COMMUNITY MUSIC SCHOOL Charity Report

Public IRS 990 nonprofit record

COMMUNITY MUSIC SCHOOL

EIN 16-0755757 · Arts, Culture & Humanities (A6E0)

What they do

Community Music School is Committed to Providing Quality Music Instruction for Individuals of All Ages and Levels of Ability Regardless of Aspirations or Financial Resources and Providing Musical Public Service Programs to The Western New York Area.

Before you give

Should I give to this charity?

Easy charity check

Look at where the money went

Of every $100 spent, about $88.80 was reported for mission work. Use the spending picture below and ask what results that work produced.

Plain answer: A tax form cannot prove that a charity is doing good. It can show how the charity says it spent its money—and point out questions you should ask.

Basic facts we verified

IRS warning checkNo IRS revocation warning appears in this data.

Money report from 2024The charity has a recent tax report to read.

They explain their jobThe charity tells us what it is trying to do.

They name their leaders10 people are listed in the latest report.

You can reach themThey list contact information, so you can ask questions.

Money made simple

116.34%of revenue went to mission work88.8% of expenses · Program services

5.82%of revenue went to fundraising4.4% of expenses

$130.98spent for every $100 of revenueSpending was higher than revenue this year.

8.82%of revenue went to management and office costs6.7% of expenses

$1.07in assets for every $1 spent this yearSome assets cannot be spent right away.

18.9%of its money came from giftsOther money may come from services or investments.

Ask these three easy questions

Who did you help? Ask for a recent story or report that shows real results.
What will my money do? Ask exactly what your gift will pay for.
Is this really the charity? Give only through its official website or confirmed phone number.

Worth asking: Expenses exceeded revenue by $203,135 this year. Ask whether that was planned or caused by a one-time event.

Pay context: The highest compensation shown in this filing is $75,700 for JENNIFER GUILLOW (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR). Compare pay with organizations of similar size and complexity.

Bottom line: Do not decide from a name, mission statement, or tax status alone. Look at where the money went, then ask what changed, who was helped, and what your gift will do. YouCanGiveBack does not endorse or grade organizations.

Money

Financial picture

Tax year 2024

A plain-language look at the latest Form 990 figures available. These numbers help you ask better questions; they do not, by themselves, rate whether a charity is good or bad.

$100revenue

How each $100 of revenue was used

The large number compares each expense with revenue. The smaller number shows its share of total expenses.

Total reported revenue$655,665

Mission workProgram services$762,828116.34% of revenue88.8% of expenses

ManagementOffice and general costs$57,8168.82% of revenue6.7% of expenses

FundraisingAsking for donations$38,1565.82% of revenue4.4% of expenses

Total expenses$858,800130.98% of revenue

Expenses were greater than revenue, so the colored ring fills the available $100 and the total above 100% is shown below.

Has the pattern changed?

Each bar shows the share of annual spending reported for mission work, management, and fundraising.

202488.8% mission

202386.2% mission

202285.6% mission

202181.7% mission

202072.7% mission

201977.8% mission

201880.6% mission

201781.5% mission

Money in and money out

Revenue$655,665

Expenses$858,800

Annual shortfall $203,135 Expenses were higher than revenue for this filing year.

Reported spending amounts

Mission work means the Form 990 category called program services. These are reported accounting categories—not an independent measurement of results.

Mission work (program services)$762,828 · 88.8% of expenses

Management and office costs$57,816 · 6.7% of expenses

Fundraising$38,156 · 4.4% of expenses

See all reported dollar amounts

Revenue$655,665

Expenses$858,800

Assets$919,517

Income$665,739

Contributions$123,840

Mission work (program services)$762,828

Fundraising$38,156

Management and general$57,816

Stocks and bonds$339,586

People

Leadership and board

Tax year 2024

Names, titles, time, and compensation below are reported by the organization on its Form 990.

People reported as paid

Person and titleCompensation

JENNIFER GUILLOWEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR · 40 hrs/week $75,700

Compensation alone does not tell whether pay is reasonable. Consider the charity’s size, work, location, and results.

See everyone listed on the board or leadership roster (10)

JENNIFER GUILLOWEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

ARTRELL WILLIAMSTRUSTEE

ASHISH VIKRAMPRESIDENT

DAVE HUNTVICE PRESIDENT

ELLEN HARRIS-HARVEYTRUSTEE

JACOB LEA-KELLYTRUSTEE

JEANINE ROBERTSSECRETARY

KRISTOPHER DUGETREASURER

LAUREN ATTARDTRUSTEE

MARKENZY CESARTRUSTEE

About this charity

Recognized since: January 1955
Location: 217 East Delavan Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14208
County: Erie
In care of: Jennifer Guillow
Primary officer: Jennifer Guillow, Executive Director

How to reach them

WebsiteVisit the charity’s website Phone(716) 884-4887

Filing and classification

Latest tax year: 2024
Tax period began: July 1, 2024
Return type: 990
Tax preparer: ALLIED CPAS PC
NTEE classification: Arts, Culture & Humanities (A6E0)