Haystack Project brings together stakeholders connected to rare and ultra rare medical conditions to educate them and assist them with their self advocacy efforts.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
92¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX

Before you give

FY2020 · 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
4 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $55K a year · 12% of revenue · last 6 filings
Fine: a surplus in 4 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
92%
of spending
Looks good: 92% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
9 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 8.9 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $15K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$0
0% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
5
of 5 voting members
Looks good: 5 of 5 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$392K
Spent
$227K
To programs
92%
Net assets
$169K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$392K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$392K
FY2021$483K
FY2022$476K
FY2023$227K
FY2024$759K
FY2025$448K
Expenses
$227K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$227K
FY2021$364K
FY2022$381K
FY2023$435K
FY2024$526K
FY2025$522K
Net assets
$169K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$169K
FY2021$287K
FY2022$383K
FY2023$175K
FY2024$402K
FY2025$328K

From the FY2020 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2020 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 Mar 2019.

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

Where the money goes

92 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 92% · $208K Management & general 8% · $19K

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

5 people listed on the 990.

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

Kara Berasi’s $36K as CEO is at the 23rd percentile of top reported officer pay among 901 $100K–1M diseases & disorders 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 · 3 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021
Kara Berasi$36,000$36,000———
Chevese Turner——$36,000$3,000—
Deanna Darlington————$3,000

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 15aNo

Programs and updates

Educates and assists stakeholders with rare conditions in self-advocacy.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $208K · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

Engaged a professional consulting firm to draft seven comment letters in response to federal agency proposals which impacted research, development, and patient access to treatments critical to rare and ultra rare conditions.

$73Kprogram expense
02

Engaged a third party public policy consultant to provide monthly & ad hoc calls with patient groups. Calls were focused on identifying issues related to systematic barriers to access and treatments.

$68Kprogram expense
03

The organization hired a consulting firm to draft a series of reports on patient oriented value, which gives health care providers deeper insights into the patients' perspectives and perception of value.

$68Kprogram 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
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$15K

By the numbers

The FY2020 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$392K
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$246K
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$146K
Money outPt IX
$227K
Ln 25
Programscol B$208K
Managementcol C$19K
Owns and owesPt X
$169K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$169K
Total assetsLn 16$169K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
PeoplePt VI, VII
5
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a5
IndependentVI 1b5
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$146K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$246K
Total revenueLn 12$392K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$169K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$169K
Total assetsLn 16$169K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
Net assetsLn 32$169K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
VolunteersI 69
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY20End FY20
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$4K$169K
Total assetsLn 16$4K$169K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0$0
Net assetsLn 32$4K$169K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Management feesLn 11a$94K$80K$14K
Accounting feesLn 11c$400$400
Lobbying feesLn 11d$10K$10K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$1K$500$529
Advertising and promotionLn 12$748$748
Information technologyLn 14$2K$2K
InsuranceLn 23$629$629
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$118K$118K$163
Total functional expensesLn 25$227K$208K$19K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $448K$522K−$74K$328K 990 PDF
FY2024 $759K$526K$233K$402K 990 PDF
FY2023 $227K$435K−$208K$175K 990 PDF
FY2022 $476K$381K$95K$383K 990 PDF
FY2021 $483K$364K$119K$287K 990 PDF
FY2020 Viewing $392K$227K$164K$169K 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 FY2020 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $391,539 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $905$145,539
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $92,800$246,000
I-10 Investment income$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $1,025$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $94,730$391,539
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefits$0
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $90,493$227,161
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $90,493$227,161
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $4,237$164,378
Part VI · Governance 5 of 5 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body5
VI-1b Independent voting members5
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $391,539 across 4 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$145,539
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$145,539
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $246,000$246,000
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $246,000$391,539
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $227,161 across 8 lines filed
IX-11a Management feesPrograms $80,000 · Management $14,127$94,127
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $400$400
IX-11d Lobbying feesPrograms $10,000$10,000
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $500 · Management $529$1,029
IX-12 Advertising and promotionManagement $748$748
IX-14 Information technologyManagement $2,270$2,270
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $629$629
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $117,795 · Management $163$117,958
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $208,295 · Management $18,866 · Fundraising $0$227,161
Part X · Balance sheet $168,615 assets, 5 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $4,237$168,615
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $4,237$168,615
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $0$0
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $4,237$168,615
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $4,237$168,615
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $168,615 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$391,539
XI-2 Total expenses$227,161
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$164,378
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$4,237
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$168,615

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2020 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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