SOUNDS ACADEMY
Mission Statement
SOUNDS Academy is a non-profit music education organization that teaches, mentors, and provides musical experiences and opportunities for underserved youth. Students receive individual lessons, group classes, and perform on the violin, viola, cello, guitar, and piano. Instruments are provided to those who cannot afford one. In SOUNDS Academy students learn the character values of creativity, leadership, perseverance, resilience, and teamwork through music education. We teach these values in our Musical Access Program, which connects students to live music and instruments through our Instrument Petting Zoos, our School Programs for lower income schools and community centers, and our SOLO Program, which provides one-on-one instruction. Our mission is to teach, mentor, and provide musical experiences and opportunities to underserved youth. The vision of SOUNDS Academy is to provide music education opportunities to a wide variety of children while removing any barriers that children may have in receiving quality music education.
Financial Overview — FY 2025
Compared with Peers
FY 2025| Ratio | This org | Peer median | Position (P10 → P90) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Program expense ratio
Program expenses / total expenses
· higher is better
|
75.9% | 81.9% |
P10P90
|
Below median |
|
Admin expense ratio
Management and general / total expenses
· lower is better
|
11.5% | 13.8% |
P10P90
|
Above median |
|
Fundraising expense ratio
Fundraising expenses / total expenses
· lower is better
|
12.6% | 0.0% |
P10P90
|
Bottom quarter |
|
Fundraising efficiency
Fundraising expenses / gross fundraising income
· lower is better
|
181.1% | 27.9% |
P10P90
|
Bottom quarter |
|
Operating reserve
Months of expenses covered by net assets
· higher is better
|
5.7 mo | 9.5 mo |
P10P90
|
Below median |
|
Liabilities to assets
Total liabilities / total assets
· lower is better
|
4.0% | 1.5% |
P10P90
|
Below median |
|
Revenue concentration
Share of revenue from the largest source
· lower is better
|
70.1% | 77.8% |
P10P90
|
Above median |
|
Revenue growth
Year over year revenue growth
|
9.9% | 6.6% |
P10P90
|
|
|
Expense growth
Year over year expense growth
|
25.9% | 5.9% |
P10P90
|
|
|
Surplus margin
Surplus as a share of revenue
|
-2.0% | 2.4% |
P10P90
|
Financial History
| Year | Revenue | Expenses | Net Assets | Program % | Staff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $882K | $900K | $427K | 75.9% | 14 |
| 2024 | $802K | $715K | $444K | 74.1% | 10 |
| 2023 | $641K | $673K | $356K | 73.7% | 9 |
| 2022 | $775K | $535K | $389K | 85.3% | 5 |
| 2021 | $385K | $348K | N/A | — | 4 |
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