Our mission is to inspire and empower girls to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
52¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 37 volunteers and 11 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2024 · 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
FY2024
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
3 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $10K a year · 3% of revenue · last 5 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
52%
of spending
Worth a look: 52% of spending went to programs; under 65%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$92K
to officers and key staff · 21% of spending
Worth a look: pay to officers and key staff is 21% of spending; over 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
9 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 8.8 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $40K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$3K
0.9% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 1% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
9
of 9 voting members
Looks good: 9 of 9 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$325K
-3% vs prior year
Spent
$448K
To programs
52%
Net assets
$325K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$325K
FY2024▼ -3%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$352K
FY2021$387K
FY2022$454K
FY2023$336K
FY2024$325K
Expenses
$448K
FY2024▼ -4%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$186K
FY2021$321K
FY2022$383K
FY2023$469K
FY2024$448K
Net assets
$325K
FY2024▼ -27%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$442K
FY2021$509K
FY2022$580K
FY2023$448K
FY2024$325K

From the FY2024 Form 990 · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Jul 2014.

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

Where the money goes

52 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 52% · $235K Management & general 29% · $129K Fundraising 19% · $84K

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

10 people listed on the 990; $92K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
$91,854Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer/Ch
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Dr Denise Strickland’s $92K as Executive Di is at the 79th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1613 $100K–1M education 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

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Dr Denise Strickland$91,854$106,045———
Denise Strickland——$97,908$97,940$90,000

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 Design Connect Create 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

Empowers girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $235K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

In 2024, design connect create offered 11 in-person sessions, serving 242 young women, and distributed kits to facilitate the hands-on learning of the prior camps. Through continued partnerships with crandall isd, dallas isd, hurst-euless-bedford isd, richardson isd, and houston isd, the organization offered 9 PHYSICS/ENGINEERING camps…

$235Kprogram 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 · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$40K
Grants paid · 1 grant · $20K · 2021–2021

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$325K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$319K
Investment incomeLn 3$6K
Money outPt IX
$448K
Ln 25
Programscol B$235K
Managementcol C$129K
Fundraisingcol D$84K
Owns and owesPt X
$325K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$328K
Total assetsLn 16$328K
LiabilitiesLn 26$3K
PeoplePt VI, VII
10
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a9
IndependentVI 1b9
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$319K
Investment incomeLn 3$6K
Total revenueLn 12$325K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$215K
SavingsLn 2$113K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$328K
Total assetsLn 16$328K
LiabilitiesLn 26$3K
Net assetsLn 32$325K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 511
VolunteersI 637
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
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 FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$347K$328K
Total assetsLn 16$454K$328K
LiabilitiesLn 26$6K$3K
Net assetsLn 32$448K$325K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$92K$47K$24K$20K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$288K$149K$76K$64K
Accounting feesLn 11c$6K$6K
Office expensesLn 13$29K$27K$2K$100
Information technologyLn 14$14K$14K
OccupancyLn 16$5K$187$5K
TravelLn 17$6K$4K$1K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$416$416
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$7K$7K$119
Total functional expensesLn 25$448K$235K$129K$84K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest Viewing $325K$448K−$123K$325K 990 PDF
FY2023 $336K$469K−$132K$448K 990 PDF
FY2022 $454K$383K$71K$580K 990 PDF
FY2021 $387K$321K$67K$509K 990 PDF
FY2020 $352K$186K$166K$442K 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 FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $324,740 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $324,654$318,963
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $6,500$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $4,893$5,777
I-11 Other revenue$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $336,047$324,740
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $353,221$380,282
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $115,297$67,622
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $468,518$447,904
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$132,471−$123,164
Part VI · Governance 9 of 9 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body9
VI-1b Independent voting members9
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 $324,740 across 4 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$318,963
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$318,963
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $5,777$5,777
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $5,777$324,740
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $447,904 across 9 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $47,455 · Management $24,070 · Fundraising $20,329$91,854
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $149,013 · Management $75,580 · Fundraising $63,835$288,428
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $6,200$6,200
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $26,989 · Management $1,969 · Fundraising $100$29,058
IX-14 Information technologyManagement $14,213$14,213
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $187 · Management $4,897$5,084
IX-17 TravelPrograms $4,485 · Management $1,347$5,832
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationManagement $416$416
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $6,700 · Management $119$6,819
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $234,829 · Management $128,811 · Fundraising $84,264$447,904
Part X · Balance sheet $327,697 assets, 9 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $239,703$215,082
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $107,339$112,615
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $454,158$327,697
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $6,130$2,833
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $6,130$2,833
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $266,724$108,693
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $181,304$216,171
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $448,028$324,864
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $454,158$327,697
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $324,864 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$324,740
XI-2 Total expenses$447,904
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$123,164
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$448,028
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$324,864

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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