Bacterial Locomotion and Signal Transduction

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
832136655
IRS 990 coverage
2018–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2023
Location
Chapel Hill, NC, USA
Phone
9199662679
Rating
79
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Medical Research N.E.C.

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$275,860
Expenses
$273,405
Assets
$20,634
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

7 people listed

People named in this filing

  • BOB BOURRET (CHAIR AND SECRETARY)
  • SARAH VAN HEUSEN (VICE-CHAIR AND TREASURER)
  • GLADYS ALEXANDRE (DIRECTOR)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

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

Overview

Mission

Blast is organized and operated exclusively for exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3). The main activity of blast is to organize and host a biennial conference/meeting (each being a "blast meeting") at which researchers in the bacterial locomotion and signal transduction scientific research community can meet, collaborate, and further their scientific research. Blast meetings are held in odd numbered years. The hybrid blast xviii meeting was held in january 2025 in cancun, mexico and was attended by 121 scientists in person and 100 scientists online.between blast meetings, we facilitate interaction and communication among members of the blast research community using digital means (e.g. X and bluesky, email, website). In particular, we share and discuss published and unpublished research progress, advertise relevant job openings, and publicize other conferences.

What it reported doing in 2024

Our central activity was holding the blast xviii meeting in january 2025. The meeting served 121 in-person attendees and 100 online attendees. An article reviewing the scientific content of the meeting will be submitted soon for publication in the journal fems microbiology reviews.we received $246,028 in net income from registration fees. Total meeting expenses were $277,528, of which a $25,582 hotel deposit was paid in the previous fiscal year. Expenses included $2,500 in presentation prizes of $500 each to five trainees.we provided scholarship support to 17 graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in the form of reduced registration fees.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 96% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 93% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 87
  • Transparency & Controls: 77
  • Accountability: 78
  • Sustainability: 38
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 98.4%; rating input score 98
  • Program expense ratio: 99.3%; rating input score 99
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Fail
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 83.3%; rating input score 83; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 0.9%; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.08; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.3% per year; rating input score 100; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 6% per year; rating input score 100; 57th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -1.8% per year; rating input score 0; 19th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 98.4% of revenue deployed · 99.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 6 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $271K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 7 people listed
  • Consistency: 18 of 18 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and grants
  • Filing history: 3 filing years from 2018 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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.

Key Signals

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

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 7 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 5/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 41/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.