Curated Pathways to Innovation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
862710818
IRS 990 coverage
2022–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-N 2021
Location
Saratoga, CA, USA
Phone
5106907276
Rating
55
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Educational Services and Schools - Other

Reported finances

Revenue
$25,544
Expenses
$52,621
Assets
$96,371
Liabilities
$645

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

3 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JANICE ZDANKUS (PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • JANICE ZDANKUS (PRESIDENT)
  • LESLEY SLATON BROWN (SECRETARY)
  • DEBBIE TAHMASSEBI (TREASURER)

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 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To provide access to economic mobility for student populations by providing 1 a personalized learning platform that centers on their interests with culturally responsive role models and instruction: 2 access to the interconnected continuum of interventions and support required to improve attainment and achievement in STEM education and computer science; and 3 research that will inform the STEM education field of best practices in persistence through longitudinal studies. When given agency students will pursue learning that develops their interest and prepares them for STEM careers.

What it reported doing in 2025

Provided access to hundreds of students in which their participation resulted in statistically significant growth in their aspirations awareness interest and self-efficacy in STEM+C. Students learned content supporting pathways in entrepreneurship Computer-Aided Design CAD electronic circuits career awareness financial literacy AI Cybersecurity and other STEM + C content.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 16
  • Transparency & Controls: 100
  • Accountability: 88
  • Sustainability: 28
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 21.6%; rating input score 22
  • Program expense ratio: 10.5%; rating input score 11
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

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; 64th 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: -106%; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.83; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -66% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -79.5% per year; rating input score 0; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -37.6% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 21.6% of revenue deployed · 10.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 3 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $6K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 3 people listed
  • Consistency: 40 of 40 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2022 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • 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 — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 22/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 11/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 17/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 36/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 24/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 58/100.