Buffalo Suzuki Strings Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
133263534
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
North Tonawanda, NY, USA
Phone
7167438728
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Performing Arts Schools

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$646,569
Expenses
$692,601
Assets
$1,616,167
Liabilities
$36,763

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

12 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Lauren Eastlack (Co-Executive Director)
  • Mary Cay Neal (Co-Executive Director)
  • Amy Reynolds (President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Mary Cay Neal (Co-Executive Director): $63,448 total reported compensation
  • Lauren Eastlack (Co-Executive Director): $56,790 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To teach children about music in a manner consistent with the philosophy and pedagogy developed by Dr. Shinichi Suzuki. We are dedicated to achieving excellence in music education by supporting a strong partnership of parents, teachers, students, and the community in a nurturing environment.

What it reported doing in 2024

Buffalo Suzuki Strings provides a complete and comprehensive music education for children from birth to age 18. We teach private lessons and group enrichment classes in violin, viola, cello, piano, and harp for students ages 3-18 and early childhood Suzuki music for children from birth to age 3.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 84% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

STRONG - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Expenses are high relative to revenue and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 66
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 39
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 76.9%; rating input score 77
  • Program expense ratio: 70.4%; rating input score 70
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -7.1%; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.33; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 17.4%; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.4% per year; rating input score 100; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 1.4% per year; rating input score 100; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 4.9% per year; rating input score 100; 38th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 76.9% of revenue deployed · 70.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 8 of 8 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $487K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $63K · 12 people listed
  • Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • 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 — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 21/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 18/100.