MUSICIANS FOUNDATION

Supporting Music Education

aka The Musicians Foundation | Hollywood, CA | www.themusiciansfoundation.org

GuideStar Charity Check

EIN: 20-1799730

Contributions tax deductible
as of September 2023

IRS BMF 509(a)(1)
as of September 18, 2023

View summary

Charity Check report

Mission

The mission of The Musicians Foundation is to support (contemporary) music students in the Los Angeles area who exhibit talent and/or are financially challenged to help them achieve their educational goals at the college level. The foundation engages in (and sponsors) the creation, development, administration and funding of post-secondary music education scholarships as well as fostering relationships, building partnerships, expanding public awareness, and providing educational opportunities in support of post-secondary music education.

We strive to inspire investment in education and achieve annual goals of renewable and sustainable funding. Through personal outreach and public advocacy, we seek to build awareness, create alliances and inspire action in support of music education.

Notes from the nonprofit

Starting in 2023, we are pleased to be able to offer a new wellspring of increased scholarship opportunities funded by the Pat Hicks endowment fund specifically for students at Musicians Institute.

Ruling year info

2004

Executive Director

Beth Marlis

Main address

6752 Hollywood Blvd % Beth Marlis

Hollywood, CA 90028 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

20-1799730

Subject area info

Arts and culture

Education

Population served info

Adults

Students

NTEE code info

Scholarships, Student Financial Aid, Awards (B82)

IRS subsection

501(c)(3) Public Charity

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990-N.

Tax forms

Show Forms 990

Communication

Blog

Programs and results

Reports and documents

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Music education programs at ALL LEVELS have been decimated by budget tightening, re-prioritization and COVID-19. We support music education at the college level by granting scholarships to deserving students on the basis of talent and financial need. SInce 2004, we have awarded over $650,000 in grants to over 400 individual students.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Scholarships for MI Students

Scholarships for post-secondary music student education.

Population(s) Served

Adults

Partnerships with local non-profits

We have offered in-kind services to The Grammy Museum, The Recording Academy and are currently developing programs for Little Kids Rock, LACER after school music programs, and others. We donate our facilities, funds and teaching staff.

Population(s) Served

Students

Where we work

Affiliations & memberships

Chamber of Commerce 1987

National Recording Academy of Arts and Sciences (NARAS) 2008

Grammy Music Education Coalition 2016

Grammy Museum 2009

External reviews

Photos

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Number of students who receive scholarship funds and/or tuition assistance

Totals By Year

Population(s) Served

Young adults

Related Program

Scholarships for MI Students

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Total dollar amount of scholarship awarded

Totals By Year

Population(s) Served

Young adults

Related Program

Scholarships for MI Students

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Reports and documents

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

What is the organization aiming to accomplish?

The mission of The Musicians Foundation is to support contemporary music students in the Los Angeles area who exhibit talent and/or are financially challenged to help them achieve their educational goals at the college level. The foundation engages in (and sponsors) the creation, development, administration and funding of post-secondary music education scholarships as well as fostering relationships, building partnerships, expanding public awareness, and providing educational opportunities in support of post-secondary music education.

VISIT OUR NEWS BLOG: https://musiciansfoundation.wordpress.com

Helping Los Angeles…We award between $75-$100,000 in music college scholarships every year.

Music education MATTERS!

What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?

We have a stellar board of directors and raise funds thru direct donations as well as (occasional) fund-raising events.

What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?

We are a very small organization; and must rely on the networking skills of our volunteer Executive Director, and excellent Board of Directors at this time.

What have they accomplished so far and what's next?

We have awarded nearly $650,000 in music scholarships to more than 400 recipients since 2004. We award approx. 45-50 scholarships annually at approx. $75-100,000 in awarded value.

We are proud to establish the Pat Hicks Charitable Trust Endowment fund in late 2022 that will allow us to substantially increase our grant-making capacity for several years to come!

Strategically, it's important that we also diversify our donor base, to exceed our goal of raising over $150,000 annually for next three years.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

We shared information about our current feedback practices.

How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We act on the feedback we receive
What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback

Financials

MUSICIANS FOUNDATION

Fiscal year: Jan 01 - Dec 31

Financial documents

Revenue vs. expenses: breakdown

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

NET GAIN/LOSS: in

Note: When component data are not available, the graph displays the total Revenue and/or Expense values.

Financial data

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

Digitizing IRS form 990 data

MUSICIANS FOUNDATION

Revenue & expenses

Fiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31

SOURCE: IRS Form 990 info

Fiscal year ending: Download Data

Revenue
Contributions	$104,017
Program Services	$0
Investments	$0
Special Events	$0
Sales	$0
Other	$7,545
Total Revenue	$111,562

Expenses
Grants	$53,950
Salaries & Employee Benefits	$0
Professional Fees	$800
Occupancy	$0
Printing, Publications, Postage, etc.	$0
Other Expenses	$186
Total Expenses	$54,936
Net Gain/Loss	$56,626

Revenue
Contributions	$35,736
Program Services	$0
Investments	$0
Special Events	$0
Sales	$0
Other	$7,440
Total Revenue	$43,176

Expenses
Grants	$75,300
Salaries & Employee Benefits	$0
Professional Fees	$800
Occupancy	$0
Printing, Publications, Postage, etc.	$8
Other Expenses	$92
Total Expenses	$76,200
Net Gain/Loss	($33,024)

Revenue
Contributions	$32,677
Program Services	$0
Investments	$0
Special Events	$0
Sales	$0
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$32,677

Expenses
Grants	$32,500
Salaries & Employee Benefits	$0
Professional Fees	$1,000
Occupancy	$0
Printing, Publications, Postage, etc.	$0
Other Expenses	$147
Total Expenses	$33,647
Net Gain/Loss	($970)

Revenue
Contributions	$32,747
Program Services	$0
Investments	$0
Special Events	$0
Sales	$0
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$32,747

Expenses
Grants	$26,000
Salaries & Employee Benefits	$0
Professional Fees	$500
Occupancy	$0
Printing, Publications, Postage, etc.	$0
Other Expenses	$546
Total Expenses	$27,046
Net Gain/Loss	$5,701

Revenue
Contributions	$44,223
Program Services	$0
Investments	$0
Special Events	$0
Sales	$0
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$44,223

Expenses
Grants	$48,666
Salaries & Employee Benefits	$0
Professional Fees	$750
Occupancy	$0
Printing, Publications, Postage, etc.	$0
Other Expenses	$1,446
Total Expenses	$50,862
Net Gain/Loss	($6,639)

Revenue
Contributions	$34,891
Program Services	$0
Investments	$0
Special Events	$0
Sales	$0
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$34,891

Expenses
Grants	$13,332
Salaries & Employee Benefits	$0
Professional Fees	$1,300
Occupancy	$0
Printing, Publications, Postage, etc.	$0
Other Expenses	$62
Total Expenses	$14,694
Net Gain/Loss	$20,197

Revenue
Contributions	$40,934
Program Services	$0
Investments	$0
Special Events	$0
Sales	$0
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$40,934

Expenses
Grants	$37,000
Salaries & Employee Benefits	$0
Professional Fees	$0
Occupancy	$0
Printing, Publications, Postage, etc.	$0
Other Expenses	$198
Total Expenses	$37,198
Net Gain/Loss	$3,736

MUSICIANS FOUNDATION

Balance sheet

Fiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31

SOURCE: IRS Form 990 info

The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.

Fiscal year ending: Download Data

Assets	Jan 01, 2015	Dec 31, 2015	Change
Contributions	$104,017
Cash & Equivalents	$30,852	$87,478	$56,626
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$0	$0	$0
Other	$0	$0	$0
Total Assets	$30,852	$87,478	$56,626

Liabilities	Jan 01, 2015	Dec 31, 2015	Change
Total Liabilities	$0	$0	$0

Fund balance	Jan 01, 2015	Dec 31, 2015	Change
Net Assets	$30,852	$87,478	$56,626

Assets	Jan 01, 2016	Dec 31, 2016	Change
Contributions	$35,736
Cash & Equivalents	$87,478	$54,454	($33,024)
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$0	$0	$0
Other	$0	$0	$0
Total Assets	$87,478	$54,454	($33,024)

Liabilities	Jan 01, 2016	Dec 31, 2016	Change
Total Liabilities	$0	$0	$0

Fund balance	Jan 01, 2016	Dec 31, 2016	Change
Net Assets	$87,478	$54,454	($33,024)

Assets	Jan 01, 2017	Dec 31, 2017	Change
Contributions	$32,677
Cash & Equivalents	$54,453	$53,483	($970)
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$0	$0	$0
Other	$0	$0	$0
Total Assets	$54,453	$53,483	($970)

Liabilities	Jan 01, 2017	Dec 31, 2017	Change
Total Liabilities	$0	$0	$0

Fund balance	Jan 01, 2017	Dec 31, 2017	Change
Net Assets	$54,453	$53,483	($970)

Assets	Jan 01, 2018	Dec 31, 2018	Change
Contributions	$32,747
Cash & Equivalents	$53,483	$59,184	$5,701
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$0	$0	$0
Other	$0	$0	$0
Total Assets	$53,483	$59,184	$5,701

Liabilities	Jan 01, 2018	Dec 31, 2018	Change
Total Liabilities	$0	$0	$0

Fund balance	Jan 01, 2018	Dec 31, 2018	Change
Net Assets	$53,483	$59,184	$5,701

Assets	Jan 01, 2019	Dec 31, 2019	Change
Contributions	$44,223
Cash & Equivalents	$59,184	$52,545	($6,639)
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$0	$0	$0
Other	$0	$0	$0
Total Assets	$59,184	$52,545	($6,639)

Liabilities	Jan 01, 2019	Dec 31, 2019	Change
Total Liabilities	$0	$0	$0

Fund balance	Jan 01, 2019	Dec 31, 2019	Change
Net Assets	$59,184	$52,545	($6,639)

Assets	Jan 01, 2020	Dec 31, 2020	Change
Contributions	$34,891
Cash & Equivalents	$52,545	$72,742	$20,197
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$0	$0	$0
Other	$0	$0	$0
Total Assets	$52,545	$72,742	$20,197

Liabilities	Jan 01, 2020	Dec 31, 2020	Change
Total Liabilities	$0	$0	$0

Fund balance	Jan 01, 2020	Dec 31, 2020	Change
Net Assets	$52,545	$72,742	$20,197

Assets	Jan 01, 2021	Dec 31, 2021	Change
Contributions	$40,934
Cash & Equivalents	$72,742	$76,478	$3,736
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$0	$0	$0
Other	$0	$0	$0
Total Assets	$72,742	$76,478	$3,736

Liabilities	Jan 01, 2021	Dec 31, 2021	Change
Total Liabilities	$0	$0	$0

Fund balance	Jan 01, 2021	Dec 31, 2021	Change
Net Assets	$72,742	$76,478	$3,736

Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

Documents

Letter of Determination

Form 1023/1024 is not available for this organization

Executive Director

Beth Marlis

Ms. Marlis is currently a music non-profit Executive Director, and a board and advisory council member for multiple non-profits, exemplifying her ethos and a personal mission to give back to young musicians and the greater community. Highly accomplished guitarist, music industry leader and champion of music education; Beth Marlis has carved out an important path in the jazz guitar world. She is currently Vice President at Musicians Institute, but considers her ten-year stint serving as the Department Chair of GIT, and being a member of its esteemed guitar faculty for 35 years, (teaching thousands of students) as some of her proudest achievements. As a music industry veteran, performer, and “LA sideman” her many accomplishments include countless performances at venues and festivals across the US, Japan and France in multiple genres. Beth is a respected clinician, skilled interviewer, panelist, panel moderator and author of two best-selling guitar instructional books by Hal Leonard/MI

MUSICIANS FOUNDATION

Officers, directors, trustees, and key employees

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

Compensation

Other

Show data for fiscal year

Compensation data

Download up to 5 most recent years of officer and director compensation data for this organization

There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.

MUSICIANS FOUNDATION

Board of directors
as of 06/09/2023

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Board of directors data

Download the most recent year of board of directors data for this organization

Board chair

Hunter Scott

Lafamos, PR and Branding

Term: 2019 - 2023

Hunter Scott

Founder LaFamos PR

Andrea Bari

Expert adviser in intellectual property rights, music publishing contracts, business law. Researcher for the UN Special Rapporteur in Cultural Rights. Law and Business professor at Musicians Institute.

Anika Paris

CEO Alaya Productions; WB Composer, Songwriter, Author, Educator in Artist Development

Steve Sherr

Independent music executive. Former music marketing executive at Disney Music, Universal Music Group, Interscope Records, MCA Records, Hollywood Records, Former Artist Management at The Artists Organization.

Maiya Sykes

Classically trained vocalist, songwriter , producer, vocal contractor, arranger and vocal educator currently living in Los Angeles. She is a proud graduate of Yale University and Musicians Institute. Credits include Dolomite is My Name, LaLa Land, Dumplin, Macy Gray, Jim James, Tori Kelly, The Voice

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? No
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? No
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 6/8/2023

Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity

White/Caucasian/European

Gender identity

Female, Not transgender (cisgender)

Sexual orientation

Decline to state

Disability status

Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

Sexual orientation

Disability

We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.

Equity strategies

Last updated: 05/23/2022

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data

We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.

Policies and processes

We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.

MUSICIANS FOUNDATION

Supporting Music Education

Mission

Is this your nonprofit?

Programs and results

Reports and documents

What we aim to solve

Our programs

Scholarships for MI Students

Partnerships with local non-profits

Where we work

Affiliations & memberships

Our results

Evaluation documents

Number of students who receive scholarship funds and/or tuition assistance

Totals By Year

Population(s) Served

Related Program

Type of Metric

Direction of Success

Context Notes

Total dollar amount of scholarship awarded

Totals By Year

Population(s) Served

Related Program

Type of Metric

Direction of Success

Context Notes

Our Sustainable Development Goals

Goals & Strategy

Reports and documents

Charting impact

What is the organization aiming to accomplish?

What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?

What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?

What have they accomplished so far and what's next?

How we listen

Financials

Financial documents

Revenue vs. expenses: breakdown

Financial data

Digitizing IRS form 990 data

MUSICIANS FOUNDATION

MUSICIANS FOUNDATION

Operations

Documents

Executive Director

Beth Marlis

MUSICIANS FOUNDATION

Compensation data

MUSICIANS FOUNDATION

Board of directors data

Hunter Scott

Board leadership practices

Board orientation and education

CEO oversight

Ethics and transparency

Board composition

Board performance

Organizational demographics

Leadership

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

Sexual orientation

Disability

Equity strategies