Spark Program INC FY2021 filing

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

61¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$229K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2021 · 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
61%
of spending
Worth a look: 61% of spending went to programs; under 65%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$229K
to officers and key staff · 12% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 12% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
4 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 3.9 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $17K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$313K
41% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 41% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
11
of 11 voting members
Looks good: 11 of 11 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$1.8M
Spent
$1.8M
To programs
61%
Net assets
$459K
By yearFY2021–FY2023
Revenue
$1.8M
FY2021
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$1.8M
FY2022$1.8M
FY2023$136K
Expenses
$1.8M
FY2021
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021$1.8M
FY2022$1.7M
FY2023$582K
Net assets
$459K
FY2021
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$459K
FY2022$468K
FY2023$0

From the FY2021 Form 990 (year ending June 2021) · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2021 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2023) →

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

61 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 61% · $1.1M Management & general 17% · $312K Fundraising 22% · $410K

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

Who runs it and what they're paid

13 people listed on the 990; $229K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2020); the FY2021 filing did not itemize Part VII
$126,444Pt VII · Sec A
$102,492Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$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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2 program services account for $1.1M of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2020.
01

As young teens transition to young adults, its the best time to show them whats possible. Its also a time when 7th, 8th, and 9th grade students from underserved communities risk academic disengagement. Sparks proven model intervenes early to reach students in the middle grades at this critical inflection point.

$1.1Mprogram expense
02

communities and schools gaining experiential learning opportunities. Together, Spark and its partners empower the next generation to perform better in school, graduate on time and succeed in career and life.

Pt IX · col B

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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 FY2021 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$1.8M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.7M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$79K
Money outPt IX
$1.8M
Ln 25
Programscol B$1.1M
Managementcol C$312K
Fundraisingcol D$410K
Owns and owesPt X
$459K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$602K
Total assetsLn 16$772K
LiabilitiesLn 26$313K
PeoplePt VI, VII
13
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a11
IndependentVI 1b11
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.7M
Government grantsLn 1e$386K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$79K
Gains on assetsLn 7$0
Total revenueLn 12$1.8M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$602K
SavingsLn 2$5
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$602K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$0
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$2K
Other assetsLn 15$23K
Total assetsLn 16$772K
LiabilitiesLn 26$313K
Net assetsLn 32$459K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 531
VolunteersI 6940
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
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 FY21End FY21
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$321K$602K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$0
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$2K$2K
Total assetsLn 16$726K$772K
LiabilitiesLn 26$240K$313K
Net assetsLn 32$486K$459K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$44K$44K
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$0
Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsLn 3$0
Benefits paid to or for membersLn 4$0
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$223K$145K$20K$58K
Pay of disqualified personsLn 6$0
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$854K$555K$76K$222K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$26K$16K$3K$7K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$144K$88K$31K$24K
Payroll taxesLn 10$90K$58K$9K$23K
Management feesLn 11a$0
Legal feesLn 11b$335$335
Accounting feesLn 11c$87K$15K$37K$35K
Lobbying feesLn 11d$0
Professional fundraising feesLn 11e$0
Investment management feesLn 11f$0
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$90K$6K$84K$500
Advertising and promotionLn 12$2K$290$200$1K
Office expensesLn 13$32K$30K$1K$235
Information technologyLn 14$29K$11K$16K$2K
RoyaltiesLn 15$0
OccupancyLn 16$66K$46K$5K$15K
TravelLn 17$7K$4K$3K$140
Travel and entertainment for public officialsLn 18$0
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$0
InterestLn 20$0
Payments to affiliatesLn 21$0
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$492$33$133$326
InsuranceLn 23$25K$4K$20K$1K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$113K$93K$886$20K
All other expensesLn 24e$8K$3K$4K$21
Total functional expensesLn 25$1.8M$1.1M$312K$410K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2023 Latest $136K$582K−$445K$0 990 PDF
FY2022 $1.8M$1.7M$81K$468K 990 PDF
FY2021 Viewing $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 FY2021 990 (4 parts)
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $1,810,870 across 10 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$386,005
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$1,345,953
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,731,958
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $78,912$78,912
VIII-3 Investment income$0
VIII-5 Royalties$0
VIII-6 Net rental income or loss$0
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assets$0
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising events$0
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $78,912$1,810,870
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,841,047 across 31 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $44,493$44,493
IX-2 Grants to domestic individuals$0
IX-3 Grants and assistance to foreign recipients$0
IX-4 Benefits paid to or for members$0
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $144,798 · Management $19,920 · Fundraising $57,976$222,694
IX-6 Pay of disqualified persons$0
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $555,029 · Management $76,355 · Fundraising $222,230$853,614
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $16,043 · Management $3,030 · Fundraising $7,289$26,362
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $88,334 · Management $31,313 · Fundraising $24,346$143,993
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $57,953 · Management $9,127 · Fundraising $22,761$89,841
IX-11a Management fees$0
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $335$335
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $15,364 · Management $36,774 · Fundraising $34,626$86,764
IX-11d Lobbying fees$0
IX-11e Professional fundraising fees$0
IX-11f Investment management fees$0
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $5,803 · Management $83,890 · Fundraising $500$90,193
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $290 · Management $200 · Fundraising $1,293$1,783
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $30,176 · Management $1,428 · Fundraising $235$31,839
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $10,987 · Management $16,188 · Fundraising $2,289$29,464
IX-15 Royalties$0
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $45,661 · Management $5,180 · Fundraising $14,958$65,799
IX-17 TravelPrograms $4,123 · Management $2,979 · Fundraising $140$7,242
IX-18 Travel and entertainment for public officials$0
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetings$0
IX-20 Interest$0
IX-21 Payments to affiliates$0
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $33 · Management $133 · Fundraising $326$492
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $3,832 · Management $19,929 · Fundraising $1,401$25,162
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $92,501 · Management $886 · Fundraising $19,906$113,293
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $3,271 · Management $4,392 · Fundraising $21$7,684
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $1,118,691 · Management $312,059 · Fundraising $410,297$1,841,047
Part X · Balance sheet $771,612 assets, 21 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $321,437$601,517
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $5$5
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $354,498$130,695
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $8,450$5,349
X-8 Inventories for sale or use$0
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $12,811$9,629
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $2,109$1,617
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 $26,446$22,800
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $725,756$771,612
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $27,137$22,931
X-18 Grants payable$10,000
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $212,514$279,800
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $239,651$312,731
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $79,889$292,265
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $406,216$166,616
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $486,105$458,881
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $725,756$771,612
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $458,881 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,810,870
XI-2 Total expenses$1,841,047
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$30,177
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$486,105
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$2,953
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$458,881

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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