Mk Level Playing Field Institute
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 912088635
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2011–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2021
- Location
- Oakland, CA, USA
- Phone
- 5104886600
- Rating
- 82
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Labor Studies
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $4,530,698
- Expenses
- $6,070,390
- Assets
- $4,203,991
- Liabilities
- $731,341
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
14 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- FREADA KAPOR KLEIN (BOARD CHAIR / INTERIM CEO (THRU 3/2024))
- JONATHAN DURFIELD (CDO (THRU 3/2024) / CEO (START 3/2024))
- CINDY LORA (VICE PRESIDENT, EXPERIENTIAL PROGRAMS)
Highest reported compensation
- JONATHAN DURFIELD (CDO (THRU 3/2024) / CEO (START 3/2024)): $275,137 total reported compensation
- RAISI ZOREL ZAMBRANO (CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER (THRU 4/2024)): $215,133 total reported compensation
- HASSAN BROWN (CHIEF INNOVATION OFFICER): $190,443 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
At smash, we aim to build a strong stem workforce through academic learning and experiential engagement for high school and college students. We empower dedicated students in stem fields through intensive education, rigorous coursework, and access to resources, aiming to cultivate success in college and careers. Our vision is to create a stem ecosystem where every student can thrive in the global economy. By providing opportunities, we seek to enrich our communities and workplaces with well-prepared, competitive leaders.
What it reported doing in 2024
Smash virtual - smash virtual is an online platform that provides scholars early exposure to cs/emerging technology topics and career professionals. The online platform provides virtual courses on topics including ai/ml, cybersecurity, and programming to ensure all students have the opportunity to gain foundational knowledge and skills for future cs educational pathways. The online platform also includes a college+career digital platform that provides insights into college and career pathways in cs and stem, to share information, experiences, and resources to help students navigate and succeed in their cs journey. This content is designed to support alumni of smash programs as well as other interested scholars.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 82% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- Distribution model
- Direct operator. The filing allocates 91% 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.
- Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.
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: 84
- Transparency & Controls: 83
- Accountability: 88
- Sustainability: 16
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 97.9%; rating input score 98
- Program expense ratio: 73.1%; rating input score 73
- Fundraising efficiency: $12.44 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
- Compensation committee: Pass
- Independent consultant: Missing
- Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
- Written employment contract: Missing
- Compensation survey or study: Pass
- Board or committee approval: Pass
- Foreign activity oversight: Limited
- Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 80%; rating input score 80; 14th 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: -34%; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.69; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.17; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 20.3%; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 6.9% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 7.7% per year; rating input score 100; 58th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 13.2% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 97.9% of revenue deployed · 73.1% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 4 of 5 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
- Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $4.4M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $275K · 14 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $904K reported
- Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
- Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
- Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 9 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.
- Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.
Key Signals
Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.
- Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 45/100.
- High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 4/100.
- High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 25/100.
- High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 12/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 47/100.