Sound Start a Sound United Foundation
Sound Start a Sound United Foundation is a private foundation, based in Carlsbad, CA. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $14K in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 1 grant totaling $125K.
Sound Start a Sound United Foundation at a glance
In short: Sound Start a Sound United Foundation gave $125K across 1 grant in 2025 (avg $125K), mostly in New York. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $125,000
- -81.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 1
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $125,000
- -81.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $125,000
- Total assets
- $13,791
- -81.5% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- New York (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who Sound Start a Sound United Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top recipient in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Save the Music Foundation ($125K).
Grant Size Distribution
6 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $500K–1M range: 3 grants of 6 (50%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of the 2025 grant dollars on its one itemized grant.
States
Cities
How Sound Start a Sound United Foundation gives
- Giving fell 90% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $125K (2025) to $1.3M (2022). In 2025 it made 1 grant totaling $125K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Save the Music Foundation New York, NY | General & Unrestricted | $125,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $13,791 | $67,342 | $128,115 | $125,000 | 1 | $128,015 | $1,664 |
| 2024 | $74,564 | $253,241 | $687,235 | $681,250 | 1 | $687,104 | $10,484 |
| 2023 | $508,688 | $931,315 | $959,546 | $953,750 | 2 | $959,309 | $34,793 |
| 2022 | $536,974 | $1,019,564 | $1,392,995 | $1,303,500 | 1 | $1,392,995 | $45,403 |
| 2021 | $910,220 | $1,331,336 | $509,425 | $500,000 | 1 | $509,425 | $29,400 |
| 2020 | $88,309 | $269,647 | $157,291 | $150,000 | 1 | — | $2,000 |
| 2019 | $54,798 | $151,844 | $203,731 | $192,500 | 2 | — | $2,121 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sound Start a Sound United Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Sound Start a Sound United Foundation is led by Brendon Stead, CEO & President since 2020 (on filings since 2019); none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Brendon Stead
CEO & President
Director → CEO & President, 2020
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Scott St Clair
CFO & Treasurer
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (7)
- Former: Dave Sheen (2020–2025) — Director · Filing note: Resigned in 2025
- Former: Gary Fletcher (2019–2023) — Director · Filing note: Resigned 5/18/2023
- Former: Andy Stevens (2019–2022) — Director · Filing note: Resigned 092122
- Former: Kevin Duffy (2019–2022) — Chair · Filing note: Resigned 072822
- Former: Kathi Cover (2021–2022) — Secretary · Filing note: Resigned 092022
- Former: Paul Wilkie (2019–2020) — Secretary
- Former: Joel Sietsema (2019) — Director
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.
Frequently asked questions about Sound Start a Sound United Foundation
How much does Sound Start a Sound United Foundation give each year?
Sound Start a Sound United Foundation gave $125K across 1 grant in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $681K across 1 grant.
How large is Sound Start a Sound United Foundation?
Sound Start a Sound United Foundation reported $14K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $128K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
Where does Sound Start a Sound United Foundation operate?
Sound Start a Sound United Foundation has awarded grants in California, New York.
What is Sound Start a Sound United Foundation's EIN?
Sound Start a Sound United Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-5267406. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 9, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 5, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 21, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 25, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 31, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 30, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Live grants for the work Sound Start a Sound United Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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