Colorado · Nonprofit
SOUNDS TRUE FOUNDATION
SOUNDS TRUE FOUNDATION (Colorado) receives grants from 23 organizations whose IRS filings report $763,159 to it, the largest being DONOR ADVISED CHARITABLE GIVING INC ($187,109). 10 of them have funded it in more than one year, and 57% of the money arrives through donor-advised or pass-through sponsors rather than from an institution directly.
- Revenue FY2025
- $601k
- Funders on record
- 23
- Grants received
- $763k
- Net assets
- $159k
What Sounds True Foundation does
Mission
The Sounds True Foundation shares teachings and practices to empower people on their life journeys. We envision a world where people have the inner wisdom, tools, and growth opportunities to thrive and reach their full potential.
As stated on its FY2025 Form 990.
Programs
On its FY2025 return the organization reported starting a significant new program and a significant change in how it conducts a program.
The healing trauma program changemakers - in partnership with the wellbeing project, the Sounds True Foundation enrolled 150 global "changemakers"leaders in the front lines tackling the world's most urgent crisesinto the healing trauma program. For many of these changemakers, primarily based in the global southaccess to trauma-informed resources is often scarce. Thanks to a generous donation from lighten, these 150 individuals are now prepared to return to their communities as "ripples" of healing, transforming the very systems they lead. A new cohort of 150 changemakers started in february as part of the healing trauma program's 2026 enrollees.
Its own explanation, from Schedule O of that return (Part III, line 2).
The healing trauma program changemakers - in partnership with the wellbeing project, the Sounds True Foundation enrolled 150 global "changemakers"leaders in the front lines tackling the world's most urgent crisesinto the healing trauma program. For many of these changemakers, primarily based in the global southaccess to trauma-informed resources is often scarce. Thanks to a generous donation from lighten, these 150 individuals are now prepared to return to their communities as "ripples" of healing, transforming the very systems they lead. A new cohort of 150 changemakers started in february as part of the healing trauma program's 2026 enrollees.
Its own explanation, from Schedule O of that return (Part III, line 3).
Mindful champions: students from the fifth cohort, where 102 full scholarships were granted, started in february 2025. Mindful champions are dedicated to bringing mindfulness to communities in need.
$100,000 spentof which $100,000 as grants19% of program spendingProduct donations: in 2025, 9,140 books for adults and children were donated. Additionally, the Sounds True Foundation provides free registrations for online courses to support those experiencing financial hardship. A total of 1,071 full scholarships to online courses were granted to help individuals in their transformational journey.
$240,907 spent46% of program spendingThe healing trauma program changemakers - in partnership with the wellbeing project, the Sounds True Foundation enrolled 150 global "changemakers"leaders in the front lines tackling the world's most urgent crisesinto the healing trauma program.for many of these changemakers, primarily based in the global southaccess to trauma-informed resources is often scarce. Thanks to a generous donation from lighten, these 150 individuals are now prepared to return to their communities as "ripples" of healing, transforming the very systems they lead. A new cohort of 150 changemakers started in february as part of the healing trauma program's 2026 enrollees.
$149,406 spentof which $120,000 as grants29% of program spendingThe foundation continued its prison outreach project through the print-on-demand book, leaving prison before you get out. In partnership with grip founder jacques verduin, this manual is the most comprehensive tool of its kind. It equips justice-impacted individuals and correctional staff with the essential skills of mindfulness and emotional self-regulation. The foundation prints and distributes leaving prison before you get out exclusively to grip at no cost to the organization. Since its launch in 2024, 1,560 printed copies have been distributed, in addition to its e-book and audio versions.in addition, through our second year of partnership with education over obstacles (edovo), an organization that brings resources and opportunities to people in the prison system, the Sounds True Foundation reached more than one million justice-impacted individuals nationwide. The foundation donated select digital titles on mindfulness, grief, trauma, self-compassion, emotional regulation, and more.
$29,406 spent6% of program spending
The 4 programs described on its FY2025 Form 990, listed largest first by expense. Program spending in total: $519,719.
The organization over time
Each line starts at 100 in 2018, so what you read is the shape rather than the size: 150 means half as much again as 2018, 50 means half. The number beside each label in the key is where it ended. The shaded band is where the middle 50% of its peers' revenue would sit, given their growth.
Balance sheet
Total assets and total liabilities at each year end, in dollars. The largest one-year move in total assets was 2019 to 2020, from $93k to $582k (+523%).
How it's funded, over time
Each bar is one year's revenue split into where it came from, and every bar is the same height — these are shares, not amounts, so a year that raised twice as much looks the same size. Hover a bar for the split.
100% of SOUNDS TRUE FOUNDATION’s revenue is contributions — more reliant on donations than three-quarters of its peers (84% for the typical peer).
Surplus & reserves
Operating surplus or deficit each year, and months of liquidity in hand. 4 of the last 8 reported years ran a deficit.
reserve
Leadership and staff
The officers, directors, trustees and key employees listed on each return. Joined and no longer listed compare each filing with the year before, matching people by surname and first initial; a year after a gap, or a roster under three people, has no comparison.
Who funds it, year by year
2019 → 2023: the base broadened from 3 funders to 7 funders, grant income rose $70k → $138k.
7 of 23 of your funders are donor-advised or pass-through sponsors (tagged DAF) — 57% of grant dollars received. That money is really individual donors directing a sponsor; the institutions to cultivate are the non-DAF funders.
From the IRS filings of SOUNDS TRUE FOUNDATION’s funders (the co-funder graph). Association, not causation. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How concentrated its funding is
SOUNDS TRUE FOUNDATION has a broad base — no single funder exceeds 25% of grant income, and it takes 3 funders to reach half.
the vertical line marks half of all grant income — 3 funders to its left
70% of the income these shares are computed over arrives through pass-through sponsors or from payers whose filings do not say what kind of payment it is. Concentration is still measured over all of it, because the money is real; what it does not support is a claim about how many institutions have chosen to fund SOUNDS TRUE FOUNDATION.
Largest funder’s share by year: 2019 71% · 2020 38% · 2021 27% · 2022 45% · 2023 44% — diversifying over time.
“Effective funders” = inverse Herfindahl index (1 / Σ shareᵢ²) — the number of equal-sized funders that would give the same concentration. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How long its funders stay
9% of SOUNDS TRUE FOUNDATION's funders are still giving 3 years after their first grant; 43% give in more than one year at all.
Share of funders still giving k years after their first recorded grant, pooled across every acquisition cohort. A funder counts as retained in a year only if it made a grant that year. Measured to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving — a funder cannot be counted as lapsed in a year most filers have not reached.
Where its funders are
57% of SOUNDS TRUE FOUNDATION's grant income arrives through donor-advised or pass-through sponsors, whose addresses record where the money is held rather than where the donor is. Of the $329k that is directly attributable, 94% of it comes from funders outside Colorado, across 8 states.
In-state vs out-of-state, by year
Funder states come from each funder’s own filing. $434k arriving through sponsors registered in 5 states is excluded from the map and the split above: a sponsor holds money on a donor’s behalf, so its registered address would place those dollars somewhere no donor need ever have been. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Against its field
SOUNDS TRUE FOUNDATION has grown faster than three-quarters of the 1,934 public benefit nonprofits its size.
this organization peer median middle 50% of peers· 1,934 public benefit nonprofits $100k–$1M, FY2025
Organizations like SOUNDS TRUE FOUNDATION
Organizations whose mission and program text most resemble this one, by semantic similarity over every organization in the US filings — the closest peers, and often the clearest route to shared or prospective funders.
In Colorado
Nationally
Read directly from this organization’s own Form 990, as neutral context.
Where the money goes
97% of spending goes to programs.
Governance
Public support
34%
Share of support from the public (Schedule A) — the basis for its public-charity status.
Footprint & structure
Files a return copy in 1 state
Screen this organization
A dated, signed PDF of the compliance screen for SOUNDS TRUE FOUNDATION: IRS status (Business Master File, Publication 78, auto-revocation), the OFAC sanctions lists, the Internal Revenue Bulletin, and California registration, with the Rev. Proc. 2018-32 §8.01 reliance elements stated element by element. Generated from the current files at the moment you download it.
Screens are triage, not determinations; a source that cannot be read reports not screened, never clear. Screen this nonprofit · How the screen works · on the API as GET /api/screening/{ein}?format=pdf
Questions and answers
- Who funds SOUNDS TRUE FOUNDATION?
- SOUNDS TRUE FOUNDATION (Colorado) receives grants from 23 organizations whose IRS filings report $763,159 to it, the largest being DONOR ADVISED CHARITABLE GIVING INC ($187,109). 10 of them have funded it in more than one year, and 57% of the money arrives through donor-advised or pass-through sponsors rather than from an institution directly.
- How many funders does SOUNDS TRUE FOUNDATION have?
- IRS filings report 23 organizations giving $763,159 in grants to SOUNDS TRUE FOUNDATION, 10 of which have funded it in more than one year.
- Who is the largest funder of SOUNDS TRUE FOUNDATION?
- DONOR ADVISED CHARITABLE GIVING INC is the largest funder on record, with $187,109 in grants. The full list of funders is on this page.
- How can an organization like SOUNDS TRUE FOUNDATION find more funders?
- Start with the funders already giving here, then look at the foundations that back similar organizations in Colorado. The funding by cause and by state pages list the largest funders for a given area and how to approach them.
These figures are read directly from IRS Form 990 / 990-PF e-file XML: this organization’s own return for FY2025 (financials across 2018–2025), and the filings of 23 funders that report grants to it. “On record” means captured in the filings we have parsed — a funder that does not e-file, or whose grant detail is not itemized, will not appear. Filings run roughly 12–24 months behind. Trends on this page end at FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving; later years are shown and marked, and move no figure. Data on this page was exported October 14, 2026. What this page cannot tell you · view filing