Design Futures Forum INC

Tax-deductible

Albany, NY501(c)(3)Since 2023EducationEIN 88-4046815Revenue $208K in FY2025

On file with the IRSdesignfuturesforum.org418 Broadway 7292, 12207-2922 · Albany, NYTax-exempt since Aug 2023Publicly supported — 509(a)(2)

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To provide education for undergraduate and graduate students on the topic of community driven design

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
82¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$62K 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

FY2025 · 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
Spent on programs
82%
of spending
Looks good: 82% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$62K
to officers and key staff · 38% of spending
Top officer’s pay higher than 53% of similar orgs
Concern: pay to officers and key staff is 38% of spending; over 30%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
4 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 4.4 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $8K
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
8
of 8 voting members
Looks good: 8 of 8 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$208K
+37% vs prior year
Spent
$162K
To programs
82%
Net assets
$105K
By yearFY2022–FY2025
Revenue
$208K
FY2025▲ +37%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2022$52K
FY2023$103K
FY2024$152K
FY2025$208K
Net assets
$105K
FY2025▲ +58%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2022$71K
FY2023$58K
FY2024$66K
FY2025$105K

From the FY2025 Form 990 · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Aug 2023.

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

Where the money goes

82 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 82% · $133K Management & general 15% · $24K Fundraising 3% · $5K

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

8 people listed on the 990; $62K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$61,500Pt VII · Sec A
Co-Chair of the Board
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Co-Chair of the Board
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Ezra Kong’s $62K as Executive Director is at the 53rd percentile of top reported officer pay among 1613 $100K–1M education 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.

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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 15aNo

Programs and updates

Design Futures Forum INC is an education nonprofit based in Albany, NY, formed in 2023.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $113K · in their own filed words · FY2025
01

We brought together over 70 students and 30 faculty to New Orleans for a 5 day training and capacity building conference

$85Kprogram expense
02

We brought together 20 faculty for a virtual training on imagination and creativity

$25Kprogram expense
03

We hosted a series of 4 virtual trainings for 20 faculty in the spring and summer

$3Kprogram 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$8K

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$208K
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$110K
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$98K
Investment incomeLn 3$757
Money outPt IX
$162K
Ln 25
Programscol B$133K
Managementcol C$24K
Fundraisingcol D$5K
Owns and owesPt X
$105K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$60K
Total assetsLn 16$105K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
PeoplePt VI, VII
8
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a8
IndependentVI 1b8
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$98K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$110K
Investment incomeLn 3$757
Total revenueLn 12$208K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
SavingsLn 2$60K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$60K
Other assetsLn 15$899
Total assetsLn 16$105K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
Net assetsLn 32$105K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 51
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 FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$46K$60K
Total assetsLn 16$66K$105K
LiabilitiesLn 26$63$0
Net assetsLn 32$66K$105K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$67K$51K$13K$3K
Payroll taxesLn 10$6K$4K$1K$288
Accounting feesLn 11c$5K$5K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$16K$12K$4K$782
Office expensesLn 13$1K$299$1K
TravelLn 17$5K$5K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$60K$60K
InsuranceLn 23$2K$2K$379$100
Total functional expensesLn 25$162K$133K$24K$5K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $208K$162K$47K$105K 990 PDF
FY2024 $152K$66K 990 PDF
FY2023 $103K$58K 990 PDF
FY2022 $52K$71K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $208,306 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $29,606$97,869
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $120,875$109,680
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $1,175$757
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $469$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $152,125$208,306
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $2,500$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $65,868$72,380
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $75,246$89,129
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $143,614$161,509
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $8,511$46,797
Part VI · Governance 8 of 8 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body8
VI-1b Independent voting members8
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $208,306 across 6 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$97,869
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$97,869
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $109,680$109,680
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $757$757
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising events$0
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $110,437 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$208,306
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $161,509 across 8 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $50,635 · Management $12,659 · Fundraising $3,331$66,625
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $4,374 · Management $1,093 · Fundraising $288$5,755
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $4,786$4,786
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $11,890 · Management $3,658 · Fundraising $782$16,330
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $299 · Management $1,197$1,496
IX-17 TravelPrograms $4,845$4,845
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $59,679$59,679
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $1,514 · Management $379 · Fundraising $100$1,993
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $133,236 · Management $23,772 · Fundraising $4,501$161,509
Part X · Balance sheet $104,675 assets, 7 lines filed
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $45,564$59,676
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $14,700$44,100
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $6,077$899
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $66,341$104,675
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $63$0
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $66,278$104,675
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $66,341$104,675
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $104,675 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$208,306
XI-2 Total expenses$161,509
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$46,797
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$66,278
XI-8 Prior period adjustments−$8,400
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$104,675

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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