Songwritingwithinc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
261626709
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-T 2025, Form 990-N 2007
Location
Nashville, TN, USA
Phone
5123875857
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Arts, Cultural Organizations - Multipurpose

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,820,872
Expenses
$1,963,266
Assets
$2,027,700
Liabilities
$73,563

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

Leadership & pay

12 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • KRISTIN STARLING (EXOFFICIO EXECUTIVE DIRECT): $142,365 total reported compensation
  • DARYL WAYNE EVANS (VP OPERATIONS): $113,225 total reported compensation
  • JASON LOUIS CLEMENTI (MUSIC DIRECTOR): $104,724 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To transform lives by using collaborative songwriting to build creativity, connections and strengths.

What it reported doing in 2025

In 2025, songwritingwith: soldiers delivered programming helping 1450 individuals (+18%), more than ever before with 303 new songs written. In 2025, sw: s hosted 15 in-person retreats and 153 collaborative songwriting sessions. The 15 in-person retreats served 142 veterans and their families. These included five sw: s signature retreats, six sw: s pathh weekends in collaboration with boulder crest foundation, two special operations couples retreats in collaboration with boulder crest foundation, two sw: s retreats in collaboration with wounded warrior project's couples' odyssey, and one eod all-male retreat with eod warrior foundation, celebrating mental health awareness leaders in the eod technician community.beyond retreats, sw: s delivered 153 collaborative songwriting sessions within warrior pathh programs across 14 locations, serving 1,308 veterans and first responders. The organization also expanded its team by training two new songwriters and two facilitators to deliver sw: s pathh and retreat programs. A new retreat location was established in el paso, tx, where an all-male retreat was held. Additionally, sw: s reviewed and updated its program pre and post surveys and implemented a new evaluation survey tool.

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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

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: 80
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 28
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 89.9%; rating input score 90
  • Program expense ratio: 83%; rating input score 83
  • Fundraising efficiency: $7 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings

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; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • 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: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -7.8%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.03; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 18.4%; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 14.4% per year; rating input score 100; 70th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 15.5% per year; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 22.1% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 89.9% of revenue deployed · 83% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $142K · 12 people listed
  • Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2012 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 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 — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 24/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 15/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 44/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 19/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 47/100.