Stem Forward INC: FY2022 Nonprofit Profile & Form 990 (EIN 39-0854863)

Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020	$308K
FY2021	$308K
FY2022	$320K
FY2023	$300K
FY2024	$354K
FY2025	$344K

Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020	$271K
FY2021	$271K
FY2022	$267K
FY2023	$293K
FY2024	$296K
FY2025	$312K

Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020	$326K
FY2021	$353K
FY2022	$395K
FY2023	$447K
FY2024	$494K
FY2025	$526K

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Nov 1993.

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

Where the money goes

73 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

73%

23%

Program services 73% · $195K Management & general 23% · $61K Fundraising 4% · $11K

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

27 people listed on the 990; $101K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2021); the FY2022 filing did not itemize Part VII

Rich Merkel

Executive Director

$101,469Pt VII · Sec A

Daniel Ark

President Elect

$0Pt VII · Sec A

Dale Held

Vice President

$0Pt VII · Sec A

Greg Schroeder

Past President

$0Pt VII · Sec A

Matt Hensgen

Treasurer

$0Pt VII · Sec A

Juanita Banks

Director

$0Pt VII · Sec A

Fred Begale

Director

$0Pt VII · Sec A

Mary Burgoon

Director

$0Pt VII · Sec A

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 1 named individual · Part VII

Name	FY2025	FY2024	FY2023	FY2022	FY2021	FY2020
Rich Merkel	$111,675	$108,194	$102,206	$101,469	$97,975	$99,638

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

Advances engineering and allied arts/sciences, fostering professional growth and community benefit.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $194K · in their own filed words · FY2021

01

Education Initiative

Direct management of stem outreach activities and programs with a special emphasis on connecting students with stem professionals.

$110Kprogram expense

02

Stem Outreach

Promote occupations and opportunities within the fields of engineering and science.

$52Kprogram expense

03

Events

Organizing and hosting various competitions in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines, including regional and national rube goldberg competitions and future city competition.

$32Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

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

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid

Grants received · FY2024

Donor Advised Charitable Giving INCFY2024$60K

Greater Milwaukee Foundation INCFY2024$30K

American Online Giving Foundation INCFY2024$17K

Charities Aid Foundation AmericaFY2024$7K

Total grants receivedfrom 4 funders$114K

See all 4 funders →

Grants paid · 6 grants · $140K · 2019–2024

Unitemized GrantFY2024$33,000

Unitemized GrantFY2023$25,000

Unitemized GrantFY2022$22,500

Unitemized GrantFY2021$22,500

Unitemized GrantFY2020$20,000

Unitemized GrantFY2019$17,500

By the numbers

The FY2022 990, line by line.

Download 990

from philanthropy.org

1The main four

Money inPt VIII

$320K

Ln 12

Gifts and grantsLn 1h$247K

Fees for servicesLn 2g$92K

Investment incomeLn 3$128

Money outPt IX

$267K

Ln 25

Programscol B$195K

Managementcol C$61K

Fundraisingcol D$11K

Owns and owesPt X

$395K

net assets · Ln 32

Cash and savingsLn 1–2$417K

Total assetsLn 16$436K

LiabilitiesLn 26$41K

PeoplePt VI, VII

27

listed · VII A

PaidVII A1

Voting boardVI 1a26

IndependentVI 1b26

2In more detail

Revenue in detailPt VIII

Gifts and grantsLn 1h$247K

Noncash giftsLn 1g$3K

Fundraising eventsLn 1c$68K

Fees for servicesLn 2g$92K

Investment incomeLn 3$128

Total revenueLn 12$320K

Assets in detailPt X, end of year

CashLn 1$287K

SavingsLn 2$130K

Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$417K

Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$0

Total assetsLn 16$436K

LiabilitiesLn 26$41K

Net assetsLn 32$395K

OperationsPt I, VI

EmployeesI 55

VolunteersI 6265

Fiscal year endsHeaderJune

Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes

Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes

Records policyVI 14Yes

3Year over year

Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B

Line	Start FY22	End FY22
Cash and savingsLn 1–2	$393K	$417K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c	$0	$0
Total assetsLn 16	$399K	$436K
LiabilitiesLn 26	$45K	$41K
Net assetsLn 32	$353K	$395K

4Every line

Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line

Line	Total	Programs	Management	Fundraising
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2	$22K	$22K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5	$103K	$69K	$29K	$5K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7	$68K	$52K	$12K	$4K
Payroll taxesLn 10	$15K	$11K	$3K	$922
Accounting feesLn 11c	$5K		$5K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g	$5K		$5K
Office expensesLn 13	$5K	$1K	$3K	$246
Information technologyLn 14	$4K	$859	$3K	$235
TravelLn 17	$225	$217	$8
InsuranceLn 23	$475		$475
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24	$38K	$38K	$79
Total functional expensesLn 25	$267K	$195K	$61K	$11K

Filing history

Year	Money in	Money out	In minus out	Net assets	Download
FY2025 Latest	$344K	$312K	$32K	$526K	990 PDF
FY2024	$354K	$296K	$58K	$494K	990 PDF
FY2023	$300K	$293K	$7K	$447K	990 PDF
FY2022 Viewing	$320K	$267K	$52K	$395K	990 PDF
FY2021	$308K	$271K	$38K	$353K	990 PDF
FY2020	$308K	$271K	$38K	$326K	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 FY2022 990 (6 parts)

Part I · Summary $319,609 revenue, 12 lines filed

I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $185,878$246,527

I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $98,370$91,921

I-10 Investment incomePrior year $823$128

I-11 Other revenuePrior year $23,273−$18,967

I-12 Total revenuePrior year $308,344$319,609

I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $20,000$22,500

I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0

I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $194,267$186,368

I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0

I-17 Other expensesPrior year $56,241$58,300

I-18 Total expensesPrior year $270,508$267,168

I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $37,836$52,441

Part VI · Governance 26 of 26 board members independent, no flags

VI-1a Voting members of the governing body26

VI-1b Independent voting members26

VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo

VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes

VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes

VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes

VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes

Part VIII · Statement of revenue $319,609 across 9 lines filed

VIII-1c Fundraising events$67,657

VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$178,870

VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$2,557

VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$246,527

VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $91,921$91,921

VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $128$128

VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax −$29,654−$29,654

VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Excluded from tax $10,687$10,687

VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $91,921 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax −$18,839$319,609

Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $267,168 across 11 lines filed

IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $22,500$22,500

IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $69,335 · Management $28,893 · Fundraising $4,969$103,197

IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $51,709 · Management $12,443 · Fundraising $4,286$68,438

IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $11,132 · Management $2,679 · Fundraising $922$14,733

IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $5,400$5,400

IX-11g Other fees for servicesManagement $4,684$4,684

IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $1,474 · Management $3,382 · Fundraising $246$5,102

IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $859 · Management $3,219 · Fundraising $235$4,313

IX-17 TravelPrograms $217 · Management $8$225

IX-23 InsuranceManagement $475$475

IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $38,022 · Management $79$38,101

IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $195,248 · Management $61,262 · Fundraising $10,658$267,168

Part X · Balance sheet $435,957 assets, 12 lines filed

X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $314,007$287,093

X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $79,449$129,574

X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $5,201$16,311

X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $0$2,979

X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $0$0

X-16 Total assetsStart of year $398,657$435,957

X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $45,198$40,744

X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $45,198$40,744

X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $324,421$360,175

X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $29,038$35,038

X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $353,459$395,213

X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $398,657$435,957

Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $395,213 net assets at year end

XI-1 Total revenue$319,609

XI-2 Total expenses$267,168

XI-3 Revenue less expenses$52,441

XI-4 Net assets at start of year$353,459

XI-9 Other changes in net assets−$10,687

XI-10 Net assets at end of year$395,213

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2022 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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Stem Forward INC FY2022 filing

Before you give

Is it real?

Where the money goes

Who runs it and what they're paid

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 1 named individual · Part VII

Questions the 990 asks

Programs and updates

Questions for Stem Forward INC

Education Initiative

Stem Outreach

Events

Funders

Grants

By the numbers

Filing history

Schedules filed Part IV