To foster constructive public conversation to improve our understanding of one another.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
79¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$491K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

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
FY2024
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
2 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $630K a year · 28% of revenue · last 6 filings
Concern: a surplus in 2 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
79%
of spending
Looks good: 79% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$491K
to officers and key staff · 10% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 10% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
7 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 7.0 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
4
named funders · $550K
Looks good: 4 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$166K
3% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 3% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
6
of 6 voting members
Looks good: 6 of 6 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$3.6M
+46% vs prior year
Spent
$4.8M
To programs
79%
Net assets
$6.4M
By yearFY2019–FY2024
Revenue
$3.6M
FY2024▲ +46%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2019$2.5M
FY2020$521K
FY2021$988K
FY2022$3.4M
FY2023$2.5M
FY2024$3.6M
Expenses
$4.8M
FY2024▲ +10%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2019$2.2M
FY2020$1.8M
FY2021$1.8M
FY2022$2.2M
FY2023$4.4M
FY2024$4.8M
Net assets
$6.4M
FY2024▼ -16%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2019$1.4M
FY2020$4.1M
FY2021$3.3M
FY2022$4.5M
FY2023$7.6M
FY2024$6.4M

From the FY2024 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

Give Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Feb 2017.

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

Where the money goes

79 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 79% · $3.8M Management & general 19% · $918K Fundraising 2% · $97K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

Something off? Claim to add context

Who runs it and what they're paid

9 people listed on the 990; $491K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
VP of Engineering
$191,141Pt VII · Sec A
VP of Partnerships & Progr
$155,699Pt VII · Sec A
Director of Product
$144,610Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
CEO & Co-Founder
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer & Co-Founder
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Akiva Leffert’s $191K as VP of Engineering is at the 56th percentile of top reported officer pay among 363 $1–10M science & technology 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 · 8 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020FY2019
Akiva Leffert$191,141—————
Parisa Parsa———$160,676$135,970$51,812
Alex Kelly Berman$155,699$143,018$131,999———
Welsey Chow—————$155,000
David Van Dokkum——$64,036$153,176$129,565$110,833
Brooke Eskilson-Patterson$144,610—————
Peter Beshai—————$132,271
Jenine Turner-Trauring—$109,228$131,501———

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.

See Cortico Corporation executive salaries →

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

Fosters public conversation to improve understanding between people.

Questions for Cortico Corporation

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Your first name shows with your question. Cortico Corporation answers here, for everyone.

1 program · $3.8M · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

In 2024 cortico continued to expand the local voices network, a unique, physical-digital network to bring under-heard community voices, perspectives, and stories into the center of a healthier public SPHERE.LVN brings together small groups of 4-8 people together for facilitatedconversations about what matters most to them in their…

$3.8Mprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2024
QuadriviumFY2024$250K
Total grants receivedfrom 4 funders$550K
See all 4 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$3.6M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$3.0M
Investment incomeLn 3$379K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$296K
Money outPt IX
$4.8M
Ln 25
Programscol B$3.8M
Managementcol C$918K
Fundraisingcol D$97K
Owns and owesPt X
$6.4M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$2.8M
Total assetsLn 16$6.6M
LiabilitiesLn 26$166K
PeoplePt VI, VII
9
listed · VII A
PaidVII A3
Voting boardVI 1a6
IndependentVI 1b6
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$3.0M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$296K
Investment incomeLn 3$379K
Other incomeLn 4–11$754
Total revenueLn 12$3.6M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$2.8M
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$2.8M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$25K
Total assetsLn 16$6.6M
LiabilitiesLn 26$166K
Net assetsLn 32$6.4M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 525
VolunteersI 60
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 FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$4.7M$2.8M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$44K$25K
Total assetsLn 16$8.1M$6.6M
LiabilitiesLn 26$445K$166K
Net assetsLn 32$7.6M$6.4M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$884K$698K$168K$18K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$2.1M$1.7M$406K$43K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$111K$88K$21K$2K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$299K$236K$57K$6K
Payroll taxesLn 10$240K$189K$46K$5K
Legal feesLn 11b$112K$88K$21K$2K
Accounting feesLn 11c$93K$73K$18K$2K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$271K$214K$51K$5K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$5K$4K$950$100
Office expensesLn 13$31K$25K$6K$628
Information technologyLn 14$113K$90K$22K$2K
OccupancyLn 16$2K$1K$358$38
TravelLn 17$107K$84K$20K$2K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$3K$3K$626$66
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$265K$209K$50K$5K
InsuranceLn 23$7K$6K$1K$149
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$151K$120K$29K$3K
Total functional expensesLn 25$4.8M$3.8M$918K$97K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest ViewingFiled with the IRS Nov 17, 2025 $3.6M$4.8M−$1.2M$6.4M 990 PDF
FY2023Filed with the IRS Aug 18, 2025 $2.5M$4.4M−$1.9M$7.6M 990 PDF
FY2022Filed with the IRS Nov 13, 2023 $3.4M$2.2M$1.2M$4.5M 990 PDF
FY2021Filed with the IRS Nov 14, 2022 $988K$1.8M−$780K$3.3M 990 PDF
FY2020Filed with the IRS Nov 15, 2021 $521K$1.8M−$1.3M$4.1M 990 PDF
FY2019Filed with the IRS Feb 26, 2021 $2.5M$2.2M$239K$1.4M 990 PDF

Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support J · Pay O · Explanations
See the full FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $3,634,804 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $1,696,925$2,958,486
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $706,322$296,161
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $84,499$379,403
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $6,655$754
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $2,494,401$3,634,804
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $3,218,085$3,670,117
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $1,105,098$1,161,066
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $4,323,183$4,831,183
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$1,828,782−$1,196,379
Part VI · Governance 6 of 6 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body6
VI-1b Independent voting members6
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 $3,634,804 across 6 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$2,958,486
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$2,958,486
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $296,161$296,161
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $379,403$379,403
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Excluded from tax $754$754
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $296,161 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $380,157$3,634,804
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $4,831,183 across 17 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $698,476 · Management $167,988 · Fundraising $17,683$884,147
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $1,687,799 · Management $405,926 · Fundraising $42,729$2,136,454
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $87,865 · Management $21,132 · Fundraising $2,224$111,221
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $235,888 · Management $56,733 · Fundraising $5,972$298,593
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $189,365 · Management $45,543 · Fundraising $4,794$239,702
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $88,370 · Management $21,254 · Fundraising $2,237$111,861
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $73,461 · Management $17,668 · Fundraising $1,860$92,989
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $214,071 · Management $51,488 · Fundraising $5,420$270,979
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $3,950 · Management $950 · Fundraising $100$5,000
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $24,786 · Management $5,961 · Fundraising $628$31,375
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $89,502 · Management $21,526 · Fundraising $2,266$113,294
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $1,488 · Management $358 · Fundraising $38$1,884
IX-17 TravelPrograms $84,136 · Management $20,235 · Fundraising $2,130$106,501
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $2,602 · Management $626 · Fundraising $66$3,294
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $209,352 · Management $50,351 · Fundraising $5,300$265,003
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $5,894 · Management $1,418 · Fundraising $149$7,461
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $119,627 · Management $28,770 · Fundraising $3,028$151,425
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $3,816,632 · Management $917,927 · Fundraising $96,624$4,831,183
Part X · Balance sheet $6,609,820 assets, 14 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $4,731,753$2,805,294
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $2,521,466$3,549,977
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $447,369$111,771
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $18,811$37,001
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $43,915$25,209
X-14 Intangible assetsStart of year $321,250$80,568
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $8,084,564$6,609,820
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $155,403$166,205
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $289,167$0
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $444,570$166,205
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $5,118,528$3,922,149
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $2,521,466$2,521,466
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $7,639,994$6,443,615
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $8,084,564$6,609,820
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $6,443,615 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$3,634,804
XI-2 Total expenses$4,831,183
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$1,196,379
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$7,639,994
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$6,443,615

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

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