Connect Foundation EIN 20-3049742

Connect Foundation

EIN  20-3049742 Public charity (501(c)(3)) San Diego, CA
Form 990 (PDF) Compare with another nonprofit →
Verified accurate 8/30/26 · see original filing: IRS
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Size
$1–10M
What they do
Accelerates the growth of San Diego life science and technology startups by connecting them with funding, education, mentorship, and venture capital investors.
Leadership
Mike Krenn · CEO · $216K
Money in and out
$3.1M revenue, $3.1M expenses
Bottom line
86% program efficiency

Accelerates the growth of San Diego life science and technology startups by connecting them with funding, education, mentorship, and venture capital investors. For fiscal year 2025 it reported $3.1M in revenue, $3.1M in expenses, and $1.3M in net assets.Pt I

Where the money goes · FY2025
Total revenue
$3.1M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$3.1M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$1.3M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): −$17K
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
Program services $0.86 Management & general $0.08 Fundraising $0.06
Program efficiency
86%
of spending reaches programs▲ +2% vs prior filing year
Operating runway
7.3mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate▼ -16% vs prior filing year
Surplus margin
-1%
revenue over expenses, this year▼ -142% vs prior filing year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2025 · Form 990
Revenue
$3.1M
FY2025▲ +9%
Expenses
$3.1M
FY2025▲ +11%
Total assets
$2.2M
FY2025▼ -22%
Total liabilities
$906K
FY2025▼ -41%
Total revenue
$3.1M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$3.1M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$1.3M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19−$17K
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$2.2M
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B86%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 392
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 492
Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

3 program services account for $1.3M of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

Innovation day (FIVE.TEN.THIRTY) was the largest gathering of the innovation community in sandiego history. Connect gathered 200 VCS, angel investors, ceos, ctos, dei leaders,national security leaders, and 160+ tech and life science companies, driving innovation acrosssan diego to continue collective momentum forward to scaling up a more…

$868Kprogram expense
02

Life science luminary dinner, an annual dinner of key players in the san diego life science community, traditionally hosted at the home of a successful life science entrepreneur that made great strides in the life science community in the past year.

$259Kprogram expense
03

Cool companiescool companies private event, an annual program where connect selects the top centure capital-ready technology and life science companies to be named a "cool company". All the companies' ceos meet investors in a private invite-only event with the intention of securing funding for their company;cool companies public event…

$207Kprogram expense

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Identity & Classification

Form 990 Header · IRS Business Master File
Legal nameHdr · item CConnect Foundation
EINHdr · item D20-3049742
Principal addressHdr · item CSan Diego, CA
WebsiteHdr · item Jwww.connect.org
Year of formationHdr · item Lpending
State of legal domicileHdr · item MCA
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
NTEE classificationIRS BMFEducation (B90)
Ruling yearIRS BMFApr 2006

Governance & Policies

Part VI
Voting members of the governing bodyPt VI · Ln 1a92
Independent voting membersPt VI · Ln 1b92
Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aYes
Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13Yes
Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14Yes
CEO/top-official compensation independently reviewedPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Family or business relationships among officers/directorsPt VI · Ln 2No

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
$215,590Pt VII · Sec A
$134,118Pt VII · Sec A
Interim COO
$108,817Pt VII · Sec A
Member of Board
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Member of Board
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Member of Board
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Member of Board
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Member of Board
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Mike Krenn’s $216K as CEO is at the 86th percentile of top reported officer pay among 3392 $1–10M 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.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 5 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021
Mike Krenn$215,590$289,970$301,140$297,277$222,264
Christie Marcella$134,118$183,909
Marcela Christie$175,147$156,729
Laura Shaw$47,712$133,322
Tre Braquet$108,817

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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Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Contributions & grants$2.2M · 70%
Program service revenue$889K · 29%
Investment income$48K · 2%
Contributions & grants70%$2.2M
Program service revenue29%$889K
Investment income2%$48K
Other revenue$5K
Total revenueLn 12$3.1M

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.86 Management & general $0.08 Fundraising $0.06
Program services86%$2.7M
Management & general8%$263K
Fundraising6%$182K
Total functional expensesLn 25$3.1M

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$1.9M
Total assetsLn 16$2.2M
Total liabilitiesLn 26$906K
Total net assetsLn 32$1.3M
Months of cash on handcomputed7.3

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2025 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $1.9M · Operating expenses/yr $3.1M
7.3 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $2.7M · Total expenses $3.1M
86%
Management & General
Management & general $263K · Total expenses $3.1M
8%
Fundraising
Fundraising $182K · Total expenses $3.1M
6%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (3-yr avg) $176K · Solicited contributions (3-yr avg) $2.0M
$0.09 to raise $1 (3-yr avg)
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $2.2M · Total revenue $3.1M
70%
Government reliance
Government grants — · Total revenue $3.1M
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $889K · Total revenue $3.1M
29%
Investment reliance
Investment income $48K · Total revenue $3.1M
+2%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $889K · Total expenses $3.1M
29%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $3.1M · Prior year $2.8M
+9%
Revenue CAGR
FY2020 $1.4M · FY2024 $3.1M
+21%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $1.3M · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $3.1M · Expenses $3.1M
-1%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $2.2M
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $1.3M · Total assets $2.2M
59%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) — · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) — · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $2.2M
Excludes program-related investments (Pt X, ln 13)
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Mike Krenn · Reported title CEO · Highest reported compensation $216K · Total expenses $3.1M
7%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $1.6M · Total expenses $3.1M
52%
Peer comparison

Same NTEE category, revenue band, and state where available. Descriptive — not a grade.

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 86%
Overhead ratio 8%
Fundraising cost ratio 8%
Revenue growth 9%
Legal fee ratio 3%

Straight from the Form 990 — descriptive, not an evaluation. A ratio is hidden when its base is zero or too small to be meaningful; the dollars are always shown.

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2024
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$15K

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Filings & Schedule Manifest

Part IV
III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
FY2025 (Latest)$3.1M revenue · viewing · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2024$2.8M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2023$2.6M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2022$2.7M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2021$1.4M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2025IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
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