Seed Spot

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
454098436
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Phoenix, AZ, USA
Phone
6024569944
Rating
77
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Small Business Development

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,535,195
Expenses
$1,695,855
Assets
$1,111,825
Liabilities
$22,569

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

Leadership & pay

15 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ZACHARY LEVERENZ (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)
  • TRISTAN GANDOLFI (VICE PRESIDENT OF PROGRAMS)

Highest reported compensation

  • ZACHARY LEVERENZ (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER): $220,646 total reported compensation
  • LAUREN MCDANELL (VP OF STRATEGY & GROWTH): $139,030 total reported compensation
  • TRISTAN GANDOLFI (VICE PRESIDENT OF PROGRAMS): $124,833 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Educating, accelerating, and investment in diverse, impact driven entrepreneurs.

What it reported doing in 2024

Specialized and partnership programs: seed spot delivered specialized entrepreneurship programming through targeted partnerships and fee-for-service arrangements, including the retail brand accelerator, the youth entrepreneurship program (including an internship track), and the community health incubator. These programs served entrepreneurs across retail, consumer brands, community health, and youth audiences, providing curriculum, coaching, mentorship, and network access tailored to each population. Approximately 300 entrepreneurs were served, launching or growing 102 new ventures and generating $23m in combined revenue.impact accelerators: seed spot provided intensive accelerator programming for impact-driven entrepreneurs, including the mental and behavioral health impact accelerator and place-based accelerators serving local entrepreneur communities. Participants received structured curriculum, expert mentorship, and access to investor and industry networks to advance their ventures and scale their impact. Approximately 49 entrepreneurs were served, 92% of whom identify as underrepresented. Participants collectively raised $2.6m in funding.launch camps: seed spot delivered cohort-based launch camp programming for early-stage entrepreneurs through virtual and in-person formats, serving national and phoenix-based audiences in both english and spanish. Participants were guided through business model development, pitch preparation, and peer learning. Microgrants of up to $500 were awarded to participants upon program completion. Approximately 140 entrepreneurs were served. Grants and allocations: $50,000. Foreign grants: no.other program services (description is optional): mentorship and alumni programs: seed spot provided ongoing mentorship and alumni programming to support entrepreneurs beyond core program participation, including access to a network of 400+ active mentors and an alumni community of over 4,000 entrepreneurs. Alumni received ongoing access to network benefits, resources, and engagement opportunities to support their continued growth.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 78% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 94% 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 a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 64
  • Transparency & Controls: 87
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 25
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 70.5%; rating input score 71
  • Program expense ratio: 63.4%; rating input score 63
  • Fundraising efficiency: $7.89 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • 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: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • 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: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -10.5%; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.66; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 28.6%; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 5.1% per year; rating input score 100; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 8.6% per year; rating input score 100; 61st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 18.5% per year; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 70.5% of revenue deployed · 63.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 12 of 12 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $221K · 15 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 33 of 33 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2012 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 30/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 16/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 30/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 8/100.