Is it real?
Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in May 2004.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File
Where the money goes
89 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.
Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.
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Who runs it and what they're paid
16 people listed on the 990.
Julia Merrill’s $22K as Executive Di is at the 62nd percentile of top reported officer pay among 146 <$100K education nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.
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Questions the 990 asks
The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.
- Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2Yes
- Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aNo
Programs and updates
Promotes and sponsors educational and scientific programs for underprivileged children across the US.
Questions for Sparks Foundation INC
Your first name shows with your question. Sparks Foundation INC answers here, for everyone.
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Because of COVID-19, the organization's programs were completely converted to virtual presentations. We provided inquiry-based, hands-on science experiments to 12,200 students, which represents a 25% increase in the number of students served over last year. Programs were provided in 27 school districts across 5 states.
Funders
Who pays for it.
From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.
Grants
By the numbers
The FY2021 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | Start FY21 | End FY21 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $123K | $104K |
| Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c | $2K | $2K |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $124K | $106K |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $0 | $647 |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $124K | $105K |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grants to domestic individualsLn 2 | $5K | $5K | ||
| Management feesLn 11a | $54K | $16K | $20K | $18K |
| Accounting feesLn 11c | $4K | $4K | ||
| Advertising and promotionLn 12 | $345 | $345 | ||
| Office expensesLn 13 | $394 | $394 | ||
| Information technologyLn 14 | $225 | $113 | $112 | |
| OccupancyLn 16 | $6K | $6K | ||
| TravelLn 17 | $616 | $92 | $524 | |
| Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22 | $486 | $486 | ||
| InsuranceLn 23 | $631 | $631 | ||
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $410K | $410K | $348 | |
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $481K | $431K | $32K | $18K |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024 Latest | $799K | $806K | −$7K | $56K | 990 PDF |
| FY2023 | Not on file | ||||
| FY2022 | $667K | $711K | −$44K | $62K | 990 PDF |
| FY2021 Viewing | $462K | $481K | −$19K | $105K | 990 PDF |
| FY2020 | $499K | $432K | $67K | $124K | 990 PDF |
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Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $462,283 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 8 of 8 board members independent, 3 to look at
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $462,283 across 5 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $481,365 across 11 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $106,052 assets, 9 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $105,405 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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