To preserve Blues heritage, celebrate Blues recording and performance, expand worldwide awareness of the Blues, and ensure the future of this uniquely american art form.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
100¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 220 volunteers and 19 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2024 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2024
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
3 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $8K a year · under 1% of revenue · last 5 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
100%
of spending
Looks good: 100% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
5 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 4.6 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
2
named funders · $7K
Fine: 2 funders name it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
−$88K
-3% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are -3% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
15
of 15 voting members
Looks good: 15 of 15 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$2.1M
+73% vs prior year
Spent
$1.8M
To programs
100%
Net assets
$2.6M
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$2.1M
FY2024▲ +73%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$1.4M
FY2021$1.2M
FY2022$1.2M
FY2023$1.2M
FY2024$2.1M
Expenses
$1.8M
FY2024▲ +23%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$1.3M
FY2021$1.1M
FY2022$1.5M
FY2023$1.5M
FY2024$1.8M
Net assets
$2.6M
FY2024▼ -29%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$4.3M
FY2021$4.5M
FY2022$4.2M
FY2023$3.7M
FY2024$2.6M

From the FY2024 Form 990 (year ending September 2024) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Sep 1980.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

100 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 100% · $1.8M

Form 990 Part IX, line 25. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

15 people listed on the 990.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2023); the FY2024 filing did not itemize Part VII
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Patricia Wilson Aden’s $36K as President & is at the 3rd percentile of top reported officer pay among 3925 $1–10M 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 · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2021FY2020
Barbara Newman—$108,675
Patricia Wilson Aden$36,250—

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.

See Blues Foundation INC executive salaries →

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aNo

Programs and updates

Preserves blues heritage, celebrates its music, and expands worldwide awareness for its future.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $1.8M · in their own filed words · FY2023
01

To perserve blues heritage.

$1.8Mprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2025
Gibson GivesFY2025$7K
Total grants receivedfrom 2 funders$7K
Grants paid · 9 grants · $590K · 2019–2021
Unitemized GrantFY2021$67,375
Unitemized GrantFY2021$34,192
Unitemized GrantFY2021$21,249
Unitemized GrantFY2020$120,972
Unitemized GrantFY2020$30,486
Unitemized GrantFY2020$29,607
Unitemized GrantFY2019$188,573
Unitemized GrantFY2019$61,257
Unitemized GrantFY2019$36,197

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$2.1M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.9M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$234K
Investment incomeLn 3$2K
Money outPt IX
$1.8M
Ln 25
Programscol B$1.8M
Owns and owesPt X
$2.6M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$695K
Total assetsLn 16$2.5M
LiabilitiesLn 26−$88K
PeoplePt VI, VII
15
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a15
IndependentVI 1b15
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.9M
Noncash giftsLn 1g$765K
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$443K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$234K
Investment incomeLn 3$2K
Total revenueLn 12$2.1M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$695K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$695K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$0
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$1.8M
Total assetsLn 16$2.5M
LiabilitiesLn 26−$88K
Net assetsLn 32$2.6M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 519
VolunteersI 6220
Fiscal year endsHeaderSeptember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aNo
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$448K$695K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$0$0
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$2.1M$1.8M
Total assetsLn 16$3.7M$2.5M
LiabilitiesLn 26$37K−$88K
Net assetsLn 32$3.7M$2.6M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$597K$597K$0$0
Other employee benefitsLn 9$0$0$0$0
Payroll taxesLn 10$54K$54K$0$0
Advertising and promotionLn 12$87K$87K$0$0
OccupancyLn 16$134K$134K$0$0
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$107K$107K$0$0
InsuranceLn 23$40K$40K$0$0
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$141K$141K$0$0
All other expensesLn 24e$650K$650K$0$0
Total functional expensesLn 25$1.8M$1.8M$0$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest Viewing $2.1M$1.8M$288K$2.6M 990 PDF
FY2023 $1.2M$1.5M−$262K$3.7M 990 PDF
FY2022 $1.2M$1.5M−$245K$4.2M 990 PDF
FY2021 $1.2M$1.1M$142K$4.5M 990 PDF
FY2020 $1.4M$1.3M$117K$4.3M 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support M · Noncash O · Explanations
See the full FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $2,096,669 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $660,114$1,860,639
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $433,859$234,347
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $4,232$1,683
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $113,416$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $1,211,621$2,096,669
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $431,222$650,073
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $1,042,560$1,158,902
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $1,473,782$1,808,975
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$262,161$287,694
Part VI · Governance 15 of 15 board members independent, 4 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body15
VI-1b Independent voting members15
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyNo
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $2,096,669 across 8 lines filed
VIII-1b Membership dues$59,145
VIII-1c Fundraising events$443,181
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$1,358,313
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$764,595
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,860,639
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$234,347
VIII-3 Investment incomeUnrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$1,683
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $236,030 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$2,096,669
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,808,975 across 9 lines filed
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $596,515 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$596,515
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $53,558 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$53,558
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $86,713 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$86,713
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $133,680 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$133,680
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $107,432 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$107,432
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $39,725 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$39,725
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $141,149 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$141,149
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $650,203 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$650,203
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $1,808,975 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$1,808,975
Part X · Balance sheet $2,515,456 assets, 11 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $448,447$694,516
X-8 Inventories for sale or useStart of year $8,293$6,946
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $2,050,058$1,813,994
X-12 Other securitiesStart of year $0$0
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $3,697,234$2,515,456
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $37,455−$87,621
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $37,455−$87,621
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $2,885,093$1,828,391
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $774,686$774,686
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $3,659,779$2,603,077
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $3,697,234$2,515,456
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $2,603,077 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$2,096,669
XI-2 Total expenses$1,808,975
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$287,694
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$3,659,779
XI-8 Prior period adjustments−$1,344,397
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$2,603,077

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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