Innovators for Purpose

Tax-deductible

Cambridge, MA501(c)(3)Youth DevelopmentEIN 30-0841640Revenue $892K in FY2025

On file with the IRSinnovatorsforpurpose.org91 1st Street 425475, 02141-1804 · Cambridge, MATax-exempt since Jan 2015Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

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Youth development and STEAM education organization

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
77¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 20 volunteers and 2 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

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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
5 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $131K a year · 24% of revenue · last 5 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 5 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
77%
of spending
Looks good: 77% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$188K
to officers and key staff · 35% of spending
Top officer’s pay higher than 90% of similar orgs
Concern: pay to officers and key staff is 35% of spending; over 30%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
7 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 7.2 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
11
named funders · $429K
Looks good: 11 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$17K
4% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 4% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
6
of 8 voting members
Looks good: 6 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
$892K
+34% vs prior year
Spent
$539K
To programs
77%
Net assets
$456K
By yearFY2021–FY2025
Revenue
$892K
FY2025▲ +34%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$266K
FY2022$393K
FY2023$453K
FY2024$666K
FY2025$892K
Expenses
$539K
FY2025▲ +7%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021$250K
FY2022$316K
FY2023$406K
FY2024$506K
FY2025$539K
Net assets
$456K
FY2025▲ +114%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$87K
FY2022$64K
FY2023$82K
FY2024$213K
FY2025$456K

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 Jan 2015.

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

Where the money goes

77 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 77% · $413K Management & general 15% · $79K Fundraising 9% · $46K

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

8 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
Director Co-Founder CEO
$107,500Pt VII · Sec A
Director Co-Founder VP
$80,625Pt VII · Sec A
Board Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Michael K Dawson’s $108K as Director Co-Founder CEO is at the 90th 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 · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021
Michael K Dawson$107,500$100,000$75,000$75,000$76,500
Donna Dawson$80,625$75,000$62,500$50,000$51,500

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 2Yes
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Empowers youth through hands-on STEAM learning and skill-building programs.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $413K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Ifp Labs

Introduces 7-8th grade students to iFps unique approach to STEM education at the intersection of design, technology and social impact. iFp Studios - Offers students aged 14 and older a paid, work-based design and innovation studio experience.

$413Kprogram 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
See all 11 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$892K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$817K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$75K
Money outPt IX
$539K
Ln 25
Programscol B$413K
Managementcol C$79K
Fundraisingcol D$46K
Owns and owesPt X
$456K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$323K
Total assetsLn 16$473K
LiabilitiesLn 26$17K
PeoplePt VI, VII
8
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a8
IndependentVI 1b6
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$817K
Noncash giftsLn 1g$110K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$75K
Total revenueLn 12$892K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$323K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$323K
Total assetsLn 16$473K
LiabilitiesLn 26$17K
Net assetsLn 32$456K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 52
VolunteersI 620
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aNo
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
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$188K$323K
Total assetsLn 16$238K$473K
LiabilitiesLn 26$25K$17K
Net assetsLn 32$213K$456K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$188K$129K$38K$22K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$143K$143K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$24K$10K$3K$11K
Payroll taxesLn 10$30K$25K$3K$2K
Accounting feesLn 11c$7K$7K
Professional fundraising feesLn 11e$3K$3K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$66K$66K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$9K$9K
Information technologyLn 14$5K$5K
TravelLn 17$1K$503$741
InterestLn 20$557$557
InsuranceLn 23$5K$5K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$51K$39K$12K
All other expensesLn 24e$6K$6K
Total functional expensesLn 25$539K$413K$79K$46K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $892K$539K$353K$456K 990 PDF
FY2024 $666K$506K$160K$213K 990 PDF
FY2023 $453K$406K$46K$82K 990 PDF
FY2022 $393K$316K$77K$64K 990 PDF
FY2021 $266K$250K$16K$87K 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 FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $891,953 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $619,783$817,369
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $46,500$74,584
I-10 Investment income$0
I-11 Other revenue$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $666,283$891,953
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $374,025$385,699
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $3,870$2,550
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $127,966$150,666
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $505,861$538,915
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $160,422$353,038
Part VI · Governance 6 of 8 board members independent, 4 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body8
VI-1b Independent voting members6
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsYes
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyNo
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $891,953 across 6 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$817,369
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$109,909
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$817,369
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $74,584$74,584
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising events$0
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $74,584 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$891,953
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $538,915 across 14 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $129,000 · Management $37,625 · Fundraising $21,500$188,125
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $143,188$143,188
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $9,854 · Management $3,084 · Fundraising $11,427$24,365
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $24,907 · Management $3,265 · Fundraising $1,849$30,021
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $6,687$6,687
IX-11e Professional fundraising feesFundraising $2,550$2,550
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $66,495$66,495
IX-12 Advertising and promotionFundraising $8,884$8,884
IX-14 Information technologyManagement $4,652$4,652
IX-17 TravelPrograms $503 · Management $741$1,244
IX-20 InterestManagement $557$557
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $5,495$5,495
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $39,476 · Management $11,519$50,995
IX-24e All other expensesManagement $5,657$5,657
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $413,423 · Management $79,282 · Fundraising $46,210$538,915
Part X · Balance sheet $472,864 assets, 8 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $188,305$322,864
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $50,000$150,000
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $238,305$472,864
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $25,222$16,652
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $25,222$16,652
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $213,083$456,212
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $213,083$456,212
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $238,305$472,864
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $456,212 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$891,953
XI-2 Total expenses$538,915
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$353,038
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$213,083
XI-6 Donated services and use of facilities−$109,909
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$456,212

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

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