To advance promising academic discoveries in neuroscience from the lab to the clinic.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
74¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$205K 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

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
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 2
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $1.4M a year · 27% of revenue · last 2 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 2 of the last 2 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 2 filings
Spent on programs
74%
of spending
Fine: 74% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$205K
to officers and key staff · 14% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 14% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
2 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 1.5 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
2
named funders · $18.5M
Fine: 2 funders name it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$328K
58% of total assets
Fine: liabilities are 58% of assets; 50% to 65%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
1
of 1 voting members
Looks good: 1 of 1 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$1.7M
Spent
$1.5M
To programs
74%
Net assets
$237K
By yearFY2023–FY2024
Revenue
$1.7M
FY2023
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2023$1.7M
FY2024$9.0M
Expenses
$1.5M
FY2023
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2023$1.5M
FY2024$6.4M
Net assets
$237K
FY2023
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2023$237K
FY2024$2.9M

From the FY2023 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

Give Claim
You’re viewing the FY2023 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2024) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Mar 2024.

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

Where the money goes

74 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 74% · $1.1M Management & general 26% · $390K

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

2 people listed on the 990; $205K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$204,654Pt VII · Sec A
Director/President
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Stephen Kargotich’s $360K as Executive Director is at the 92nd 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

NameFY2024FY2023
Stephen Kargotich$360,000—
Opher Kornfeld$264,500—
Marisol Urbano$227,500—
Stephen Karagotich—$204,654
Adriana Garcia$151,500—
Jeyanthi Ramasubbu$138,000—
Ravikumar Ponnusamy$127,218—
Charlene Chabata$116,004—

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 Spark Ns INC executive salaries →

On this list? Claim this org

Something off? Claim to add context

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

Funds neuroscience research to bring lab discoveries to patient care.

Questions for Spark Ns INC

Tap to ask. Spark Ns INC sees how many people are interested.

Your first name shows with your question. Spark Ns INC answers here, for everyone.

Provided by the organization

Know this org? Add your story

3 programs · $951K · in their own filed words · FY2023
01

Designed and implemented first translational research program (2024-2025 translational research cohort 1), received 47 applications that were reviewed and 4 projects accepted into cohort 1.

$591Kprogram expense
02

Completed the discovery, strategy, and planning phase of the elearning platform and commenced phase 1 (MVP) build.

$290Kprogram expense
03

Building advisory panel and scientific board covering the indications of parkinson's disease, bipolar disorder and autism spectrum disorder; these advisors provide educational, mentorship and project advisory support.

$70Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

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

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2024
Catalyst4 INCFY2024$3.1M
Total grants receivedfrom 2 funders$18.5M
Grants paid · 4 grants · $814K · 2024–2024

By the numbers

The FY2023 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$1.7M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.7M
Money outPt IX
$1.5M
Ln 25
Programscol B$1.1M
Managementcol C$390K
Owns and owesPt X
$237K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$186K
Total assetsLn 16$565K
LiabilitiesLn 26$328K
PeoplePt VI, VII
2
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a1
IndependentVI 1b1
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.7M
Noncash giftsLn 1g$11K
Total revenueLn 12$1.7M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$186K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$186K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$9K
Other assetsLn 15$30K
Total assetsLn 16$565K
LiabilitiesLn 26$328K
Net assetsLn 32$237K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 515
VolunteersI 69
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
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$0$186K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$0$9K
Total assetsLn 16$0$565K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0$328K
Net assetsLn 32$0$237K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$220K$96K$124K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$340K$311K$29K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$15K$13K$2K
Payroll taxesLn 10$40K$29K$11K
Legal feesLn 11b$189K$97K$93K
Accounting feesLn 11c$47K$47K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$455K$415K$40K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$12K$10K$2K
Office expensesLn 13$29K$19K$10K
OccupancyLn 16$84K$62K$22K
TravelLn 17$39K$31K$8K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$339$339
All other expensesLn 24e$3K$2K$675
Total functional expensesLn 25$1.5M$1.1M$390K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest $9.0M$6.4M$2.6M$2.9M 990 PDF
FY2023 Viewing $1.7M$1.5M$237K$237K 990 PDF

More to add? Claim this org

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 FY2023 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $1,711,028 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $0$1,711,028
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $0$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $0$1,711,028
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 $0$614,984
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $0$858,998
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $0$1,473,982
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $0$237,046
Part VI · Governance 1 of 1 board members independent, 3 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body1
VI-1b Independent voting members1
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
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
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $1,711,028 across 4 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$1,711,028
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$11,028
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,711,028
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$1,711,028
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,473,982 across 13 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $95,623 · Management $124,381$220,004
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $310,711 · Management $29,141$339,852
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $13,091 · Management $2,099$15,190
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $28,879 · Management $11,059$39,938
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $96,590 · Management $92,895$189,485
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $46,953$46,953
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $414,977 · Management $39,772$454,749
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $10,149 · Management $2,295$12,444
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $19,011 · Management $9,888$28,899
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $61,915 · Management $22,248$84,163
IX-17 TravelPrograms $30,638 · Management $8,232$38,870
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $339$339
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $2,421 · Management $675$3,096
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $1,084,344 · Management $389,638 · Fundraising $0$1,473,982
Part X · Balance sheet $564,863 assets, 11 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $0$186,123
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $0$106,678
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $0$9,146
X-14 Intangible assetsStart of year $0$232,416
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $0$30,500
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $0$564,863
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $0$327,817
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $0$327,817
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $0$237,046
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $0$237,046
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $0$564,863
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $237,046 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,711,028
XI-2 Total expenses$1,473,982
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$237,046
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$0
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$237,046

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

Similar organizations you could support · Compare with another nonprofit

Names, privacy, and removal requests More

The names, titles, and compensation shown on this page are reproduced from IRS Form 990 filings, which are public records.

Philanthropy.org does not alter the content of those filings. All information appears exactly as reported by the filing organization for the tax year shown.

We publish only information contained in the public IRS filing — and less than the filing contains. Our profile pages do not display street addresses, telephone numbers, personal email addresses, or other personal contact information, even where the filing includes them.

Many people share the same name. A name shown on this page reflects only what one organization reported in one IRS filing for one tax year. It should not be interpreted as identifying any other individual with the same or a similar name.

If you are no longer affiliated with the organization, your name will generally stop appearing in future IRS filings once the organization no longer reports you. Pages for tax years in which you were reported remain published because those filings remain part of the public record.

Philanthropy.org does not alter or remove IRS filing records. Removing a page from this website would not remove the underlying IRS filing, which remains publicly available from the IRS and other publishers of the same information.

If you believe the IRS filing itself is inaccurate, corrections must be made by the filing organization or the IRS directly.

Your org? Add context

Made it to the end? Claim this org

All figures are derived from public IRS Form 990 filings and are presented without evaluation of any organization. philanthropy.org does not rate, score, or rank organizations, including the pay comparisons above.