Is it real?
Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Nov 2016.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File
Where the money goes
82 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.
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
6 people listed on the 990; $78K paid to officers and key staff.
Sharon Mistretta’s $78K as Executive Director is at the 71st percentile of top reported officer pay among 1992 $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 · 4 named individuals · Part VII
| Name | FY2024 | FY2023 | FY2022 | FY2021 | FY2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharon Mistretta | $78,355 | $112,500 | $99,500 | $111,700 | $109,200 |
| Erika Cockerham | — | $12,500 | $12,500 | $12,500 | $11,417 |
| Quentin Cockerham | — | $12,500 | $12,500 | $12,500 | $12,500 |
| Brandon Cockerham | — | — | — | $12,500 | $12,500 |
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 2Yes
- Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Programs and updates
Builds core values in youth and connects them to life-enriching opportunities.
Questions for The Light Foundation
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Ritecare
The light foundation collaborates with the national, state and regional ritecare programs that provide free language and literacy therapy to at risk youth with significant communication challenges.
Youth Development Program
Special program and services for youth organizations and families with educational and event management and support, leadership program development, and income to support services of ST. Louis youth programs.
Light box productions produces original philanthropic creative resources, educational and studio opportunities (including video, brand marketing and virtual messaging, web, event and exhibit creation) to amplify youth-focused initiatives.
Funders
Who pays for it.
From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.
Grants
By the numbers
The FY2024 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | Start FY24 | End FY24 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $19K | $51K |
| InvestmentsLn 11–13 | $1.9M | $1.0M |
| Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c | $878K | $698K |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $2.8M | $1.9M |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $523K | $7K |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $2.3M | $1.9M |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1 | $87K | $87K | ||
| Benefits paid to or for membersLn 4 | $0 | $0 | ||
| Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5 | $85K | $64K | $21K | |
| Pay of disqualified personsLn 6 | $226K | $226K | ||
| Other salaries and wagesLn 7 | $53K | $53K | ||
| Other employee benefitsLn 9 | $16K | $16K | ||
| Payroll taxesLn 10 | $25K | $19K | $6K | |
| Accounting feesLn 11c | $8K | $8K | ||
| Investment management feesLn 11f | $6K | $6K | ||
| Other fees for servicesLn 11g | $2K | $0 | $2K | $0 |
| Advertising and promotionLn 12 | $5K | $5K | ||
| Office expensesLn 13 | $8K | $6K | $889 | $1K |
| Information technologyLn 14 | $5K | $3K | $2K | |
| OccupancyLn 16 | $125K | $94K | $31K | |
| TravelLn 17 | $5K | $4K | $458 | |
| InterestLn 20 | $22K | $22K | ||
| Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22 | $188K | $150K | $38K | |
| InsuranceLn 23 | $16K | $13K | $3K | |
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $19K | $7K | $5K | $7K |
| All other expensesLn 24e | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $902K | $742K | $144K | $15K |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024 Latest ViewingFiled with the IRS Nov 12, 2025 | $491K | $902K | −$411K | $1.9M | 990 PDF |
| FY2023Filed with the IRS May 13, 2024 | $322K | $1.1M | −$778K | $2.3M | 990 PDF |
| FY2022 | $303K | $1.1M | −$798K | $3.0M | 990 PDF |
| FY2021Filed with the IRS Nov 10, 2022 | $1.8M | $853K | $898K | $4.5M | 990 PDF |
| FY2020Filed with the IRS Nov 12, 2021 | $175K | $872K | −$697K | $3.4M | 990 PDF |
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Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $490,959 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 2 of 5 board members independent, 1 to look at
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $490,959 across 7 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $901,758 across 20 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $1,866,702 assets, 11 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $1,860,071 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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