To inspire the next generation of engineers, computer scientists and stem leaders. Our goal is to strengthen the school to stem career connection by implementing the First progression of programs in every school and school district, prek through grade 12. First North Carolina wants students to thrive in a high tech world with an unbridled passion for skilled trades, engineering, computer science, and corporate problem-solving. First's hands-on approach enables students to "test drive" these areas to see where their interests and aptitudes fit.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
95¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 600 volunteers and 6 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
1 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $9K a year · 1% of revenue · last 5 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 1 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
95%
of spending
Looks good: 95% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$92K
to officers and key staff · 9% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 9% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
5 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 5.0 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
8
named funders · $775K
Looks good: 8 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$39K
8% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 8% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
18
of 18 voting members
Looks good: 18 of 18 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$992K
-6% vs prior year
Spent
$1.1M
To programs
95%
Net assets
$474K
By yearFY2021–FY2025
Revenue
$992K
FY2025▼ -6%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$390K
FY2022$874K
FY2023$1.2M
FY2024$1.1M
FY2025$992K
Expenses
$1.1M
FY2025▲ +1.0%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021$237K
FY2022$875K
FY2023$1.2M
FY2024$1.1M
FY2025$1.1M
Net assets
$474K
FY2025▲ +3%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$480K
FY2022$480K
FY2023$475K
FY2024$460K
FY2025$474K

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

Give Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Feb 2013.

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

Where the money goes

95 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 95% · $1.0M Management & general 3% · $35K Fundraising 1% · $15K

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

19 people listed on the 990; $92K 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
$92,208Pt VII · Sec A
Board Co-Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Marie E Hopper’s $92K as President is at the 83rd 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 · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021
Marie E Hopper$92,208$88,181$88,181$81,144$79,945

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 First North Carolina executive salaries →

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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

Inspires students with hands-on STEM programs, connecting school to future careers.

Questions for First North Carolina

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Your first name shows with your question. First North Carolina answers here, for everyone.

Provided by the organization

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1 program · $1.0M · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

The first robotics competition (FRC) program served high school students and mentors across north carolina. During the winter build season, teams designed, prototyped, built, tested, and programmed robots to compete in the first "crescendo" season.

$1.0Mprogram 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 8 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$992K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$942K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$36K
Investment incomeLn 3$13K
Money outPt IX
$1.1M
Ln 25
Programscol B$1.0M
Managementcol C$35K
Fundraisingcol D$15K
Owns and owesPt X
$474K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$445K
Total assetsLn 16$513K
LiabilitiesLn 26$39K
PeoplePt VI, VII
19
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a18
IndependentVI 1b18
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$942K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$36K
Investment incomeLn 3$13K
Other incomeLn 4–11$814
Total revenueLn 12$992K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$203K
SavingsLn 2$242K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$445K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$59K
Other assetsLn 15$2K
Total assetsLn 16$513K
LiabilitiesLn 26$39K
Net assetsLn 32$474K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 56
VolunteersI 6600
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
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$459K$445K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$19K$59K
Total assetsLn 16$515K$513K
LiabilitiesLn 26$55K$39K
Net assetsLn 32$460K$474K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$95K$84K$7K$5K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$116K$102K$8K$6K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$4K$4K$305$218
Payroll taxesLn 10$17K$15K$1K$869
Accounting feesLn 11c$13K$13K
Lobbying feesLn 11d$37K$37K
Office expensesLn 13$46K$30K$17K
InterestLn 20$341$341
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$37K$37K
InsuranceLn 23$6K$4K$2K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$705K$702K$3K
Total functional expensesLn 25$1.1M$1.0M$35K$15K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $992K$1.1M−$86K$474K 990 PDF
FY2024 $1.1M$1.1M−$15K$460K 990 PDF
FY2023 $1.2M$1.2M−$5K$475K 990 PDF
FY2022 $874K$875K−$776$480K 990 PDF
FY2021 $390K$237K$152K$480K 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 $991,539 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $1,028,663$942,061
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $35,377$35,707
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $10,198$12,957
I-11 Other revenuePrior year −$22,191$814
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $1,052,047$991,539
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $208,331$232,559
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $858,586$844,846
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $1,066,917$1,077,405
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$14,870−$85,866
Part VI · Governance 18 of 18 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body18
VI-1b Independent voting members18
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 $991,539 across 6 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$942,061
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$942,061
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $35,707$35,707
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $12,957$12,957
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $814$814
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $36,521 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $12,957$991,539
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,077,405 across 11 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $83,564 · Management $6,647 · Fundraising $4,748$94,959
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $101,965 · Management $8,111 · Fundraising $5,793$115,869
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $3,831 · Management $305 · Fundraising $218$4,354
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $15,292 · Management $1,216 · Fundraising $869$17,377
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $13,434$13,434
IX-11d Lobbying feesPrograms $37,006$37,006
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $29,561 · Management $16,589$46,150
IX-20 InterestPrograms $341$341
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $37,221$37,221
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $3,741 · Management $2,099$5,840
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $701,873 · Fundraising $2,981$704,854
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $1,027,829 · Management $34,967 · Fundraising $14,609$1,077,405
Part X · Balance sheet $513,208 assets, 12 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $196,901$202,808
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $262,147$242,232
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $6,789$6,714
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $19,442$59,481
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $29,660$1,973
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $514,939$513,208
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $27,933$39,228
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $55,093$39,228
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $448,493$473,980
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $11,353$0
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $459,846$473,980
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $514,939$513,208
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $473,980 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$991,539
XI-2 Total expenses$1,077,405
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$85,866
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$459,846
XI-8 Prior period adjustments$100,000
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$473,980

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

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