Ispace Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
311767871
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Evendale, OH, USA
Phone
5135540425
Rating
76
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Science and Technology Museums

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,037,448
Expenses
$790,919
Assets
$1,866,586
Liabilities
$930,831

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

Leadership & pay

14 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ATUL GODBOLE (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • LUANA IORIO (PRESIDENT)
  • EMILY MORGAN (PAST- PRESIDENT)
  • SUE HARE (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • SUE HARE (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $73,269 total reported compensation
  • BETH TAYLOR (DEPUTY DIRECTOR): $51,150 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Ispace is a regional "learning through doing organization serving greater cincinnati and the tri-state region. We offer an array of educational programs designed to provide students, educators, and families with unique and highly energized stem (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) programs that accommodate all ages and a wide range of learning styles.

What it reported doing in 2024

Class programs: a wide variety of programs for children, youth, adults, families, scouts, schools, and corporations - hosted by ispace or through outreach to schools and communities. These are exciting, hands-on stem learning experiences directed by professional educators. Programs include stem content (and teacher training) covering various science concepts, imissions (immersion into the role of an astronaut or space scientist), robotics, and rocketry. All programs promote critical thinking, teamwork, and creative problem-solving.

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

SUPPORTED - 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 fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 58
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 86
  • Sustainability: 62
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 57.9%; rating input score 58
  • Program expense ratio: 72.7%; rating input score 73
  • Fundraising efficiency: $3.53 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 11; 11th 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: 6 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 23.8%; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.36; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.5; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 15.7%; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 2.3% per year; rating input score 100; 28th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 4.8% per year; rating input score 100; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 24.7% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 57.9% of revenue deployed · 72.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 12 of 12 board members independent · 6 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $575K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $73K · 14 people listed
  • Consistency: 25 of 25 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2013 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 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.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 58/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 11/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 9 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 16/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 21/100.