Miami Music Project Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
264084871
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Miami, FL, USA
Phone
7864225221
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Music Groups, Bands, Ensembles

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$3,274,692
Expenses
$3,609,932
Assets
$4,034,911
Liabilities
$661,587

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

Leadership & pay

17 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ANNA B KLIMALA (PRESIDENT AN)

Highest reported compensation

  • ANNA B KLIMALA (PRESIDENT AN): $205,524 total reported compensation
  • ANDREA PASCUAL (CHIEF ADMIN): $109,375 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Miami music project uses music as an instrument for social transformation, empowering children to acquire values and achieve their full potential, positively affecting their society through the study and performance of music. Our vision is to create opportunity and access for those most in need, to develop creativity, innovation, and to improve the quality of life for children today, equipping them with the skills they need to be successful in the future and to help them excel academically, while enhancing their personal development and life skills. Miami music project empowers the following goals: -build a foundation for a prosperous and sustainable society by investing in children; -promote social progress through music by engaging children in ensemble- based music learning; -improve children's social-emotional well-being, behavioral development, academic motivation and achievement; -build pride within the served communities for the benefit of the families and neighborhoods.

What it reported doing in 2024

Emerging as a model for music education programs nationally, miami music project offers free-of-charge, after-school programming to all students with no barriers to entry, regardless of race or economic status. As of today, miami music project has reached over 33,000 children and youth across miami-dade county and is one of the largest socially transformative music initiatives in the us. Miami music project's programming is inspired by the el sistema phenomenon - a new model for social change and a visionary global movement that transforms the lives of children through music. During the 2024-2025 school year over 75 teaching artists served over 1054 students with our social-emotional learning-based curriculum. In fiscal year 2025, we increased our investment in local talent by 23%. Each children's orchestra student, 4 in 5 of whom qualify for free or reduced lunch, received over 16 hours of music teaching, lessons, and support per week for 576 hours of instruction annually. Students were also provided with snacks and academic help. 100% of our seniors graduated high school and pursued higher education. Miami music project's summer music camp offered orchestra rehearsals, sectionals, percussion ensembles, and a final concert by over 215 students. 28 students were awarded full scholarships to attend interlochen's summer camp, with three of those students being awarded scholarships to complete their high school education at the academy. In addition, four students received a full scholarship to complete their bachelor's degree at Florida international university through from the gala and stanley cohen scholarship. Miami music project is a leader in training teaching artists. Through our internal teaching artist training program and the national teaching artists training institute, miami music project provides professional development from experts who specialize in child behavior, racial and cultural sensitivity, and serving students of diverse abilities. Our students are regularly awarded scholarships to, recognition from, and placement in nationally prestigious organizations. This year, miami music project students participated in programs at the el sistema USA 2025 national symposium, the los angeles philharmonic (yola national fellows) national festival, interlochen arts camp, and the sphinx performance academy. Locally, miami music project students gave a total of 30 concerts throughout the year at venues including new world center, the arsht center, fiu wertheim concert hall, the university of miami gusman concert hall, miami beach bandshell, and miami-dade county public schools community host program sites.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 96% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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: 86
  • Transparency & Controls: 74
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 28
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 93.8%; rating input score 94
  • Program expense ratio: 84.9%; rating input score 85
  • Fundraising efficiency: $13.29 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • 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: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • 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: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -10.2%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.12; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.16; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 8.7%; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 12.8% per year; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 11.8% per year; rating input score 100; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 12.8% per year; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 93.8% of revenue deployed · 84.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 15 of 15 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $3.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $206K · 17 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

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

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 47/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 13/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Whistleblower policy not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 41/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 34/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 49/100.