Chamber Music Unbound

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
270054977
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Mammoth Lakes, CA, USA
Phone
7609347015
Rating
81
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Music Groups, Bands, Ensembles

Reported finances

Revenue
$426,356
Expenses
$396,455
Assets
$363,477
Liabilities
$93,101

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

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Brian Schuldt (Executive Director & Secretary)

Highest reported compensation

  • Rebecca Hang (Education Director): $103,220 total reported compensation
  • Brian Schuldt (Executive Director & Secretary): $77,340 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

CMU is dedicated to providing outstanding classical music performances and music education to the residents and visitors of Mono and Inyo counties, nurturing the love for music in people of all ages and backgrounds.

What it reported doing in 2024

2024/25 AFTER-SCHOOL GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL MUSIC LESSONS. The CMU Artists-in-Residence provide individual and group instrumental instruction, coach chamber ensembles and direct youth chamber orchestras. In order to keep group programs available to all students, lessons are provided at reduced rates and instruments are loaned out to students depending on their need. 23 students took individual lessons and a total of 81 students were involved in the 5 group lessons programs: Mammoth Honors Strings, Mammoth Elementary Strings, Bishop Honors Strings, Bishop Elementary Strings, & Lee Vining Elementary Strings.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
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 - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 81
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 72
  • Sustainability: 40
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 82.9%; rating input score 83
  • Program expense ratio: 88.7%; rating input score 89
  • Fundraising efficiency: $14.47 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th 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: 66.7%; rating input score 67; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 7%; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.92; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.26; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 45.5%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 8.8% per year; rating input score 100; 67th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 6.2% per year; rating input score 100; 58th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3.1% per year; rating input score 100; 38th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 82.9% of revenue deployed · 88.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 4 of 6 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $352K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $103K · 6 people listed
  • Consistency: 42 of 42 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2020 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 49/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 55/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 38/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 5/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 17/100.