Spark Program INC

Chicago, ILUnknown exempt organizationEIN 20-1836547

Spark engages communities to provide career exploration and self-discovery opportunities that help middle school students understand, experience and pursue what's possible

71¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 940 volunteers and 31 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2023 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
Latest return
FY2023
latest Form 990
Fine: the latest return is for FY2023, 3 tax years back; within 3 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
1 of 3
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $131K a year · 11% of revenue · last 3 filings
Concern: a surplus in 1 of the last 3 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 3 filings
Spent on programs
71%
of spending
Fine: 71% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$20K
to officers and key staff · 3% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 3% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
Named funders
1
named funder · $17K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$0
total owed
No data yet: the filing does not give total assets.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
8
of 8 voting members
Looks good: 8 of 8 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$136K
-92% vs prior year
Spent
$582K
To programs
71%
Net assets
$0
By yearFY2021–FY2023
Revenue
$136K
FY2023▼ -92%
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$1.8M
FY2022$1.8M
FY2023$136K
Expenses
$582K
FY2023▼ -66%
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021$1.8M
FY2022$1.7M
FY2023$582K
Net assets
$0
FY2023▼ -100%
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$459K
FY2022$468K
FY2023$0

From the FY2023 Form 990 (year ending May 2023) · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2023.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

71 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 71% · $414K Management & general 24% · $137K Fundraising 5% · $31K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

Who runs it and what they're paid

11 people listed on the 990; $20K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2022); the FY2023 filing did not itemize Part VII
Interim CEO
$20,000Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 4 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2023FY2022FY2021
Robin Keefe—$132,560$126,444
Lance Russell——$102,492
Erika Alcibar$20,000——
Lance Russel—$16,226—

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

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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 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Helps middle schoolers explore careers and discover themselves through community programs.

Provided by the organization

This section is blank until Spark Program INC claims this page.

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1 program service account for $414K of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2022.
01

As young teens transition to young adults, it's the best time to show them what's possible. It's also a time when 7TH, 8TH, and 9TH grade students from underserved communities risk academic disengagement. Spark's proven model intervenes early to reach students in the middle grades at this critical inflection point.

$414Kprogram expense

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Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2024
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$17K
Grants paid · 4 grants · $406K · 2020–2022
Spark PromiseCA · FY2022$339,062
Devices for StudentsFY2021$22,921
Devices for StudentsFY2020$34,493

By the numbers

The FY2023 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$136K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$136K
Money outPt IX
$582K
Ln 25
Programscol B$414K
Managementcol C$137K
Fundraisingcol D$31K
Owns and owesPt X
$0
net assets · Ln 32
Total assetsLn 16$0
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
PeoplePt VI, VII
11
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a8
IndependentVI 1b8
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$136K
Government grantsLn 1e$74K
Total revenueLn 12$136K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$0
SavingsLn 2$0
InvestmentsLn 11–13$0
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$0
Other assetsLn 15$0
Total assetsLn 16$0
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
Net assetsLn 32$0
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 531
VolunteersI 6940
Fiscal year endsHeaderMay
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY23End FY23
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$434K$0
InvestmentsLn 11–13$0
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$460$0
Total assetsLn 16$540K$0
LiabilitiesLn 26$72K$0
Net assetsLn 32$468K$0
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$339K$339K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$20K$13K$2K$5K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$29K$18K$3K$7K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$860$535$93$232
Other employee benefitsLn 9$8K$5K$892$2K
Payroll taxesLn 10$4K$2K$461$1K
Legal feesLn 11b$8K$8K
Accounting feesLn 11c$55K$3K$46K$6K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$16K$16K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$334$334
Office expensesLn 13$7K−$84$7K
Information technologyLn 14$5K−$637$6K
OccupancyLn 16$83K$33K$41K$8K
TravelLn 17$829−$482$1K
InterestLn 20$169$169
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$294$294
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$5K$9$3K$1K
All other expensesLn 24e$341$39$302
Total functional expensesLn 25$582K$414K$137K$31K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2023 Latest Viewing $136K$582K−$445K$0 990 PDF
FY2022 $1.8M$1.7M$81K$468K 990 PDF
FY2021 $1.8M$1.8M−$30K$459K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
See the full FY2023 990 (4 parts)
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $136,436 across 4 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$74,096
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$62,340
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$136,436
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$136,436
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $581,652 across 18 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $339,062$339,062
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $12,610 · Management $2,309 · Fundraising $5,082$20,001
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $18,315 · Management $3,354 · Fundraising $7,380$29,049
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $535 · Management $93 · Fundraising $232$860
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $4,997 · Management $892 · Fundraising $1,897$7,786
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $2,375 · Management $461 · Fundraising $1,005$3,841
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $8,079$8,079
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $3,450 · Management $45,873 · Fundraising $5,738$55,061
IX-11g Other fees for servicesManagement $15,931$15,931
IX-12 Advertising and promotionManagement $334$334
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms −$84 · Management $7,225$7,141
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms −$637 · Management $5,774$5,137
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $33,490 · Management $41,408 · Fundraising $8,055$82,953
IX-17 TravelPrograms −$482 · Management $1,311$829
IX-20 InterestManagement $169$169
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationManagement $294$294
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $9 · Management $3,443 · Fundraising $1,332$4,784
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $39 · Management $302$341
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $413,679 · Management $137,252 · Fundraising $30,721$581,652
Part X · Balance sheet $0 assets, 20 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $434,365$0
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investments$0
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $43,948$0
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $16,368$0
X-8 Inventories for sale or use$0
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $22,151$0
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $460$0
X-11 Publicly traded securities$0
X-12 Other securities$0
X-13 Program-related investments$0
X-14 Intangible assets$0
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $22,800$0
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $540,092$0
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $61,779$0
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $10,679$0
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $72,458$0
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $417,035$0
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $50,599$0
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $467,634$0
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $540,092$0
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $0 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$136,436
XI-2 Total expenses$581,652
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$445,216
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$467,634
XI-9 Other changes in net assets−$22,418
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$0

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2023 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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