUND, EXPERIENCE AND REACH.
- FORM 990, PART III, LINE 4AVOENA PERFORMANCES IN 2024-202507/08-07/19/24 KLAPPA FESTIVAL PERFORMANCES, CROATIA11/16/24 FIRST ANNUAL TEA FUNDRAISER, BENICIA, CA12/06/24 BENICIA HOLIDAY TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY, BENICIA, CA12/07/24 VOICES OF SILVER BELLS CONCERT, DOWNTOWN THEATER, FAIRFIELD, CA12/08/24 VOICES OF CHRISTMAS BELLS CONCERTS, ST. PETERS CHAPEL, VALLEJO, CA12/13/24 FRENCH LAUNDRY MATINEE DINNER FUNDRAISER, YOUNTVILLE, CA12/14/24 HOLIDAY CONCERT, MCCLOUD RIVER MERCANTILE HOTEL, MCCLOUD, CA12/17/24 BENICIA VETS HALL, BENICIA, CA12/20/24 KHR MCNEALY FAMILY FUND HOLIDAY MEETING PERFORMANCE, SONOMA, CA12/21-12/22/24 FRENCH LAUNDRY DINNER CONCERTS, YOUNTVILLE, CA12/19/24 REDWOOD CITY VETS HALL - REDWOOD CITY, CA04/05/25 JOHN NEIL HARMONY SWEEPSTAKES - PALA FORM 990, PART III, LINE 4AVOENA PERFORMANCES IN 2024-2025 - CONTINUED05/03/25 VOENA VOICES OF UNITY CONCERT DOWNTOWN THEATER, FAIRFIELD, CA05/04/25 VOENA VOICES OF UNITY CONCERT - ST. PAUL CHAPEL - MARE ISLAND, CA05/15/25 RECITAL - REDWOOD CITY VETS HALL - REDWOOD CITY, CA05/18/25 VINES AND VOICES GARDEN GALA & FUNDRAISER - ADMIRALS MANSION - MAREISLAND, VALLEJO, CA05/20/25 RECITAL -BENICIA VETS HALL, BENICIA, CA
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 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 November 6, 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 June 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 July 1999.
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 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.