Open connections' mission is to help young people and adults develop the tools needed to create the life they want, full of purpose and fulfillment. The organization serves as a community-base for young people (ages 4 through 18) and their families seeking an innovative, collaborative, and process conscious educational environment. Their services include full-day programming, community events, parent workshops, educational counseling and home education services.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
75¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 55 volunteers and 29 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2025 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
2 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $136K a year · 14% of revenue · last 6 filings
Concern: a surplus in 2 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
75%
of spending
Fine: 75% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$188K
to officers and key staff · 16% of spending
Fine: pay to officers and key staff is 16% of spending; 15% to 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
5 mo
of spending, in cash
Plus $1.6M in investments, Pt X · Ln 11–13
Looks good: 4.8 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $750
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$415K
7% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 7% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
9
of 9 voting members
Looks good: 9 of 9 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$901K
-1% vs prior year
Spent
$1.2M
To programs
75%
Net assets
$5.3M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$901K
FY2025▼ -1%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$1.6M
FY2021$417K
FY2022$1.2M
FY2023$802K
FY2024$914K
FY2025$901K
Expenses
$1.2M
FY2025▲ +5%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$1.3M
FY2021$1.0M
FY2022$1.0M
FY2023$1.0M
FY2024$1.1M
FY2025$1.2M
Net assets
$5.3M
FY2025▼ -2%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$5.8M
FY2021$5.6M
FY2022$5.5M
FY2023$5.4M
FY2024$5.4M
FY2025$5.3M

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending June 2025) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Jun 2022.

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

Where the money goes

75 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 75% · $865K Management & general 20% · $232K Fundraising 5% · $59K

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

11 people listed on the 990; $188K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
$118,374Pt VII · Sec A
Co-Director
$67,808Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$1,720Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$95Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Rick Sleutaris JR’s $118K as Co-Director is at the 93rd percentile of top reported officer pay among 1992 $100K–1M youth development 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

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Rick Sleutaris JR$118,374—————
Sarah Becker$67,808—————
Lisa Huis$1,720$1,475$17,350$17,946$16,936$14,420
Anton Andrew———$640——
Lee Wisdom$95—————

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

Empowers youth and adults with tools to build purposeful, fulfilling lives through innovative education and community support.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $865K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Empowering people to create the life they want, full of purpose and fulfillment by offering programs and services that provide opportunities to develop and nurture healthy connections with self, others, and learning.

$865Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

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

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2024
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$750

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$901K
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$799K
Investment incomeLn 3$39K
Other incomeLn 4–11$33K
Money outPt IX
$1.2M
Ln 25
Programscol B$865K
Managementcol C$232K
Fundraisingcol D$59K
Owns and owesPt X
$5.3M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$459K
Total assetsLn 16$5.7M
LiabilitiesLn 26$415K
PeoplePt VI, VII
11
listed · VII A
PaidVII A4
Voting boardVI 1a9
IndependentVI 1b9
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$30K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$799K
Investment incomeLn 3$39K
Other incomeLn 4–11$33K
Total revenueLn 12$901K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$262K
SavingsLn 2$197K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$459K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$1.6M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$3.6M
Other assetsLn 15$3K
Total assetsLn 16$5.7M
LiabilitiesLn 26$415K
Net assetsLn 32$5.3M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 529
VolunteersI 655
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aNo
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$421K$459K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$1.6M$1.6M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$3.7M$3.6M
Total assetsLn 16$5.7M$5.7M
LiabilitiesLn 26$317K$415K
Net assetsLn 32$5.4M$5.3M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$246K$110K$107K$30K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$346K$306K$36K$4K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$5K$4K$1K$311
Other employee benefitsLn 9$129K$106K$18K$5K
Payroll taxesLn 10$47K$35K$10K$2K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$16K$4K$12K
Office expensesLn 13$21K$15K$5K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$123K$111K$12K
InsuranceLn 23$39K$39K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$166K$134K$31K$1K
All other expensesLn 24e$19K$18K$956
Total functional expensesLn 25$1.2M$865K$232K$59K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $901K$1.2M−$255K$5.3M 990 PDF
FY2024 $914K$1.1M−$184K$5.4M 990 PDF
FY2023 $802K$1.0M−$228K$5.4M 990 PDF
FY2022 $1.2M$1.0M$132K$5.5M 990 PDF
FY2021 $417K$1.0M−$591K$5.6M 990 PDF
FY2020 $1.6M$1.3M$311K$5.8M 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $901,175 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $99,635$29,954
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $697,568$799,100
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $88,744$39,221
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $28,026$32,900
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $913,973$901,175
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $745,837$773,176
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $351,868$383,083
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $1,097,705$1,156,259
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$183,732−$255,084
Part VI · Governance 9 of 9 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body9
VI-1b Independent voting members9
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $901,175 across 7 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$29,954
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$29,954
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $799,100$799,100
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $39,221$39,221
VIII-6 Net rental income or lossRelated to mission $13,320$13,320
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $19,580$19,580
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $832,000 · Excluded from tax $39,221$901,175
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,156,259 across 11 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $109,583 · Management $106,541 · Fundraising $29,503$245,627
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $305,968 · Management $35,579 · Fundraising $4,380$345,927
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $3,826 · Management $1,300 · Fundraising $311$5,437
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $105,869 · Management $17,817 · Fundraising $5,019$128,705
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $34,633 · Management $10,457 · Fundraising $2,390$47,480
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $3,877 · Fundraising $11,630$15,507
IX-13 Office expensesManagement $15,474 · Fundraising $5,158$20,632
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $110,625 · Management $12,295$122,920
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $38,767$38,767
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $133,946 · Management $31,306 · Fundraising $1,043$166,295
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $18,006 · Management $956$18,962
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $865,100 · Management $231,725 · Fundraising $59,434$1,156,259
Part X · Balance sheet $5,712,677 assets, 15 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $267,618$261,641
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $152,903$197,488
X-4 Accounts receivable$34,078
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $10,665$15,826
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $3,714,541$3,598,461
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $1,569,137$1,602,483
X-15 Other assets$2,700
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $5,714,864$5,712,677
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $41,216$49,034
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $275,687$365,854
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $316,903$414,888
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $5,324,937$5,256,310
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $73,024$41,479
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $5,397,961$5,297,789
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $5,714,864$5,712,677
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $5,297,789 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$901,175
XI-2 Total expenses$1,156,259
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$255,084
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$5,397,961
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$154,912
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$5,297,789

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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