Buffalo String Works provides rigorous music instruction and a creative home for 100 refugee, immigrant, and historically marginalized youth in the city of Buffalo, NY.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
83¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$79K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2021 · 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
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
4 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $23K a year · 3% of revenue · last 6 filings
Fine: a surplus in 4 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
83%
of spending
Looks good: 83% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$79K
to officers and key staff · 18% of spending
Fine: pay to officers and key staff is 18% of spending; 15% to 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
13 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 13.1 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
19
named funders · $450K
Looks good: 19 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$89K
18% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 18% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
10
of 10 voting members
Looks good: 10 of 10 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$523K
+42% vs prior year
Spent
$441K
To programs
83%
Net assets
$394K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$523K
FY2021▲ +42%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$369K
FY2021$523K
FY2022$832K
FY2023$995K
FY2024$985K
FY2025$851K
Expenses
$441K
FY2021▲ +37%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$322K
FY2021$441K
FY2022$671K
FY2023$948K
FY2024$1.1M
FY2025$924K
Net assets
$394K
FY2021▲ +26%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$313K
FY2021$394K
FY2022$555K
FY2023$603K
FY2024$426K
FY2025$356K

From the FY2021 Form 990 (year ending August 2021) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2021 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Dec 2015.

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

Where the money goes

83 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 83% · $368K Management & general 12% · $55K Fundraising 4% · $18K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

20 people listed on the 990; $79K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2020); the FY2021 filing did not itemize Part VII
$45,385Pt VII · Sec A
$33,866Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice Preside
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Yuki Numata Resnick’s $60K as Executive Di is at the 55th 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 · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2022FY2021FY2020
Yuki Numata Resnick$60,000$33,866$32,308

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 Buffalo String Works 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 15aYes

Programs and updates

Offers rigorous music instruction and a creative home to refugee, immigrant, and marginalized youth.

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Provided by the organization

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2 programs · $737K · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

We provide up to 6 hours of high quality music instruction each week and multiple performance opportunities each year to students. While prioritizing musical excellence, we also aim to cultivate a positive space that supports our students' development into curious, confident, committed individuals.

$368Kprogram expense
02

We provide up to 6 hours of high quality music instruction each week and multiple performance opportunities each year to students. While prioritizing musical excellence, we also aim to cultivate a positive space that supports our students' development into curious, confident, committed individuals.

$368Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

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

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2024
See all 19 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$523K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$476K
Other incomeLn 4–11$26K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$21K
Money outPt IX
$441K
Ln 25
Programscol B$368K
Managementcol C$55K
Fundraisingcol D$18K
Owns and owesPt X
$394K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$481K
Total assetsLn 16$483K
LiabilitiesLn 26$89K
PeoplePt VI, VII
20
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a10
IndependentVI 1b10
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$476K
Government grantsLn 1e$60K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$21K
Other incomeLn 4–11$26K
Total revenueLn 12$523K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$481K
Total assetsLn 16$483K
LiabilitiesLn 26$89K
Net assetsLn 32$394K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 513
VolunteersI 612
Fiscal year endsHeaderAugust
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14No

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $851K$924K−$73K$356K 990 PDF
FY2024 $985K$1.1M−$127K$426K 990 PDF
FY2023 $995K$948K$47K$603K 990 PDF
FY2022 $832K$671K$161K$555K 990 PDF
FY2021 Viewing $523K$441K$82K$394K 990 PDF
FY2020 $369K$322K$47K$313K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2021 990 (1 part)
Part VI · Governance 10 of 10 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body10
VI-1b Independent voting members10
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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