Sound Salon

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
815182891
IRS 990 coverage
2021–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2020
Location
Seattle, WA, USA
Phone
3605253459
Rating
71
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Music Groups, Bands, Ensembles

Reported finances

Revenue
$201,398
Expenses
$198,392
Assets
$203,025
Liabilities
$31,695

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

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DAVE MORGAN (President)
  • FOX SPEARS (Vice President)

Highest reported compensation

  • BYRON SCHENKMAN (ARTISTIC DIR.): $50,000 total reported compensation
  • MELINDA ABENDROTH (Executive Dir.): $49,050 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Sound Salon is a chamber music series building community through thoughtfully programmed performances that feature favorite composers alongside lesser-known gems, brought to life by the multifaceted perspectives of our brilliant artists.Our VisionSound Salon builds an increasingly inclusive and diverse community through thoughtfully programmed performances that welcome, engage and inspire.Our ValuesWe conduct ourselves with integrity by: Showing care and appreciation for artists, audience, staff, and volunteers.Committing ourselves to equity, inclusivity, and egalitarian relationships.Engaging in learning with humility.Being transparent and intentional in all our activities.Relating our work to history and to the social realities of our time.Performing with attention to the technical and philosophical aspects of music.

What it reported doing in 2024

Sound Salon (formerly Byron Schenkman & Friends) fulfilled its mission to build community through thoughtfully programmed performances by presenting 6 unique chamber music programs and 8 public performances throughout the Puget Sound region. The 2025 season served a total audience of 942 attendees, prioritizing broad community access by providing 226 "pay-as-you-wish" tickets and 80 free tickets. The organization engaged 30 professional artists and 10 independent contractors to present concerts featuring favorite composers alongside lesser-known works, brought to life through the multifaceted artistic brilliance of the performers.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 83% 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

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 64
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 63
  • Sustainability: 35
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 69.5%; rating input score 70
  • Program expense ratio: 69.9%; rating input score 70
  • Fundraising efficiency: $4.65 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 20; 20th 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Fail
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 1.5%; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.02; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.16; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 49.9%; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -5.3% per year; rating input score 0; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 6.4% per year; rating input score 100; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 19.3% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 69.5% of revenue deployed · 69.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 1 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $139K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $50K · 9 people listed
  • Consistency: 20 of 20 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2021 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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 — Accountability: Governance controls: 6 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 20/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 43/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 41/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 4/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 22/100.