The Sound Check Group Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
871818201
IRS 990 coverage
2022–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Plantation, FL, USA
Phone
9546058836
Rating
51
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Youth Development Programs

Reported finances

Revenue
$152,741
Expenses
$162,262
Assets
$27,170
Liabilities
$53,187

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

Leadership & pay

3 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • SHELDON A MCLEAN (PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • SHELDON A MCLEAN (PRESIDENT)
  • ERIN N MCLEAN (TREASURER)
  • EMERSON A BOOKAL (SECRETARY)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

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

Overview

Mission

The sound check foundation exists to repair the relationship between education and underserved communities. Through strategic planning, cultural educational programming, event and fundraising, we aim to resource classrooms, develop educators and provide access to inspiring educational experiences.

What it reported doing in 2024

Funding from donations and external grants helped support Sound Check Spotlights, our programming activities for students and educators held throughtout the year (February 2024 through December 2024). These programs were designed to fill student access gaps and fuel inspiration in educators: they included our sponsored band camps for students, Tech experiences for Students, leadership summits, masterclasses, breast cancer rallies, and much more.Funding also helped offset our expenses associated with production, overhead expenses and human resources (facilitators, honorariums, travel, etc.). EVENTS INCLUDED POMPANO BEACH FIRST FRIDAY, FLUTE FUNDAMENTALS MASTERCLASS, MIRAMAR SOS PERCUSSION @ PANTHER ARENA, EXPRESS YOURSELF TEEN OPEN MIC, SOUNDCHECK FEST 2024, TSU BAND CAMP, SOUTH FLORIDA ALL STAR BAND CAMP, SOUTH FLORIDA ALL STAR BAND HBCU NIGHT, TECH CONNECT STUDENT EXPERIENCE, SOUNDCHECK x STARBUCKS LEADERSHIP SUMMIT, ORANGE BLOSSOM CLASSIC, LET'S BEAT BREAST CANCER RALLIES, THRIVE '24 TECH CONFERENCE, HOUSTON AFROTECH 2024, NU DECO AT THE ARSHT AT THE BANDSHELL, DRIVE FOR CHANGE GOLF CLASSIC

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Cannot be determined from the filing. The filing does not provide enough consistent spending detail to tell whether the nonprofit works directly or through others.

The verdict

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and program spending has grown recently. A relatively small share of voting board members are independent and a relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 51
  • Transparency & Controls: 72
  • Accountability: 12
  • Sustainability: 24
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 58.7%; rating input score 59
  • Program expense ratio: 55.3%; rating input score 55
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 80%; rating input score 80; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 0%; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 2 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 29
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • 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: -6.2%; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.17; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 1.96; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 103.3% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 87% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 84.2% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 58.7% of revenue deployed · 55.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 0 of 3 board members independent · 2 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 3 people listed
  • Consistency: 18 of 20 current checks pass · 2 findings to review
  • Schedules: 2 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 3 filing years from 2022 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • 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: Independent voting board scored 0/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 59/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 55/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 27/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Functional expense sum did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Part IX AllOtherExpenses column sum did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 10/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 2/100.