Exceptional Minds EIN 80-0392843

Exceptional Minds

EIN  80-0392843 Public charity (501(c)(3)) Sherman Oaks, CA
Form 990 (PDF) Compare with another nonprofit →
Verified accurate 8/25/26 · see original filing: IRS
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Size
$1–10M
What they do
Trains young adults on the autism spectrum in digital arts.
Leadership
David Siegel to 022025 · Executive Director, CEO · $231K
Money in and out
$4.3M revenue, $4.5M expenses
Bottom line
71% program efficiency

Trains young adults on the autism spectrum in digital arts. For fiscal year 2025 it reported $4.3M in revenue, $4.5M in expenses, and $3.2M in net assets.Pt I

Where the money goes · FY2025
Total revenue
$4.3M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$4.5M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$3.2M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): −$202K
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
Program services $0.71 Management & general $0.24 Fundraising $0.05
Program efficiency
71%
of spending reaches programs▲ +2% vs prior filing year
Operating runway
8.4mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate▼ -1% vs prior filing year
Surplus margin
-5%
revenue over expenses, this year▼ -97% vs prior filing year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2025 · Form 990
Revenue
$4.3M
FY2025▲ +3%
Expenses
$4.5M
FY2025▲ +5%
Total assets
$6.1M
FY2025▲ +33%
Total liabilities
$2.8M
FY2025▲ +100%
Total revenue
$4.3M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$4.5M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$3.2M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19−$202K
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$6.1M
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B71%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 312
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 412
Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

3 program services account for $3.2M of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

Full Time Vocational Program

Our full time program provides skills based training and behavioral support to teens and adults with autism spectrum disorder. It is a three year program (10 months per year) where students receive comprehensive training in digital arts and post production, along with workplace readiness skills to prepare them for careers in the creative…

$1.8Mprogram expense
02

Studio Programs

Graduates of the full time program apply the skills acquired at exceptional minds to generate program revenue through paid client projects, typically for major motion pictures and television shows.

$738Kprogram expense
03

Part Time Skills and Vocational Programs

Students participate in after school and saturday classes designed to build specialized skills related to animation and visual effects career pathways. Students may also receive one on one tutoring to develop specific competencies needed to advance in the program.

$588Kprogram expense

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Identity & Classification

Form 990 Header · IRS Business Master File
Legal nameHdr · item CExceptional Minds
EINHdr · item D80-0392843
Principal addressHdr · item CSherman Oaks, CA
WebsiteHdr · item Jwww.exceptional-minds.org
Year of formationHdr · item Lpending
State of legal domicileHdr · item MCA
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
NTEE classificationIRS BMFHuman Services (P80)
Ruling yearIRS BMFSep 2009

Governance & Policies

Part VI
Voting members of the governing bodyPt VI · Ln 1a12
Independent voting membersPt VI · Ln 1b12
Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aYes
Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13Yes
Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14No
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 · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
Executive Director, CEO
$231,300Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A

David Siegel to 022025’s $231K as Executive Director, CEO is at the 94th percentile of top reported officer pay among 3864 $1–10M human services 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 · 6 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
David Siegel to 022025$231,300
David Siegel$223,025$181,272$146,461$131,330
Jeffrey Shapiro Until 1230$166,315
Dana Rubin Until 1121$96,308
Dana Rubin$57,001
David Siegel as of 0101$43,366

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
Program service revenue$2.9M · 68%
Contributions & grants$1.3M · 31%
Investment income$66K · 2%
Program service revenue68%$2.9M
Contributions & grants31%$1.3M
Investment income2%$66K
Total revenueLn 12$4.3M

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.71 Management & general $0.24 Fundraising $0.05
Program services71%$3.2M
Management & general24%$1.1M
Fundraising5%$229K
Total functional expensesLn 25$4.5M

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$2.5M
Total assetsLn 16$6.1M
Total liabilitiesLn 26$2.8M
Total net assetsLn 32$3.2M
Months of cash on handcomputed6.8

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2025 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $3.1M · Operating expenses/yr $4.5M
8.4 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $3.2M · Total expenses $4.5M
71%
Management & General
Management & general $1.1M · Total expenses $4.5M
24%
Fundraising
Fundraising $229K · Total expenses $4.5M
5%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (3-yr avg) $303K · Solicited contributions (3-yr avg) $1.6M
$0.18 to raise $1 (3-yr avg)
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $1.3M · Total revenue $4.3M
31%
Government reliance
Government grants — · Total revenue $4.3M
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $2.9M · Total revenue $4.3M
68%
Investment reliance
Investment income $66K · Total revenue $4.3M
+2%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $2.9M · Total expenses $4.5M
65%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $4.3M · Prior year $4.1M
+3%
Revenue CAGR
FY2019 $3.4M · FY2024 $4.3M
+5%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $3.2M · Beginning of year $3.1M
+4%
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $4.3M · Expenses $4.5M
-5%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities $2.8M · Total assets $6.1M
46%
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $3.2M · Total assets $6.1M
54%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) $594K · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) — · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $6.1M
10%
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual David Siegel to 022025 · Reported title EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CEO · Highest reported compensation $231K · Total expenses $4.5M
5%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $3.1M · Total expenses $4.5M
69%
Peer comparison

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

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 71%
Overhead ratio 24%
Fundraising cost ratio 17%
Revenue growth 3%
Investment management fee ratio 0%
Legal fee ratio 0%
Accounting fee ratio 1%

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 · received and paid
Grants received · FY2024
See all 13 funders →
Grants paid · 4 grants · $972K · 2020–2023
Unitemized GrantFY2023$217,900
Unitemized GrantFY2022$230,575
Unitemized GrantFY2021$262,475
Unitemized GrantFY2020$260,775

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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)$4.3M revenue · viewing · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2024$4.1M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2023$4.6M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2022$5.4M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2021$4.2M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2020$3.4M 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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