Stem Connection EIN 46-5647562

Stem Connection

EIN  46-5647562 Public charity (501(c)(3)) Indianapolis, IN
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Size
$100K–1M
What they do
Connects people with hands-on STEM experiences at farms and educational sites.
Leadership
Vera Vander Kooy · Executive Director · $90K
Money in and out
$957K revenue, $857K expenses
Bottom line
81% program efficiency

Connects people with hands-on STEM experiences at farms and educational sites. For fiscal year 2025 it reported $957K in revenue, $857K in expenses, and $675K in net assets.Pt I

Where the money goes · FY2025
Total revenue
$957K
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$857K
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$675K
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): $100K
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
Program services $0.81 Management & general $0.11 Fundraising $0.07
Program efficiency
81%
of spending reaches programs▼ -1% vs prior filing year
Operating runway
3.8mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate▼ -32% vs prior filing year
Surplus margin
+10%
revenue over expenses, this year▼ -22% vs prior filing year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2025 · Form 990
Revenue
$957K
FY2025▲ +15%
Expenses
$857K
FY2025▲ +19%
Total assets
$687K
FY2025▲ +15%
Total liabilities
$11K
FY2025▼ -50%
Total revenue
$957K
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$857K
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$675K
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19$100K
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$687K
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B81%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 313
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 413
Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

3 program services account for $651K of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2025.
01

Stem Day Camps

Opportunities for youth to participate in summer-long stem experiences at moore road farm.

$258Kprogram expense
02

Stem Field Trips

Opportunities for groups of students to participate in outdoor hands-on stem activities at moore road farm. Field trip participants engage in at least two stem activities connected to a chosen theme from the TSC activity menu. Activities connect stem to state educational standards by aligning to content, process, and employability skills.

$208Kprogram expense
03

Stem Family Kits

The stem connection provides pre-packaged materials for children andfamilies to carry out stem activities.

$185Kprogram expense

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Identity & Classification

Form 990 Header · IRS Business Master File
Legal nameHdr · item CStem Connection
EINHdr · item D46-5647562
Principal addressHdr · item CIndianapolis, IN
WebsiteHdr · item Jwww.thestemconnection.org
Year of formationHdr · item Lpending
State of legal domicileHdr · item MIN
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
NTEE classificationIRS BMFYouth Development (O50)
Ruling yearIRS BMFDec 2014

Governance & Policies

Part VI
Voting members of the governing bodyPt VI · Ln 1a13
Independent voting membersPt VI · Ln 1b13
Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aYes
Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13Yes
Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14Yes
CEO/top-official compensation independently reviewedPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Family or business relationships among officers/directorsPt VI · Ln 2No

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$89,923Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary/President-Elect
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Vera Vander Kooy’s $90K as Executive Director is at the 80th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1984 $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

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Vera Vander Kooy$89,923$79,715$82,917$69,423$51,077$45,833

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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Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Contributions & grants$821K · 86%
Program service revenue$155K · 16%
Contributions & grants86%$821K
Program service revenue16%$155K
Investment income$4K
Total revenueLn 12$957K

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.81 Management & general $0.11 Fundraising $0.07
Program services81%$696K
Management & general11%$97K
Fundraising7%$64K
Total functional expensesLn 25$857K

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$183K
Total assetsLn 16$687K
Total liabilitiesLn 26$11K
Total net assetsLn 32$675K
Months of cash on handcomputed2.6

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2025 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $183K · Operating expenses (Pt IX) $857K · Less non-cash grants $271K · Cash operating expenses/yr $586K
3.8 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $696K · Total expenses $857K
81%
Management & General
Management & general $97K · Total expenses $857K
11%
Fundraising
Fundraising $64K · Total expenses $857K
7%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (3-yr avg) $62K · Solicited contributions (3-yr avg) $697K
$0.09 to raise $1 (3-yr avg)
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $821K · Total revenue $957K
86%
Government reliance
Government grants — · Total revenue $957K
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $155K · Total revenue $957K
16%
Investment reliance
Investment income $4K · Total revenue $957K
0%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $155K · Total expenses $857K
18%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $957K · Prior year $834K
+15%
Revenue CAGR
FY2020 $220K · FY2025 $957K
+34%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $675K · Beginning of year $575K
+17%
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $957K · Expenses $857K
+10%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities $11K · Total assets $687K
2%
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $675K · Total assets $687K
98%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) — · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) — · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $687K
Excludes program-related investments (Pt X, ln 13)
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Vera Vander Kooy · Reported title EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR · Highest reported compensation $90K · Total expenses $857K
10%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $527K · Total expenses $857K
62%
Fundraising vendors
Fundraiser cost ratio
Paid to fundraisers $17K · Gross raised $183K
10%
Peer comparison

Same NTEE category, revenue band, and state where available. Descriptive — not a grade.

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 81%
Overhead ratio 11%
Fundraising cost ratio 8%
Revenue growth 15%
Accounting fee ratio 1%
Fundraising fee ratio 2%

Straight from the Form 990 — descriptive, not an evaluation. A ratio is hidden when its base is zero or too small to be meaningful; the dollars are always shown.

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2024
See all 15 funders →

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Filings & Schedule Manifest

Part IV
III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
FY2025 (Latest)$957K revenue · viewing · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2024$834K revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2023$861K revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2022$463K revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2021$410K revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2020$220K revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2025IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
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