Delaware Center for Life Science Education and Training Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
934462667
IRS 990 coverage
2025–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-N 2024
Location
Newark, DE, USA
Phone
3026350445
Rating
57
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate

Reported finances

Revenue
$424,225
Expenses
$416,311
Assets
$44,912
Liabilities
$36,998

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

Leadership & pay

3 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • KATIE LAKOFSKY EDD (PRESIDENT & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • MICHAEL FLEMING (CHAIR & TREASURER): $232,210 total reported compensation
  • ARIEL GRUSWITZ (SECRETARY (UNTIL 3/2025)): $80,650 total reported compensation
  • KATIE LAKOFSKY EDD (PRESIDENT & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $37,500 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To serve as a regional catalyst for the next generation of life science talent at every level, partnering with industry, educators, and government to address current and future employer needs in the state of Delaware.

What it reported doing in 2025

Bioconnect de brings together the best ideas from similar programs nationwide to create a model that works specifically for Delaware. By focusing on non-degree pathways, they open the door to life science careers for more people, making these opportunities accessible to individuals from all backgrounds - not just those with advanced degrees.our flexible and responsive approach allows them to adapt quickly to the needs of local employers and job seekers, launching new programs and building partnerships to meet today's workforce challenges while preparing for tomorrow's opportunities.

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 - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of voting board members are independent and few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 87
  • Transparency & Controls: 65
  • Accountability: 9
  • Sustainability: 23
  • Growth: NotEnoughData

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 97.3%; rating input score 97
  • Program expense ratio: 99.2%; rating input score 99
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 0%; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 2 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 22
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 1.9%; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.11; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.82; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 25%; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: Limited
  • Revenue growth: Limited
  • Asset growth: Limited

Details

  • Where the money goes: 97.3% of revenue deployed · 99.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 0 of 2 board members independent · 2 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $413K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $232K · 3 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $162K reported
  • Consistency: 17 of 17 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.

Key Signals

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

  • High — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 6 of 8 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 40/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 7/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 5/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 14/100.