Getting Smart Collective EIN 27-2643961 Form 990 (PDF) Claim this org

Getting Smart Collective FY2023 filing

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Spurs learning innovation and equitable education through publishing, networking, and conferences. For fiscal year 2023 it reported $5.3M in revenue, $433K in expenses, and $4.9M in net assets.Pt I

Type
Public charity (501(c)(3)) · Education
Location
Federal Way, WA
Filings
5 on file (2020–2023)
Revenue
$5.3MFY2023
Expenses
$433K
Net assets
$4.9M
People
6
Filings
5
Updates
0
More identity details & actions ⌄
EIN  27-2643961 Public charity (501(c)(3)) Federal Way, WA
Form 990 (PDF)
You’re viewing the FY2023 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →
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Size
$100K–1M
What they do
Spurs learning innovation and equitable education through publishing, networking, and conferences.
Leadership
Caroline Vander Ark · Executive Director/CEO · $109K
Money in and out
$5.3M revenue, $433K expenses
Bottom line
96% program efficiency
Where the money goes · FY2023
Total revenue
$5.3M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$433K
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$4.9M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): $4.9M
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
Program services $0.96 Management & general $0.04
Program efficiency
96%
of spending reaches programs
Operating runway
68.0mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate
Surplus margin
+92%
revenue over expenses, this year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2023 · Form 990
Revenue
$5.3M
FY2023▲ ×1068
Expenses
$433K
FY2023
Total assets
$5.0M
FY2023
Total liabilities
$13K
FY2023
Total revenue
$5.3M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$433K
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$4.9M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19$4.9M
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$5.0M
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B96%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 35
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 45
Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

1 program service account for $415K of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2023.
01

Research in educational programs, trends, and assessment in education including learning model design. The organization designed networking to communicate learning innovations to education leaders.

$415Kprogram expense

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Identity & Classification

Form 990 Header · IRS Business Master File
Legal nameHdr · item CGetting Smart Collective
EINHdr · item D27-2643961
Principal addressHdr · item CFederal Way, WA
WebsiteHdr · item Jnone reported
Year of formationHdr · item Lpending
State of legal domicileHdr · item MWA
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
NTEE classificationIRS BMFEducation (B90)
Ruling yearIRS BMFSep 2011

Governance & Policies

Part VI
Voting members of the governing bodyPt VI · Ln 1a5
Independent voting membersPt VI · Ln 1b5
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 15aNo
Family or business relationships among officers/directorsPt VI · Ln 2Yes

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director/CEO
$109,176Pt 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

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023
Caroline Vander Ark$215,159$223,195$109,176
Rashawn Caruthers$125,559
Rashwan Caruthers$122,187
Mason Pashia$117,648

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$5.1M · 95%
Program service revenue$210K · 4%
Investment income$33K · 1%
Contributions & grants95%$5.1M
Program service revenue4%$210K
Investment income1%$33K
Other revenue$6K
Total revenueLn 12$5.3M

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.96 Management & general $0.04
Program services96%$415K
Management & general4%$18K
Total functional expensesLn 25$433K

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$2.5M
Total assetsLn 16$5.0M
Total liabilitiesLn 26$13K
Total net assetsLn 32$4.9M
Months of cash on handcomputed68.0

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2023 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $2.5M · Operating expenses/yr $433K
68.0 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $415K · Total expenses $433K
96%
Management & General
Management & general $18K · Total expenses $433K
4%
Fundraising
Fundraising $0 · Total expenses $433K
0%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense $0 · Solicited contributions $5.1M
Solicited contributions below reporting floor
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $5.1M · Total revenue $5.3M
95%
Government reliance
Government grants — · Total revenue $5.3M
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $210K · Total revenue $5.3M
4%
Investment reliance
Investment income $33K · Total revenue $5.3M
+0.6%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $210K · Total expenses $433K
49%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $5.3M · Prior year $5K
Prior-year revenue below floor — showing dollar change
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $4.9M · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $5.3M · Expenses $433K
+92%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $5.0M
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $4.9M · Total assets $5.0M
100%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) — · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) — · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $5.0M
Excludes program-related investments (Pt X, ln 13)
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Caroline Vander Ark · Reported title EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/CEO · Highest reported compensation $109K · Total expenses $433K
25%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $241K · Total expenses $433K
56%
Peer comparison

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

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 96%
Overhead ratio 4%
Fundraising cost ratio 0%
Revenue growth ×1068
Legal fee ratio 0.3%
Accounting fee ratio 6%

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 · received and paid
Grants received · FY2024
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$35K
Grants paid · 14 grants · $1.5M · 2024–2024
Meaning FoundationUT · FY2024$150,000
Lab School of Memphis INCTN · FY2024$150,000
Kind Academy CorporationFY2024$150,000
Colossal CommunityFL · FY2024$150,000
Black Mothers Forum INCAZ · FY2024$150,000
Asu Preparatory AcademyAZ · FY2024$150,000
Spark Community SchoolsAZ · FY2024$100,000
P A S T FoundationOH · FY2024$100,000
Issaquah School District No 411FY2024$100,000
Ellemercito AcademyCA · FY2024$100,000
Lamont Elementary School DistrictFY2024$40,000
Escondido Union School DistrictFY2024$40,000
Lincon High SchoolCA · FY2024$25,000

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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)$428K revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2024$1.5M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2023$5.3M revenue · viewing · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2022not on file
FY2021$5K revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2020$50K revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2023IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
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