Curiodyssey

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
941262434
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
San Mateo, CA, USA
Phone
6503427755
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Natural History, Natural Science Museums

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$5,309,974
Expenses
$6,547,102
Assets
$13,451,947
Liabilities
$372,301

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

Leadership & pay

30 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ARAGON BURLINGHAM (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (THRU 9/25))
  • MELISSA FELDER DIRECTORINTERIM (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (START 7/25))

Highest reported compensation

  • ARAGON BURLINGHAM (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (THRU 9/25)): $278,491 total reported compensation
  • MAUREEN GARRETT (CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER): $174,462 total reported compensation
  • JESSA BARZELAY (CHIEF PROGRAMS OFFICER): $158,906 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Curiodyssey, a science playground and zoo, inspires a love for science and curiosity about the world to create a brighter future. We do this by letting kids loose to observe what is, ask "what if and let the natural world answer their questions. We give kids the real power of science.

What it reported doing in 2024

Exhibits/public programs: this year we completed the fourth year of the stemcorps mentor program, connecting 20 students with 20 mentors in biweekly virtual 1:1 mentor sessions where different stem concepts were explored through hands-on stem activities. The stemcorps initiative was created to connect a curiodyssey trained team of educators, mentors, caregivers and community partners to support youth from underrepresented communities and empower them to pursue opportunities to engage in science, technology, engineering, and math (stem) learning. Camp curiodyssey continues to be our flagship program. It engaged 733 campers in an immersive journey exploring natural phenomena through science and in the natural world. The camp program fosters creativity, imagination and appreciation for nature. Each camp provides personal, interactive experiences for preschool through fourth grade youth. This year 3,290 children received scholarship support and 66 organizations received scholarship support for field trips or science workshops. Curiodyssey's camp inclusion program supported 72 children with needs and accommodations and their families. Sensory sundays, a quarterly event welcoming visitors with sensory access needs to curiodyssey for a free afternoon of science activities, animal encounters, pop-up exhibits, welcomed over 1,000 attendees this year. Three recurring exhibits rotations were piloted this year. These rotations created a fresh and changing experience for visitors while cycling in new and returning exhibits throughout the year. Three new exhibits were created through a collaborative process with the conservation team as part of the nature story loop. Our autumn exhibition, fall into science, returned with a new exhibit. Our popular winter lights exhibition, illuminodyssey, also returned with several new exhibits and returning favorites.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
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. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 81
  • Transparency & Controls: 70
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 32
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 97.2%; rating input score 97
  • Program expense ratio: 77%; rating input score 77
  • Fundraising efficiency: $4.13 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • 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: 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: -23.3%; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.05; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 19.3%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 6.8% per year; rating input score 100; 49th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 2.1% per year; rating input score 100; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3.7% per year; rating input score 100; 27th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 97.2% of revenue deployed · 77% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 21 of 21 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $278K · 30 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 33 of 33 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 8 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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: Fundraising efficiency scored 13/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 6/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 13/100.