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.
78¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX

Before you give

FY2023 · 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
78%
of spending
Looks good: 78% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
8 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 7.7 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
$177K
23% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 23% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
11
of 11 voting members
Looks good: 11 of 11 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$995K
+20% vs prior year
Spent
$948K
To programs
78%
Net assets
$603K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$995K
FY2023▲ +20%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$369K
FY2021$523K
FY2022$832K
FY2023$995K
FY2024$985K
FY2025$851K
Expenses
$948K
FY2023▲ +41%
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
$603K
FY2023▲ +9%
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 FY2023 Form 990 (year ending August 2023) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2023 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

78 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 78% · $741K Management & general 10% · $97K Fundraising 12% · $111K

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

10 people listed on the 990.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2022); the FY2023 filing did not itemize Part VII
Chair Commun
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice Preside
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$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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1 program · $741K · in their own filed words · FY2022
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.

$741Kprogram 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 FY2023 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$995K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$959K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$36K
Money outPt IX
$948K
Ln 25
Programscol B$741K
Managementcol C$97K
Fundraisingcol D$111K
Owns and owesPt X
$603K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$611K
Total assetsLn 16$780K
LiabilitiesLn 26$177K
PeoplePt VI, VII
10
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a11
IndependentVI 1b11
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$959K
Government grantsLn 1e$178K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$36K
Total revenueLn 12$995K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$579K
SavingsLn 2$32K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$611K
Total assetsLn 16$780K
LiabilitiesLn 26$177K
Net assetsLn 32$603K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 513
VolunteersI 612
Fiscal year endsHeaderAugust
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY23End FY23
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$644K$611K
Total assetsLn 16$681K$780K
LiabilitiesLn 26$126K$177K
Net assetsLn 32$555K$603K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$598K$489K$39K$70K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$16K$9K$7K$13
Payroll taxesLn 10$59K$48K$4K$7K
Accounting feesLn 11c$27K$27K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$47K$16K$27K$3K
Office expensesLn 13$14K$799$6$13K
OccupancyLn 16$68K$66K$2K$128
TravelLn 17$8K$6K$87$2K
InsuranceLn 23$12K$5K$7K$83
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$100K$75K$10K$15K
Total functional expensesLn 25$948K$741K$97K$111K

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 Viewing $995K$948K$47K$603K 990 PDF
FY2022 $832K$671K$161K$555K 990 PDF
FY2021 $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 I · Grants A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2023 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $995,254 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $805,215$959,302
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $27,263$35,952
I-10 Investment income$0
I-11 Other revenue$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $832,478$995,254
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $444,419$672,545
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $226,963$275,435
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $671,382$947,980
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $161,096$47,274
Part VI · Governance 11 of 11 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body11
VI-1b Independent voting members11
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
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $995,254 across 5 lines filed
VIII-1a Federated campaigns$781,630
VIII-1e Government grants$177,672
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$959,302
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $35,952$35,952
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $35,952$995,254
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $947,980 across 10 lines filed
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $489,188 · Management $39,337 · Fundraising $69,554$598,079
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $8,507 · Management $7,115 · Fundraising $13$15,635
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $47,634 · Management $3,772 · Fundraising $7,425$58,831
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $26,611$26,611
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $16,088 · Management $27,240 · Fundraising $3,494$46,822
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $799 · Management $6 · Fundraising $13,246$14,051
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $66,353 · Management $1,917 · Fundraising $128$68,398
IX-17 TravelPrograms $6,145 · Management $87 · Fundraising $1,511$7,743
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $4,624 · Management $6,998 · Fundraising $83$11,705
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $74,745 · Management $10,030 · Fundraising $15,330$100,105
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $740,694 · Management $96,502 · Fundraising $110,784$947,980
Part X · Balance sheet $779,817 assets, 13 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $617,003$579,497
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $27,040$31,911
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $28,438$157,121
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $8,637$11,288
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $681,118$779,817
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $9,609$4,736
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $116,054$171,411
X-25 Other liabilities$941
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $125,663$177,088
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $317,344$395,969
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $238,111$206,760
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $555,455$602,729
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $681,118$779,817
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $602,729 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$995,254
XI-2 Total expenses$947,980
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$47,274
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$555,455
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$602,729

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2023 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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