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.
87¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$326K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

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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
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
87%
of spending
Looks good: 87% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$326K
to officers and key staff · 29% of spending
Worth a look: pay to officers and key staff is 29% of spending; over 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
6 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 6.2 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
$30K
7% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 7% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$896K
+25% vs prior year
Spent
$1.1M
To programs
87%
Net assets
$386K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$896K
FY2024▲ +25%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$1.6M
FY2021$1.2M
FY2022$718K
FY2024$896K
FY2025$2.4M
Expenses
$1.1M
FY2024▼ -25%
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
$386K
FY2024▼ -40%
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 FY2024 Form 990 (year ending June 2024) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2024 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

87 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 87% · $971K Management & general 44% · $491K Fundraising 7% · $73K

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; $326K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2023); the FY2024 filing did not itemize Part VII
Executive Director
$163,092Pt VII · Sec A
Executive Director
$163,092Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Chair of Program Committee
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$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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3 programs · $1.4M · in their own filed words · FY2023
01

Leanlab hosts ongoing community convening events for parents, students, educators and innovators interested in innovating to better public school 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…

$718Kprogram 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.

$469Kprogram expense
03

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…

$214Kprogram 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 FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$896K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$752K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$743K
Investment incomeLn 3$986
Money outPt IX
$1.1M
Ln 25
Programscol B$971K
Managementcol C$491K
Fundraisingcol D$73K
Owns and owesPt X
$386K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$579K
Total assetsLn 16$446K
LiabilitiesLn 26$30K
PeoplePt VI, VII
19
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a0
IndependentVI 1b0
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$752K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$743K
Investment incomeLn 3$986
Total revenueLn 12$896K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$579K
Total assetsLn 16$446K
LiabilitiesLn 26$30K
Net assetsLn 32$386K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 58
VolunteersI 640
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $2.4M$2.5M−$63K$323K 990 PDF
FY2024 Viewing $896K$1.1M−$218K$386K 990 PDF
FY2023 Not on file
FY2022 $718K$1.5M−$776K$644K 990 PDF
FY2021 $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 A · Public support J · Pay O · Explanations
See the full FY2024 990 (1 part)
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

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

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