Sound Learning provides instruction for adults in reading, writing, GED studies, in Mason and Thurston Co. Sound Learning is dedicated to improving literacy.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
82¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$50K 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
6 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $86K a year · 21% of revenue · last 6 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 6 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
82%
of spending
Looks good: 82% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$50K
to officers and key staff · 21% of spending
Worth a look: pay to officers and key staff is 21% of spending; over 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
11 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 11.2 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
4
named funders · $46K
Looks good: 4 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$19K
8% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 8% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
8
of 8 voting members
Looks good: 8 of 8 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$276K
-10% vs prior year
Spent
$242K
To programs
82%
Net assets
$218K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$276K
FY2021▼ -10%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$307K
FY2021$276K
FY2022$510K
FY2023$369K
FY2024$538K
FY2025$424K
Expenses
$242K
FY2021▼ -13%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$280K
FY2021$242K
FY2022$258K
FY2023$344K
FY2024$368K
FY2025$414K
Net assets
$218K
FY2021▲ +18%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$184K
FY2021$218K
FY2022$470K
FY2023$496K
FY2024$665K
FY2025$675K

From the FY2021 Form 990 (year ending June 2021) · see the original

990 PDF Claim
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 Sep 1991.

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

Where the money goes

82 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 82% · $198K Management & general 18% · $43K Fundraising 0% · $1K

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

9 people listed on the 990; $50K 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
Exec. Director
$50,000Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Shannon Klasell$60,000$55,000$55,000$50,833$50,000$49,999

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 Sound Learning 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

Teaches adults reading, writing, and GED skills in Mason and Thurston Counties.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $198K · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

Adult Basic Education programs include English, reading writing, math and technology skills along with GED prep and High School + Diploma; academic, workplace, and training or college ready skills upgrade, and citizenship prep. Sound Learnings mission is to educate adults to succeed and contribute to society.

$198Kprogram 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
Total grants receivedfrom 4 funders$46K
See all 4 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$276K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$275K
Investment incomeLn 3$677
Fees for servicesLn 2g$465
Money outPt IX
$242K
Ln 25
Programscol B$198K
Managementcol C$43K
Fundraisingcol D$1K
Owns and owesPt X
$218K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$226K
Total assetsLn 16$238K
LiabilitiesLn 26$19K
PeoplePt VI, VII
9
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a8
IndependentVI 1b8
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$275K
Government grantsLn 1e$205K
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$3K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$465
Investment incomeLn 3$677
Gains on assetsLn 7−$106
Total revenueLn 12$276K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$190K
SavingsLn 2$36K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$226K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$12K
Total assetsLn 16$238K
LiabilitiesLn 26$19K
Net assetsLn 32$218K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 59
VolunteersI 689
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY21End FY21
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$186K$226K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$7K$12K
Total assetsLn 16$206K$238K
LiabilitiesLn 26$21K$19K
Net assetsLn 32$184K$218K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$50K$20K$30K$0
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$126K$126K$0$483
Payroll taxesLn 10$15K$12K$3K$40
Accounting feesLn 11c$1K$0$1K$0
Advertising and promotionLn 12$918$143$337$438
Information technologyLn 14$2K$1K$831$2
OccupancyLn 16$17K$17K$0$0
TravelLn 17$92$92$0$0
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$4K$4K$0$0
InsuranceLn 23$2K$0$2K$0
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$500$150$350$0
All other expensesLn 24e$24K$17K$7K$124
Total functional expensesLn 25$242K$198K$43K$1K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $424K$414K$10K$675K 990 PDF
FY2024 $538K$368K$170K$665K 990 PDF
FY2023 $369K$344K$25K$496K 990 PDF
FY2022 $510K$258K$252K$470K 990 PDF
FY2021 Viewing $276K$242K$34K$218K 990 PDF
FY2020 $307K$280K$27K$184K 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 FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $275,764 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $304,966$274,622
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $1,057$465
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $700$677
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $306,723$275,764
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $223,801$191,373
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $55,764$50,659
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $279,565$242,032
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $27,158$33,732
Part VI · Governance 8 of 8 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body8
VI-1b Independent voting members8
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $275,764 across 8 lines filed
VIII-1c Fundraising events$3,250
VIII-1e Government grants$205,427
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$65,945
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$274,622
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$465
VIII-3 Investment incomeUnrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $783$783
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsRelated to mission −$106 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0−$106
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $359 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $783$275,764
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $242,032 across 12 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $20,451 · Management $29,549 · Fundraising $0$50,000
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $125,512 · Management $0 · Fundraising $483$125,995
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $12,465 · Management $2,873 · Fundraising $40$15,378
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $0 · Management $1,260 · Fundraising $0$1,260
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $143 · Management $337 · Fundraising $438$918
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $1,427 · Management $831 · Fundraising $2$2,260
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $16,800 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$16,800
IX-17 TravelPrograms $92 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$92
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $3,614 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$3,614
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $0 · Management $1,600 · Fundraising $0$1,600
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $150 · Management $350 · Fundraising $0$500
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $16,916 · Management $6,575 · Fundraising $124$23,615
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $197,570 · Management $43,375 · Fundraising $1,087$242,032
Part X · Balance sheet $237,621 assets, 10 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $150,151$190,086
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $35,609$35,898
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $13,667$0
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $6,516$11,637
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $205,943$237,621
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $21,491$19,437
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $21,491$19,437
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $184,452$218,184
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $184,452$218,184
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $205,943$237,621
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $218,184 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$275,764
XI-2 Total expenses$242,032
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$33,732
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$184,452
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$218,184

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

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