Challenger Learning Center of Alaska Science Technology Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
921761906
IRS 990 coverage
2014–2023
Forms available
Form 990 2023
Location
Kenai, AK, USA
Phone
8554777926
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Science and Technology Museums

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,433,395
Expenses
$1,656,186
Assets
$2,670,291
Liabilities
$111,315

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2023. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MARNIE OLCOTT (CEO)
  • ART ISHAM (Vice President)
  • TIM DILLON (President)

Highest reported compensation

  • MARNIE OLCOTT (CEO): $86,515 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2023. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To inspire students to look beyond the ordinary, imagine the unattainable and answer those seemingly impossible questions through the pursuit of higher education in science, technology, engineering and math

What it reported doing in 2023

To promote, organize, operate and raise money for and maintain the Alaska challenger center for space science technology in kenai, Alaska

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 79% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% 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

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 84
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 84
  • Sustainability: 36
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 92.4%; rating input score 92
  • Program expense ratio: 79.8%; rating input score 80
  • Fundraising efficiency: $20.75 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • 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: -15.5%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.61; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 5.2%; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 6.1% per year; rating input score 100; 49th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3.4% per year; rating input score 100; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -5.2% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 92.4% of revenue deployed · 79.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $87K · 8 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $506K reported
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 9 filing years from 2014 to 2023
  • 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.
  • 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.

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 13/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 58/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 53/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 56/100.