El Sistema USA
El Sistema USA is a public charity based in Durham, North Carolina. It supports a national network of music education programs and educators through professional development, research and data, advocacy, and student learning and leadership.
El Sistema USA at a glance
- Total assets
- $475,150
- +316.5% vs 2024
- Revenue (2025)
- $862,655
- +90.9% vs 2024
- Net investment income (2025)
- $6,248
- +1167.3% vs 2024
- Expenses (2025)
- $508,850
- +30.2% vs 2024
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
How to apply to El Sistema USA
- Contact
Mailing address: 4721 Emperor Boulevard Suite 130, Durham, NC 27703
Phone: (908) 308-4632
Website: https://elsistemausa.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who El Sistema USA funds
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
El Sistema USA describes its work as supporting a national network of programs. Its listed 2020 grant recipients were based in Kansas City, Missouri; Pontiac, Michigan; Saint Paul, Minnesota; Riverside, California; Stamford, Connecticut; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Buffalo, New York.
States
Cities
How El Sistema USA gives
- 100% of 2020 grantees were also funded in 2019. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2020, annual grant giving ranged from $165K (2020) to $248K (2019). In 2020 it made 13 grants totaling $165K.
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $475,150 | $862,655 | $508,850 | — | — | $6,248 |
| 2024 | $114,091 | $451,984 | $390,967 | — | — | $493 |
| 2023 | $52,756 | $240,424 | $257,362 | — | — | $87 |
| 2022 | $73,314 | $198,985 | $207,441 | — | — | $3 |
| 2021 | $84,864 | $262,147 | $267,718 | — | — | $96 |
| 2020 | $197,373 | $232,547 | $471,421 | $165,000 | 13 | $2,341 |
| 2019 | $561,253 | $169,892 | $547,703 | $247,500 | 13 | $837 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
El Sistema USA’s mission is to ensure every child has access to high-quality music education that celebrates their voice and potential by supporting a national network of organizations and educators.
The organization says it supports member programs and the wider field through staff professional development, data and advocacy, and student learning and leadership. Its Summer Now! program is intended to improve the quality, duration, stability, and student impact of summer learning experiences for young people. The program has a strengthening track for existing summer programs and a launch track for organizations preparing new programs; both are designed for El Sistema USA members.
Past recipients’ own mission statements describe a range of youth music education work. For example, Northeast Community Center says it uses music to develop young musicians and minds, partner with families, and build community in Kansas City. Accent Pontiac says it provides equitable access to intensive music making and serves more than 250 Pontiac students with instrumental music at no cost. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their work, not El Sistema USA’s mission.
Grantmaking
The organization’s filings report zero grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Its website describes Summer Now! as a multi-year grant program supported by the Peter Compo and Carol Larson Gift Fund: strengthening grants are for summer 2026 and 2027, while launch grants are for summer 2027 and 2028. The website identifies member organizations as the intended participants but does not provide award amounts, application materials, or a deadline.
In 2020, the organization gave seven grants listed here, totaling $75,000. Awards ranged from $10,000 to $15,000:
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed on the 2025 filing are Lauren Shelton, chair; Kaitlyn Korogy and Isaac Sinnett, co-vice chairs; Robert Gofourth, treasurer; and directors Linda Bunce, Rodrigo Guererro, Camille Delaney-McNeil, Armand Hall, Trina Christensen, and Roberto Zambrano.
El Sistema USA is led by Elizabeth Moulthrop, Executive Director on every filing since 2022; 1 of 26 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Elizabeth Moulthrop
Executive Director
On filings since 2022
20 hrs/week
$95K (2023) → $98K (2025)
Lauren Shelton
Chair
Executive Officio → Director, 2023
Director → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Armand Hall
Director
Vice Chair → Board Chair, 2022
Board Chair → Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Monique Van Willingh
Director
Vice Chair → Co-Vice Chair, 2024
Co-Vice Chair → Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brian Wiebe
Director
Member → Director, 2022
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Camille Delaney-McNeil
Director
Member → Vice Chair, 2022
Vice Chair → Director, 2024
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Linda Bunce
Director
Member → Director, 2022
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rodrigo Guererro
Director
Member → Director, 2022
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Roberto Zambrano
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Trina Christensen
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ciyadh Wells
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Julie Duty
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mateen Milan
Director
Director → Clerk, 2024
Clerk → Director, 2025
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Roger Bernstein
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tomisha Price-Brock
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carol Minter
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Karen Cueva
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Liber Cuervos
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Douglas Laustsen
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Isabelle Tuncer
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Thomas Howard
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Vivian Gonzalez
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark Churchill
Director Emeritus
Member → Director Emeritus, 2022
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert Gofourth
Treasurer
Member → Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Isaac Sinnett
Co-Vice Chair
Director → Co-Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kaitlyn Korogy
Co-Vice Chair
Director → Co-Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (23)
- Former: Calida Jones (2019–2023) — Clerk
- Former: Dalouge Smith (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Hermes Camacho (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Jessica Zweig (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Scott Laird (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Susan Suhr (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Rey Ramirez (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Christine Taylor (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Alonzo Chadwick (2023) — Director
- Former: Myka Miller (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Angelica Cortez (2020–2022) — Executive Officio
- Former: Jessica Therivel (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Dan Trahey (2022) — Director
- Former: Mike Angell (2022) — Director
- Former: Christine Taylor Conda (2019–2021) — Board Chair
- Former: Daniel Trahey (2019–2021) — Member
- Former: Joseph Hamm (2019–2021) — Member
- Former: Kathryn Wyatt (2019–2021) — CEO
- Former: Michael Angell (2019–2021) — Member
- Former: Daniela Bedoni (2019–2020) — Member
- Former: Rita McLennon (2019–2020) — Member
- Former: Anna Pietraszko (2019) — Treasurer
- Former: Leni Boorstin (2019) — Secretary
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $98K, to Elizabeth Moulthrop (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about El Sistema USA
How large is El Sistema USA?
El Sistema USA reported $475K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $863K.
What does El Sistema USA fund?
El Sistema USA’s mission is to ensure every child has access to high-quality music education that celebrates their voice and potential by supporting a national network of organizations and educators. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from El Sistema USA?
El Sistema USA has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check elsistemausa.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
Where does El Sistema USA make grants?
El Sistema USA describes its work as supporting a national network of programs. Its listed 2020 grant recipients were based in Kansas City, Missouri; Pontiac, Michigan; Saint Paul, Minnesota; Riverside, California; Stamford, Connecticut; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Buffalo, New York.
What is El Sistema USA's EIN?
El Sistema USA's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-2483315. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 13, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 23, 2021)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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El Sistema USA down — hundreds of funders to go?