Backbeat Foundation Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
204703474
IRS 990-EZ coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2013, Form 990-EZ 2025
Location
New Orleans, LA, USA
Phone
5043014602
Rating
37
Verdict
REVIEW
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Music

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$11,947
Expenses
$8,883
Assets
$14,694
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

1 person listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Donna Santiago (President/Executive Director)

People named in this filing

  • Donna Santiago (President/Executive Director)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The Backbeat Foundation's mission is to foster support of the rich New Orleans cultural heritage through the presentation of innovative arts and music programming and community based events and projects. The Foundation provides resources and support to musicians living and working in New Orleans to help ensure that the musical community and legacy of New Orleans remains vibrant.

What it reported doing in 2025

18th Annual Backbeat Jazzfest Series. Annual concert series presented over 12 days with over 24 acts performing. The series is a showcase of local talent and jazz music. Over 200 musicians benefitted from performing at the event and more than 4000 attendees were exposed to jazz music in all its manifestations.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
No current program activity. The filing reports no program spending for the current year.

The verdict

REVIEW - The filed numbers largely add up and revenue comfortably covers expenses. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 0
  • Transparency & Controls: 82
  • Sustainability: 69
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 0%; rating input score 0
  • Program expense ratio: 0%; rating input score 0

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 25.6%; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.65; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -8.8% per year; rating input score 0; 30th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -11.2% per year; rating input score 0; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 6.9% per year; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 0% of revenue deployed · 0% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: Filed governance answers
  • Accomplishments: 1 filed program accomplishment
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 1 people listed
  • Consistency: 9 of 9 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 2 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 0/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 56/100.