Is it real?
Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Sep 2021.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File
Where the money goes
93 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.
Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.
Something off? Claim to add context
Who runs it and what they're paid
5 people listed on the 990; $80K paid to officers and key staff.
Nicholas Parsons’s $45K as President/Managing Directo is at the 13th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1636 $1–10M religion 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 · 7 named individuals · Part VII
| Name | FY2025 | FY2024 | FY2022 | FY2021 | FY2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholas Parsons | $45,000 | $42,500 | $40,000 | — | — |
| Bart Garett | $35,000 | $42,500 | $30,000 | — | — |
| Nick Parsons | — | — | — | $36,263 | — |
| Bart Garret | — | — | — | $25,019 | $4,870 |
| Brian Ng | — | — | — | $20,000 | $4,850 |
| Nick Parson | — | — | — | — | $8,946 |
| Cindy Collister | — | $3,500 | $2,900 | — | — |
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.
See Stratum executive salaries →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
Strengthens Bay Area Christian infrastructure by developing innovative gospel-grounded leadership solutions.
Questions for Stratum
Your first name shows with your question. Stratum answers here, for everyone.
Catalytic Funding
The church plant startup grant seeks to strengthen and support new churches as part of catalyzing and fostering a healthy gospel ecosystem in the bay area. This initiative provides financial support to a portfolio of church plants that reflect the diversity of geography, ethnicity, and church-planting models in the bay area.
Incubator
The city to city incubator is our one-year training program for pastors who are in the early years of establishing a new church. We provide in-depth, contextualized training, as well as relational support, to help participants establish healthy and effective new churches.
Coaching
Stratum coaching is for bay area pastors and church planters. We facilitate small cohorts of leaders that meet together monthly for spiritual formation, practical ministry help, and personal care.
Funders
Who pays for it.
From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.
Grants
By the numbers
The FY2025 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | Start FY25 | End FY25 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $951K | $690K |
| Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c | $2K | $3K |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $961K | $696K |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $5K | $3K |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $956K | $694K |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1 | $1.6M | $1.6M | ||
| Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5 | $83K | $66K | $11K | $6K |
| Other salaries and wagesLn 7 | $22K | $16K | $4K | $2K |
| Payroll taxesLn 10 | $9K | $7K | $1K | $725 |
| Accounting feesLn 11c | $16K | $16K | ||
| Investment management feesLn 11f | $6K | $6K | ||
| Other fees for servicesLn 11g | $11K | $11K | ||
| Office expensesLn 13 | $3K | $3K | $63 | |
| Information technologyLn 14 | $9K | $648 | $5K | $4K |
| OccupancyLn 16 | $44K | $44K | ||
| TravelLn 17 | $1K | $1K | $265 | $128 |
| InterestLn 20 | $147 | $147 | ||
| Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22 | $3K | $3K | ||
| InsuranceLn 23 | $868 | $868 | ||
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $46K | $30K | $16K | |
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $1.8M | $1.7M | $109K | $13K |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 Latest ViewingFiled with the IRS Sep 29, 2025 | $1.6M | $1.8M | −$260K | $694K | 990 PDF |
| FY2024Filed with the IRS Oct 31, 2024 | $1.8M | $1.8M | −$74K | $956K | 990 PDF |
| FY2023 | Not on file | ||||
| FY2022Filed with the IRS Sep 5, 2023 | $2.7M | $1.9M | $860K | $1.9M | 990 PDF |
| FY2021Filed with the IRS Nov 15, 2022 | $1.1M | $224K | $854K | $1.0M | 990 PDF |
| FY2020Filed with the IRS Nov 16, 2021 | $61K | $188K | 990 PDF | ||
Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $1,589,902 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 3 of 5 board members independent, 2 to look at
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $1,589,902 across 6 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,849,758 across 15 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $696,401 assets, 10 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $693,636 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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