Sound Support Foundation

What it reported doing in 2025

During 2025, the sound support foundation accomplished the following in furtherance of its mission to positively impact the lives of young people through music performance education and training: in february 2025, the foundation launched the peoples music hall of fame and honored legendary musician huey lewis as its inaugural inductee. The february 7 program brought together more than 200 young soundhouse artists for performances alongside accomplished professional musicians, including tyler glenn of neon trees, tom bones malone, and marc russo of the doobie brothers. Utah governor spencer cox also participated in the event. The program celebrated mr. Lewiss musical legacy while giving young performers the opportunity to learn from and perform with leading professionals. The foundation conducted 30 outreach sessions for junior high and high school students throughout Utah. These free programs included in-school clinics, career-day presentations, educational field trips, and hands-on workshops. More than 1,000 students participated at no cost to their schools. In addition to its school-outreach activities, the foundation hosted three workshops led by nationally recognized professional musicians: grammy award winner and rock & roll hall of fame member jeff coffin, journey drummer steve smith, and christian jacobs of the aquabats and yo gabba gabba. Hundreds of young musicians received direct instruction, mentorship, and practical performance training through these programs. During the 20242025 scholarship award cycle, the foundation awarded 224,141 in financial assistance to 74 young musicians, with an average scholarship of 3,028.93 per student. This assistance enabled students to participate in advanced music training and significant live-performance opportunities. Scholarship recipients performed at events including the jazz education network international conference in atlanta, the puerto vallarta jazz & world music festival before an audience of more than 10,000, and the sold-out forkfest music festival in Utah. The foundation launched a student video-production initiative through which young musicians gained experience both performing on camera and working behind the scenes. Students participated in recording, storyboarding, filming, editing, and content development under the guidance of experienced music and film-industry professionals. The initiative expanded the foundations performance-training mission to include practical experience in music production and digital media. The foundation presented its second sensory friendly concert on june 21, 2025. Adjusted sound levels, relaxed lighting, and a welcoming environment made the live-music experience more accessible to neurodiverse individuals and their families. Scholarship recipients used their musical abilities to support other charitable organizations serving children. Members of vicious beat performed with carmit bachar of the pussycat dolls at the operation smile ski & smile challenge, which raised more than 500,000. They also performed during the ksl give-a-thon, which raised more than 1 million for primary childrens hospital. In october, foundation-supported young musicians performed at a primary childrens hospital community event attended by approximately 3,000 people. The students shared the program with internationally recognized recording artist post malone, providing them with a significant professional performance opportunity while supporting a major community institution. During 2025, the foundation met a 250,000 matching-fundraising requirement several months ahead of its october deadline. This achievement strengthened the foundations capacity to provide scholarships, community outreach, and music-performance training to young people.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 100%; rating input score 100
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

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: 100%; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Limited
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 0%; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 1 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 14
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -84.1%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 1.71; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 127.3% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 39.7% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -2.5% per year; rating input score 0; 14th percentile among comparable filings