The Desca programs help innovators and technologists plug into delaware's innovation ecosystem by connecting them to resources, mentors and funding/strategic partners to help speed the commercialization of their products.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
$55K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2023 · 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
1 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $16K a year · 9% of revenue · last 6 filings
Concern: a surplus in 1 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
0%
of spending
Concern: 0% of spending went to programs; under 50%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$55K
to officers and key staff · 61% of spending
Concern: pay to officers and key staff is 61% of spending; over 30%.
Pt VII · Sec A
1 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 1.1 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $175K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$21K
264% of total assets
Concern: liabilities are 264% of assets; over 80%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
12
of 12 voting members
Looks good: 12 of 12 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$37K
-65% vs prior year
Spent
$89K
To programs
0%
Net assets
−$13K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$37K
FY2023▼ -65%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$203K
FY2021$132K
FY2022$105K
FY2023$37K
FY2024$541K
FY2025$126K
Expenses
$89K
FY2023▼ -27%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$213K
FY2021$165K
FY2022$123K
FY2023$89K
FY2024$123K
FY2025$529K
Net assets
−$13K
FY2023▼ -134%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$89K
FY2021$57K
FY2022$39K
FY2023−$13K
FY2024$445K
FY2025$41K

From the FY2023 Form 990 · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2023 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Exemption reinstated (2016-05-15). Per the IRS revocation list. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in May 2018.

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

Where the money goes

What each dollar paid for.

Management & general 100% · $89K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

13 people listed on the 990; $55K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Di
$54,900Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Cora L Castle’s $110K as Executive Di is at the 75th percentile of top reported officer pay among 312 $100K–1M 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 · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021
Cora L Castle$110,000$11,282———
Dora Cheatham——$54,900$70,000$70,000

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.

See The Desca Foundation executive salaries →

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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 15aYes

Programs and updates

Connects innovators to Delaware's resources, mentors, and funding to speed product commercialization.

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Provided by the organization

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2 programs · in their own filed words · FY2023
01

Service income

Pt IX · col B
02

Grants

Pt IX · col B

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 · FY2019
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$175K

By the numbers

The FY2023 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$37K
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$22K
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$15K
Money outPt IX
$89K
Ln 25
Managementcol C$89K
Owns and owesPt X
−$13K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$8K
Total assetsLn 16$8K
LiabilitiesLn 26$21K
PeoplePt VI, VII
13
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a12
IndependentVI 1b12
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$15K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$22K
Total revenueLn 12$37K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$8K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$8K
Total assetsLn 16$8K
LiabilitiesLn 26$21K
Net assetsLn 32−$13K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 52
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aNo
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY23End FY23
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$39K$8K
Total assetsLn 16$39K$8K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0$21K
Net assetsLn 32$39K−$13K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$73K$73K
Payroll taxesLn 10$6K$6K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$6K$6K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$1K$1K
Office expensesLn 13$2K$2K
InsuranceLn 23$1K$1K
Total functional expensesLn 25$89K$0$89K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $126K$529K−$404K$41K 990 PDF
FY2024 $541K$123K$418K$445K 990 PDF
FY2023 Viewing $37K$89K−$52K−$13K 990 PDF
FY2022 $105K$123K−$18K$39K 990 PDF
FY2021 $132K$165K−$33K$57K 990 PDF
FY2020 $203K$213K−$10K$89K 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 FY2023 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $37,000 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $15,000$15,000
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $90,306$22,000
I-10 Investment income$0
I-11 Other revenue$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $105,306$37,000
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $107,568$78,907
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $15,612$10,402
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $123,180$89,309
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$17,874−$52,309
Part VI · Governance 12 of 12 board members independent, 3 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body12
VI-1b Independent voting members12
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyNo
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $37,000 across 4 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$15,000
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$15,000
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $22,000$22,000
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $22,000$37,000
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $89,309 across 6 lines filed
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesManagement $73,300$73,300
IX-10 Payroll taxesManagement $5,607$5,607
IX-11g Other fees for servicesManagement $5,673$5,673
IX-12 Advertising and promotionManagement $1,169$1,169
IX-13 Office expensesManagement $2,343$2,343
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $1,217$1,217
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $0 · Management $89,309 · Fundraising $0$89,309
Part X · Balance sheet $8,123 assets, 7 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $38,979$8,123
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $38,979$8,123
X-25 Other liabilities$21,453
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $0$21,453
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $38,979−$13,330
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $38,979−$13,330
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $38,979$8,123
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets −$13,330 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$37,000
XI-2 Total expenses$89,309
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$52,309
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$38,979
XI-10 Net assets at end of year−$13,330

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2023 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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