Illinois Science Teaching Association

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
510204015
IRS 990-EZ coverage
2021–2025
Forms available
Form 990-EZ 2025, Form 990-N 2022
Location
Jacksonville, IL, USA
Phone
8086461480
Rating
65
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Educational Services and Schools - Other

Reported finances

Revenue
$79,907
Expenses
$77,028
Assets
$64,690
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

21 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Bridina Lemmer (Executive Director)
  • Maggie Moore (President)
  • Nicol Christianson (President Elect)

People named in this filing

  • Bridina Lemmer (Executive Director)
  • Bob Wolffe (Finance Director)
  • Maggie Moore (President)

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

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

Overview

Mission

We are a membership based organization dedicated to promoting excellence in science teaching and learning throughout Illinois.

What it reported doing in 2025

Teacher Recognition Awards ISTA administers recognition programs honoring outstanding Illinois science educators for excellence in teaching, innovation, and contributions to the field of science education. Awards are presented annually across grade-level categories, celebrating educators who demonstrate exceptional impact on student learning and the science education community

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 70% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Member-benefit provider. The nonprofit used 82% of its reported program spending for member benefits.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and program spending has grown recently. 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: 50
  • Transparency & Controls: 82
  • Sustainability: 45
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 48.8%; rating input score 49
  • Program expense ratio: 51.4%; rating input score 51

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 3.6%; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.84; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 33.5%; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 57.7% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 18.2% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 10.4% per year; rating input score 100; 71st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 48.8% of revenue deployed · 51.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: Filed governance answers
  • Accomplishments: 3 filed program accomplishments · $40K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 21 people listed
  • Consistency: 9 of 9 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 2 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 3 filing years from 2021 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 filed money-flow records
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 49/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 51/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 51/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 43/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 6/100.