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Sundance Association for Country Western Dancing

EIN 94-3336172 · San Francisco, CA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong100 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

The Sundance Association for Country-Western Dancing provides education in and programs for country-western dancing as a distinctly American art form for the LGBTQ+ community. As an all-volunteer and community-supported nonprofit organization, the Sundance Association fosters individual growth and passion, encourages volunteerism and philanthropic giving, and strives to create an inclusive and welcoming community.

Income
$212,588
Spending
$195,126
Spent on programs
98%
Reserves
23.6 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 55%
Employees
0
Volunteers
200

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 85% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 23.6 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 0% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 8% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 16% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    98% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 92% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    5 of 5 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.

  • 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, 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)
  1. $162,995 spent. Sundance Saloon. Twice-weekly dance lessons and open country-western dancing featuring a variety of dance forms including two-step, waltz, east coast swing, west coast swing, line dancing, and more. These events take place in a club setting and are open to the general public, with typically 80 attendees on a Thursday, and 160 on a Sunday. Dance lessons typically take place in multiple rooms, allowing for beginning and advanced level lessons simultaneously. Sundance Saloon caters to the LGBTQ+ community and its friends. Attendees are incredibly diverse, with ages ranging from 20s to 80s, men and women and nonbinary, cis and trans, gay and straight, all races and ethnicities, and all socioeconomic levels, mixing together easily and freely. Sundance Saloon offers a safe haven for older attendees (as well as younger attendees), folks in recovery, financially-challenged individuals, those struggling with isolation, and those needing a place for solace and renewal to help cope with life's challenges.
  2. $19,275 spent. Special Events. The Sundance Association presents numerous additional special events in San Francisco, expanding its reach to the greater LGBTQ+ community and its friends. In 2025 we held large country-western dances with lessons at large outdoor festivals including San Francisco Pride and the Castro Street Fair, free to the public. Our additional exposure to the general public from these events numbered in the thousands. In addition, we produced an additional indoor event during the San Francisco Pride weekend, with 150 in attendance, and eight outdoor dances in Union Square and on Noe Street, with 60 in attendance.
  3. $8,159 spent. Sundance Round-Up. The Sundance Association produced a four-day country-western dance weekend for the LGBTQ community and its friends and allies, in conjunction with another 501c3 nonprofit organization, the International Gay Rodeo Association. The Sundance Round-Up featured four nights of large-scale dances and three days of educational dance workshops. Dance lessons took place in up to five rooms simultaneously, offering an incomparable depth and breadth of dance styles, including two-step, waltz, east coast swing, west coast swing, line dancing, and more, for all levels, beginning to advanced. There were over 800 participants, one-third from the greater San Francisco Bay Area, and two-thirds from all over the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia. The Sundance Round-Up became the largest event of its kind in the world, bringing a global community together, and greatly furthered our mission of spreading our culture of inclusiveness and welcoming around the world.
  4. $750 spent. Community Support. We offer small grants to like-minded 501c3 nonprofit organizations that produce country-western dance opportunities for the LGBTQ+ community. In 2025 we allocated three $250 grants to: Wranglers Los Angeles Dance Association, 1234 Havenhurst Drive Suite 11, West Hollywood, CA, 90046. EIN 82-1908766; Rain Country Dance Association, 1122 E Pike St PMB 1155, Seattle, WA 98122. EIN 26-1359919; and Hoedown In The Dunes, 1629 W Sherwin Ave Apt G2, Chicago IL 60626-1934. EIN 81-3691121.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 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 December 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 December 1999.

    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.