Activate Global Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
475502184
IRS 990 coverage
2016–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Berkeley, CA, USA
Phone
5102143788
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Management & Technical Assistance

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$30,637,585
Expenses
$31,490,730
Assets
$25,482,680
Liabilities
$1,746,957

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

20 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • CYRUS WADIA (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)

Highest reported compensation

  • CYRUS WADIA (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER): $542,672 total reported compensation
  • NAOMI A BAER (CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER): $376,649 total reported compensation
  • KARIN D LION (CHIEF GROWTH & PARTNERSHIP): $343,283 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Activate empowers scientists to reinvent the world by bringing their research to market. Activate partners with u.s. Based funders, research institutions, and other pillars of the hard technology community to help entrepreneurial scientists translate their breakthrough ideas into commercial solutions.

What it reported doing in 2024

The organization works between government and the private sector, transforming scientists into high-impact entrepreneurs through a fellowship experience that guides them along every step of the journey. The organization provides these innovators with essential strategic guidance and services, educational programming, and access to a tailored network of scientific and business mentors and advisors. Today, the organization supports activate fellows through its berkeley, boston, New York, houston, and anywhere communities. Since 2015, activate fellows have launched 235 science-based companies creating 3000+ new jobs. 96% of fellow companies are still active today. The organization continues to focus on expanding its fellowship program and supporting more entrepreneurs.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 68% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 80
  • Transparency & Controls: 93
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 29
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 82.4%; rating input score 82
  • Program expense ratio: 79.9%; rating input score 80
  • Fundraising efficiency: $30.37 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 94.1%; rating input score 94; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 99.8%; rating input score 100; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -2.8%; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.81; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.07; rating input score 79; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 12.4%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 32.2% per year; rating input score 100; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 27% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 28.4% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 82.4% of revenue deployed · 79.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 8 of 8 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $25.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $543K · 20 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 3 contractors listed · $684K reported
  • Consistency: 37 of 38 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 9 filing years from 2016 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 89 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 78 filed related-organization links
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 21/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 29/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 13/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Schedule R controlled transactions itemized did not reconcile in the filed values.