National Math Stars

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
991102659
IRS 990 coverage
2024–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Wilmington, NC, USA
Phone
9106851231
Rating
73
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Educational Services and Schools - Other

Reported finances

Revenue
$14,493,430
Expenses
$3,878,066
Assets
$12,735,829
Liabilities
$271,932

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

Leadership & pay

7 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Ilana Walder-Biesanz (Chief Executive Officer)

Highest reported compensation

  • Ilana Walder-Biesanz (Chief Executive Officer): $223,160 total reported compensation
  • Alex Lochoff (Employee): $173,311 total reported compensation
  • Al Lucero (Employee): $133,699 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

National Math Stars ensures mathematically extraordinary students from all communities have the resources they need to reach the frontiers of math and science.

What it reported doing in 2025

National Math Stars identifies and supports mathematically extraordinary students from all communities, beginning in 2nd and 3rd grade and continuing through high school. Through partnerships with schools, districts, and states nationwide, National Math Stars administers an Awards Program to identify top-performing young math students. Recognized students are invited to apply to the National Math Stars program. Admitted students (Stars) participate in one of two programs designed to support long-term academic growth and access to advanced STEM opportunities. Voyager Stars receive fully funded academic enrichment opportunities and individualized advising. Pathfinder Stars receive guidance, access to custom enrichment opportunities, and some need-based financial support. Across both Voyager and Pathfinder, National Math Stars provides mentorship, community gatherings, and strategic guidance to ensure students have access to advanced coursework, competitions, camps, and other high-impact STEM pathways. The program is designed as a long-term investment in students' academic trajectories, with the goal of expanding access to the frontiers of math and science for talented students.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 99% 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

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 reported officer compensation is a large share of total spending, which may reflect staffing concentration.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 51
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 77
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 23.1%; rating input score 23
  • Program expense ratio: 83.7%; rating input score 84
  • Fundraising efficiency: $252.28 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • 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; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 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: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 73.2%; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.28; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 17%; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 105.8% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 127% per year; rating input score 100; 100th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 146.9% per year; rating input score 100; 100th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 23.1% of revenue deployed · 83.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 4 of 4 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $3.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $223K · 7 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 23 of 23 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2024 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.
  • 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.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 23/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 9/100.