Sounds Like La EIN 46-5733574 Form 990 (PDF) Claim this org

Sounds Like La

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Offers free music classes, rehearsals, and concerts for youth in Los Angeles County. For fiscal year 2025 it reported $465K in revenue, $403K in expenses, and $334K in net assets.Pt I

Type
Public charity (501(c)(3)) · Arts & Culture
Location
Santa Monica, CA
Website
soundslikela.org
Filings
6 on file (2020–2025)
Revenue
$465KFY2025
Expenses
$403K
Net assets
$334K
People
11
Filings
6
Updates
0
More identity details & actions ⌄
EIN  46-5733574 Public charity (501(c)(3)) Santa Monica, CA
Form 990 (PDF)
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Size
$100K–1M
What they do
Offers free music classes, rehearsals, and concerts for youth in Los Angeles County.
Leadership
Shabnam Fasa · Executive Director · $99K
Money in and out
$465K revenue, $403K expenses
Bottom line
64% program efficiency
Where the money goes · FY2025
Total revenue
$465K
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$403K
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$334K
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): $62K
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
Program services $0.64 Management & general $0.36
Program efficiency
64%
of spending reaches programs▼ -9% vs prior filing year
Operating runway
12.7mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate▲ +19% vs prior filing year
Surplus margin
+13%
revenue over expenses, this year▲ +183% vs prior filing year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2025 · Form 990
Revenue
$465K
FY2025▲ +31%
Expenses
$403K
FY2025▼ -2%
Total assets
$449K
FY2025▲ +15%
Total liabilities
$115K
FY2025▼ -3%
Total revenue
$465K
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$403K
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$334K
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19$62K
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$449K
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B64%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 312
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 4pending

Identity & Classification

Form 990 Header · IRS Business Master File
Legal nameHdr · item CSounds Like La
EINHdr · item D46-5733574
Principal addressHdr · item CSanta Monica, CA
WebsiteHdr · item Jsoundslikela.org
Year of formationHdr · item Lpending
State of legal domicileHdr · item MCA
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
NTEE classificationIRS BMFArts & Culture (A69)
Ruling yearIRS BMFMar 2015

Governance & Policies

Part VI
Voting members of the governing bodyPt VI · Ln 1a12
Independent voting membersPt VI · Ln 1bpending
Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aNo
Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13No
Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14No
CEO/top-official compensation independently reviewedPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Family or business relationships among officers/directorsPt VI · Ln 2No

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
Executive Director
$99,298Pt VII · Sec A
$4,463Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Shabnam Fasa’s $99K as Executive Director is at the 88th percentile of top reported officer pay among 2216 $100K–1M arts & culture nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 4 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Shabnam Fasa$99,298$85,378$70,561$88,931
Shabnam Fasa$88,000$61,173
Julius Reder Carlson$13,390$2,730
Julius Reder Carlson$4,463$3,938$4,404$8,420

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

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Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

3 program services account for $259K of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

The westside chamber orchestra

$109Kprogram expense
02

Braddock instruction & meeting

$78Kprogram expense
03

Mariachi (vap & samohi)

$73Kprogram expense

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Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Contributions & grants$456K · 98%
Program service revenue$6K · 1%
Investment income$3K · 1%
Contributions & grants98%$456K
Program service revenue1%$6K
Investment income1%$3K
Total revenueLn 12$465K

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.64 Management & general $0.36
Program services64%$259K
Management & general36%$143K
Total functional expensesLn 25$403K

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$427K
Total assetsLn 16$449K
Total liabilitiesLn 26$115K
Total net assetsLn 32$334K
Months of cash on handcomputed12.7

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2025 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $427K · Operating expenses/yr $403K
12.7 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $259K · Total expenses $403K
64%
Management & General
Management & general $143K · Total expenses $403K
36%
Fundraising
Fundraising $0 · Total expenses $403K
0%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (3-yr avg) $0 · Solicited contributions (3-yr avg) $387K
Solicited contributions below reporting floor
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $456K · Total revenue $465K
98%
Government reliance
Government grants — · Total revenue $465K
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $6K · Total revenue $465K
1%
Investment reliance
Investment income $3K · Total revenue $465K
+0.7%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $6K · Total expenses $403K
1%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $465K · Prior year $355K
+31%
Revenue CAGR
FY2019 $352K · FY2024 $465K
+6%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $334K · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $465K · Expenses $403K
+13%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $449K
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $334K · Total assets $449K
74%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) — · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) — · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $449K
Excludes program-related investments (Pt X, ln 13)
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Shabnam Fasa · Reported title EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR · Highest reported compensation $99K · Total expenses $403K
25%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $311K · Total expenses $403K
77%
Peer comparison

Same NTEE category, revenue band, and state where available. Descriptive — not a grade.

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 64%
Overhead ratio 36%
Fundraising cost ratio 0%
Revenue growth 31%
Legal fee ratio 0.5%
Accounting fee ratio 0.3%

Straight from the Form 990 — descriptive, not an evaluation. A ratio is hidden when its base is zero or too small to be meaningful; the dollars are always shown.

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2024
See all 4 funders →

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Filings & Schedule Manifest

Part IV
III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
FY2025 (Latest)$465K revenue · viewing · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2024$355K revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2023$357K revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2022$363K revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2021$349K revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2020$352K revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2025IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
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