Sunflower Star Laboratory EIN 87-3957769 Form 990 (PDF) Claim this org

Sunflower Star Laboratory

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Researches and conserves sunflower stars to rebuild kelp forest health. For fiscal year 2024 it reported $299K in revenue, $112K in expenses, and $212K in net assets.Pt I

Type
Public charity (501(c)(3)) · Environment
Location
Moss Landing, CA
Website
sunflowerstarlab.org
Filings
2 on file (2023–2024)
Revenue
$299KFY2024
Expenses
$112K
Net assets
$212K
People
8
Filings
2
Updates
0
More identity details & actions ⌄
EIN  87-3957769 Public charity (501(c)(3)) Moss Landing, CA
Form 990 (PDF)
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Size
$100K–1M
What they do
Researches and conserves sunflower stars to rebuild kelp forest health.
Leadership
Ashley Kidd · Project Mgr. · $26K
Money in and out
$299K revenue, $112K expenses
Bottom line
94% program efficiency
Where the money goes · FY2024
Total revenue
$299K
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$112K
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$212K
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): $187K
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
Program services $0.94 Management & general $0.02 Fundraising $0.03
Program efficiency
94%
of spending reaches programs
Operating runway
28.1mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate▲ +462% vs prior filing year
Surplus margin
+63%
revenue over expenses, this year▲ +238% vs prior filing year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2024 · Form 990
Revenue
$299K
FY2024▲ +279%
Total revenue
$299K
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$112K
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$212K
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19$187K
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$212K
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B94%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 38
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 47

Identity & Classification

Form 990 Header · IRS Business Master File
Legal nameHdr · item CSunflower Star Laboratory
EINHdr · item D87-3957769
Principal addressHdr · item CMoss Landing, CA
WebsiteHdr · item Jsunflowerstarlab.org
Year of formationHdr · item Lpending
State of legal domicileHdr · item MCA
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
NTEE classificationIRS BMFEnvironment (C30)
Ruling yearIRS BMFMar 2022

Governance & Policies

Part VI
Voting members of the governing bodyPt VI · Ln 1a8
Independent voting membersPt VI · Ln 1b7
Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aYes
Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13No
Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14Yes
CEO/top-official compensation independently reviewedPt VI · Ln 15aNo
Family or business relationships among officers/directorsPt VI · Ln 2No

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Project Mgr.
$26,085Pt VII · Sec A
Chairman
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Ashley Kidd’s $26K as Project Mgr. is at the 14th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1981 $100K–1M environment 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 · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023
Ashley Kidd$40,539
Ashley Kidd$26,085

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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Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

3 program services account for $106K of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

Expanded pycnopodia recovery working group. Includes collaborating with fellow researchers, locating specimens. Facilited 1ST cryopreservation trials. Hosted pycno partner meeting - 1ST meeting of all pycno researchers.

$89Kprogram expense
02

Built one more wet table settled & grew 240 bat stars, purple urchin trials ongoing. 19 lab tours & 31 outreach events. Onboraded 15 volunteers & completed our 1ST summer intership.

$9Kprogram expense
03

Funded intern at minorities in aquaculture. SSL is committed to growing, next generation of echinoderm aquaculture experts by partnering with institutions, donors & specialists to create interships to advance our mission.

$8Kprogram expense

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Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Contributions & grants$285K · 95%
Investment income$13K · 4%
Contributions & grants95%$285K
Investment income4%$13K
Other revenue$795
Total revenueLn 12$299K

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.94 Management & general $0.02 Fundraising $0.03
Program services94%$106K
Management & general2%$3K
Fundraising3%$4K
Total functional expensesLn 25$112K

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$153K
Total assetsLn 16$212K
Total liabilitiesLn 26$685
Total net assetsLn 32$212K
Months of cash on handcomputed16.4

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2024 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $212K · Operating expenses (Pt IX) $112K · Less non-cash grants $21K · Cash operating expenses/yr $91K
28.1 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $106K · Total expenses $112K
94%
Management & General
Management & general $3K · Total expenses $112K
2%
Fundraising
Fundraising $4K · Total expenses $112K
3%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense $4K · Solicited contributions $285K
$0.01 to raise $1
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $285K · Total revenue $299K
95%
Government reliance
Government grants — · Total revenue $299K
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $0 · Total revenue $299K
0%
Investment reliance
Investment income $13K · Total revenue $299K
+4%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $0 · Total expenses $112K
0%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $299K · Prior year $79K
+279%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $212K · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $299K · Expenses $112K
+63%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $212K
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $212K · Total assets $212K
100%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) $59K · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) $0 · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $212K
28%
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Ashley Kidd · Reported title Project Mgr. · Highest reported compensation $26K · Total expenses $112K
23%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $26K · Total expenses $112K
23%
Peer comparison

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

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 94%
Overhead ratio 2%
Fundraising cost ratio 1%
Revenue growth 279%
Investment management fee ratio 0%
Legal fee ratio 0%
Accounting fee ratio 0.2%
Fundraising fee ratio 0%

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 · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$2K
Grants paid · 1 grant · $8K · 2024–2024
Minorities in AquacultureMD · FY2024$8,400

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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
FY2024 (Latest)$299K revenue · viewing · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2023$79K revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2024IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
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