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BUILDING BEATS INCORPORATED
BROOKLYN, NY · EIN 461233303 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE A25 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Small ($100K-$1M) · buildingbeats.org
revenue
$785K
expenses
$941K
net assets
$552K
employees
40
volunteers
5
program ratio
67%
mission · from form 990

TO PROVIDE DJ AND MUSIC PROGRAMS THAT TEACH ENTREPRENEURIAL, LEADERSHIP, AND LIFE SKILLS TO UNDERSERVED YOUTH.

profile · synthesized from sources

Building Beats Incorporated provides music and technology programs that teach entrepreneurial, leadership, and life skills to underserved youth. Through hands-on workshops in music production, DJing, podcasting, and music coding, the organization serves students ages 5–24 in New York City and Los Angeles. Programs are delivered in schools, community centers, and youth organizations, with a focus on creative confidence, digital literacy, and youth development.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $153K
    BBLEADERS: A FREE PROGRAM FOR YOUTH AGES 16-24, COMPRISED OF BBWORKSHOPS ALUMNI AND EMERGING LEADERS IN THE YOUTH MUSIC COMMUNITY. THROUGH MENTORSHIP, WORKSHOPS, GIGS AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, BBLEADERS HELPS YOUNG ARTISTS GROW AND DEVELOP TO THE NEXT LEVEL BY PROVIDING HANDS ON EXPERIENCE IN THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY.
  2. #2 $77K
    BBFORTEACHERS: PROVIDES TRAINING AND RESOURCES FOR K-12 TEACHERS, FOCUSED ON UTILIZING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY TO TEACH MUSIC PRODUCTION, PODCASTING, DJ'ING AND MUSIC CODING.
named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

BBFORTEACHERS
Professional development program providing K–12 educators with training and resources to teach music production, podcasting, DJing, and music coding using digital tools
BBLEADERS
Free leadership and career development program for youth ages 16–24 who are alumni of bbWorkshops, offering mentorship, gigs, and employment opportunities in the creative industry
Toolbox
Curated collection of free, accessible digital tools for music creation, including browser-based DAWs, beatmakers, and interactive learning platforms used in Building Beats programs
bbWorkshops
Hands-on music and technology programs in music production, DJing, podcasting, and music coding for youth ages 5–24, delivered in schools and community organizations across NYC and LA
activities · 8 groups

What they do

  • Music Education and Training Programs 2 activities
    • Professional development for K–12 educators (bbForTeachers)
      Offers bbForTeachers, a professional development program that trains K–12 teachers in using digital technology to teach music production, podcasting, DJ'ing, and music coding, building educator capacity and mentorship pipelines for youth in creative industries.
    • Sale of digital teaching resources
      Offers for sale custom lesson plans, activity sheets, and teaching resources focused on digital music education through the Teachers Pay Teachers platform.
  • Professional Audio/Video Production Services 1 activity
    • Event DJ services and equipment rental
      Provides professional DJ services and equipment rental for events such as school functions, community gatherings, weddings, festivals, and corporate events.
  • Comprehensive K–12 Arts Education 1 activity
    • Music and technology education in schools and community sites
      Delivers hands-on music and technology education programs in DJing, music production, podcasting, and digital media to youth ages 5–24 through over 500 residencies and masterclasses since 2013, reaching more than 12,500 students across New York City and Los Angeles via partnerships with 250+ schools and community organizations including shelters and juvenile justice settings.
  • Community-Based Educational Programming 1 activity
    • Program implementation support for partner organizations
      Offers music and technology education programming designed for implementation at partner sites, enabling local delivery of curriculum and activities in schools and community centers.
  • Music Education Support 1 activity
    • Youth scholarship program in music and media fields
      Awards scholarships to diverse students in music and media fields, providing admission to high-value music production or business courses ($1,500–$2,400), a Music Production Kit valued at $4,239, industry internships, and resume review services.
  • Free Outdoor Music Concerts 1 activity
    • Youth showcase and DJ battle event
      Hosts an annual event in New York City featuring DJ battles, performances, and youth showcases to highlight participant talent and creative development.
  • Youth Workforce Readiness Programs 1 activity
    • Youth workforce development and career readiness program (bbLeaders)
      Operates bbLeaders, a free year-round program for youth ages 16–24 that provides mentorship, career-focused workshops, paid industry experiences, internships, college guidance, portfolio support, networking, studio visits, and peer community to build skills and pathways in music, media, and creative technology. Includes summer intensives and fall/spring cohorts.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Distribution of free digital tools and educational resources
      Provides access to over 100 free digital tools for music production, podcasting, DJing, and music coding through an online toolbox, and offers free and accessible tools and resources to support music and technology education for youth and educators.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$785K
Contributions & grants$248K32%
Program service revenue$519K66%
Investment income$19K2%
Other revenue$-1K
expenses
Total expenses$941K
Program expenses67%
Admin / overhead19%
Fundraising14%
Salaries & benefits$791K
Grants paid out$1K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$692K
Cash$384K
Investments$0
Liabilities$140K
Net assets$552K
Liquid reserves4.9 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -41.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
PHI PHAM MEMBER/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 40 $59K
board members · 6
  • ANNE LEE — TREASURER
  • EBENEZER BOND — BOARD CHAIR
  • GREG NAPOLITANO — SECRETARY
  • PUJA PATEL — MEMBER
  • YANIQUE REVERS — MEMBER
  • ZORAVAR DHALIWAL TERM 1224 — MEMBER
relationships · 56

Who they work with

  • Ableton Partner — Features Ableton’s Learning Music site for interactive lessons on rhythm, melody, harmony, and musical structure
  • Altman Foundation Funder — Funder supporting Building Beats programs
  • Apple Partner — Partner organization that has booked Building Beats DJs for events such as Today at Apple.
  • Audiotool Partner — Features Audiotool as a powerful online music-making tool with virtual synthesizers, drum machines, and effects
  • Bandlab Partner — Features Bandlab as a free cloud-based digital audio workstation and social platform for music creation
  • Beadz Partner — Features Beadz as an experimental polymetric drum machine with independent beat cycles and probability-based triggering
  • Beam Center Partner — Partner organization that has supported Building Beats in providing creative opportunities for young DJs.
  • Berklee Partner — Partners with Berklee to deliver a 12-week virtual course for scholarship recipients beginning September 28, 2026.
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC Partner — Partner organization that has collaborated with Building Beats to support youth development through DJ performances.
  • Brooklyn Museum Partner — Partner venue that has hosted Building Beats DJs for events including Teen Night.
  • Carnegie Hall Partner — Partner organization that has provided performance opportunities for Building Beats DJs.
  • Department of Youth Development LA Partner — Partner organization for delivering youth programming in Los Angeles
  • Dolby Partner — Corporate partner supporting Building Beats programs
  • Dolby Atmos Partner — Provides behind-the-scenes access and studio experiences for bbLeaders
  • Donuts Are Forever Partner — Hosts bbLeaders programming or events
  • Drumbit Partner — Features Drumbit as a browser-based drum machine with diverse kits, tempo controls, and export functionality
  • ELM Foundation Partner — Hosts Summer DJ Camp for bbLeaders
  • Elsewhere Partner — Hosts workshops with bbLeaders
  • Google Partner — Features Chrome Music Lab, a set of interactive experiments for discovering musical concepts through play
  • ICHIGO Funder — Funder supporting Building Beats programs
  • Incredibox Partner — Features Incredibox as a playful music-making app that uses animated performers to trigger vocal effects
  • LinkedIn Partner — Partner organization that has hosted Building Beats DJs for corporate events.
  • Los Angeles Unified School District Partner — Partner site for delivering bbWorkshops programming
  • Meta Partner — Partner organization in delivering or supporting workshops
  • Music Grid Partner — Features Music Grid as a web-based tool for composing musical phrases by activating squares on a grid
  • Muted.io Partner — Features Muted.io as a collection of interactive music theory tools for learners of all levels
  • NYC Cultural Affairs Government — Government funder supporting Building Beats programs
  • NYC Department of Education Government — Approved vendor providing arts education programming
  • New York Public Library Partner — Partner institution that has hosted Building Beats DJs for events such as Halloween at Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library.
  • New York State Council on the Arts Government — State arts council providing funding support
+ 26 more
strategies · 4

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Career Pathway Development through Experiential Learning
    methodology: career-pathway-development
    By combining mentorship, paid industry experiences, and project-based learning with real-world applications, the organization enables youth to transition from creative passion to sustainable careers, because authentic work exposure builds confidence, professional networks, and job readiness.
  • Equitable Access through Free Tools and Community-Based Delivery
    methodology: equity-focused_access
    By delivering programs in schools and community settings using free digital tools and on-site implementation, the organization lowers barriers to arts education for underrepresented youth, because accessibility and cultural relevance are critical to reaching those excluded from traditional creative pathways.
  • Music as Gateway to Holistic Youth Development
    methodology: music-as-gateway
    By using music and media as an entry point, the organization fosters technical fluency, leadership, and workforce-ready creative skills in underserved youth, because culturally relevant and engaging content increases motivation and sustained participation in skill-building.
  • Youth Empowerment through Creative Agency and Leadership
    methodology: youth_empowerment_through_creative_agency
    By positioning youth as creators and leaders in music and technology rather than passive consumers, the organization builds self-efficacy and life skills, because creative ownership fosters responsibility, innovation, and long-term engagement.