The Lean Lab is a kansas city-based community that launches transformational education innovations that have national impact. The Lean Lab catalyzes, supports, and develops education innovators who build transformational education solutions in the form of technologies, services, and new school models.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
75¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX

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FY2021 · 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 deficit $123K a year · 9% of revenue · last 5 filings
Concern: a surplus in 1 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
75%
of spending
Fine: 75% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
13 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 13.4 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $80K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$17K
1% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 1% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$1.2M
-27% vs prior year
Spent
$1.3M
To programs
75%
Net assets
$1.4M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$1.2M
FY2021▼ -27%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$1.6M
FY2021$1.2M
FY2022$718K
FY2024$896K
FY2025$2.4M
Expenses
$1.3M
FY2021▲ +18%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$1.1M
FY2021$1.3M
FY2022$1.5M
FY2024$1.1M
FY2025$2.5M
Net assets
$1.4M
FY2021▲ +1%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$1.4M
FY2021$1.4M
FY2022$644K
FY2024$386K
FY2025$323K

From the FY2021 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2021 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Nov 2014.

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

Where the money goes

75 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 75% · $941K Management & general 25% · $310K Fundraising 0% · $5K

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

9 people listed on the 990.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Catherine Boody’s $163K as Executive Director is at the 71st percentile of top reported officer pay among 3395 $1–10M 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 · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2022
Catherine Boody$162,504$163,092$161,367

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

Launches and supports education innovations with national impact.

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Provided by the organization

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2 programs · $852K · in their own filed words · FY2021
01

Leanlab hosts ongoing community convening events for parents, students, educators and innovators interested in innovating to better public schools within the kansas city, missouri region. These events take the form of small focus groups, monthly meetups, and an annual listening tour with the goal of identifying community needs for…

$528Kprogram expense
02

We are a nonprofit organization that specializes in codesign research between education technology companies and schools. We match parents, learners, and educators with edtech developers to inform, develop, and evaluate the next generation of classroom tools.

$325Kprogram 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
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$80K
Grants paid · 2 grants · $76K · 2023–2023
Innovateedu INCNY · FY2023$50,000
Cambiar EducationCA · FY2023$25,500

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$1.2M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.0M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$123K
Investment incomeLn 3$469
Money outPt IX
$1.3M
Ln 25
Programscol B$941K
Managementcol C$310K
Fundraisingcol D$5K
Owns and owesPt X
$1.4M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$1.4M
Total assetsLn 16$1.4M
LiabilitiesLn 26$17K
PeoplePt VI, VII
9
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a0
IndependentVI 1b0
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.0M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$123K
Investment incomeLn 3$469
Total revenueLn 12$1.2M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$1.4M
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$1.4M
Other assetsLn 15$2K
Total assetsLn 16$1.4M
LiabilitiesLn 26$17K
Net assetsLn 32$1.4M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 58
VolunteersI 640
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 FY21End FY21
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$1.4M$1.4M
Total assetsLn 16$1.4M$1.4M
LiabilitiesLn 26$27K$17K
Net assetsLn 32$1.4M$1.4M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$703K$631K$72K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$55K$50K$6K
Payroll taxesLn 10$53K$47K$5K
Legal feesLn 11b$7K$7K
Accounting feesLn 11c$62K$62K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$42K$41K$977
Advertising and promotionLn 12$42K$7K$36K
Office expensesLn 13$44K$16K$28K
Information technologyLn 14$6K$4K$2K
OccupancyLn 16$28K$28K
TravelLn 17$1K$1K
InsuranceLn 23$3K$3K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$169K$117K$52K
All other expensesLn 24e$43K$30K$9K$5K
Total functional expensesLn 25$1.3M$941K$310K$5K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $2.4M$2.5M−$63K$323K 990 PDF
FY2024 $896K$1.1M−$218K$386K 990 PDF
FY2023 Not on file
FY2022 $718K$1.5M−$776K$644K 990 PDF
FY2021 Viewing $1.2M$1.3M−$89K$1.4M 990 PDF
FY2020 $1.6M$1.1M$533K$1.4M 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 FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $1,167,205 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $1,553,262$1,043,287
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $43,346$123,449
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $153$469
I-11 Other revenue$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $1,596,761$1,167,205
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $575,049$810,513
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $489,164$445,440
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $1,064,213$1,255,953
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $532,548−$88,748
Part VI · Governance no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body0
VI-1b Independent voting members0
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 $1,167,205 across 5 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$1,043,287
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,043,287
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $123,449$123,449
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $469$469
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $123,449 · Excluded from tax $469$1,167,205
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,255,953 across 14 lines filed
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $630,775 · Management $71,898$702,673
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $49,710 · Management $5,595$55,305
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $47,090 · Management $5,445$52,535
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $6,630$6,630
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $61,510$61,510
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $40,555 · Management $977$41,532
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $6,692 · Management $35,500$42,192
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $15,905 · Management $27,919$43,824
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $3,645 · Management $2,426$6,071
IX-16 OccupancyManagement $27,646$27,646
IX-17 TravelManagement $1,014$1,014
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $2,945$2,945
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $116,878 · Management $51,713$168,591
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $29,993 · Management $8,605 · Fundraising $4,887$43,485
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $941,243 · Management $309,823 · Fundraising $4,887$1,255,953
Part X · Balance sheet $1,436,888 assets, 12 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $1,410,943$1,399,643
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $10,470$20,850
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $9,235$14,600
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $1,000$1,795
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $1,431,648$1,436,888
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $22,877$4,415
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $4,622$12,857
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $27,499$17,272
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $1,404,149$1,313,850
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictions$105,766
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $1,404,149$1,419,616
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $1,431,648$1,436,888
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $1,419,616 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,167,205
XI-2 Total expenses$1,255,953
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$88,748
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$1,404,149
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$104,215
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$1,419,616

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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