St Louis Life Sciences Project

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
201328128
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
St Louis, MO, USA
Phone
3148808870
Rating
58
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Fund Raising and/or Fund Distribution

Reported finances

Revenue
$6,056,883
Expenses
$701,744
Assets
$5,771,850
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

3 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DONN RUBIN (PRESIDENT/SECRETARY/TREASURER)

Highest reported compensation

  • DONN RUBIN (PRESIDENT/SECRETARY/TREASURER): $754,162 total reported compensation
  • BEN JOHNSON (BOARD MEMBER): $301,676 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To promote (and to benefit and support organizations who also promote) education, scientific research, economic development, and transfer of beneficial technologies to the public, all in the biosciences and life sciences fields.

What it reported doing in 2024

To further the fields of biotechnology and life sciences in the city of st. Louis and the surrounding community and promote education, scientific research, economic development, and transfer of beneficial technologies to the public.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 92% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and revenue comfortably covers expenses. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of voting board members are independent.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 47
  • Transparency & Controls: 75
  • Accountability: 50
  • Sustainability: 84
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 10.8%; rating input score 11
  • Program expense ratio: 92.6%; rating input score 93
  • Fundraising efficiency: $188.71 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • 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: 33.3%; rating input score 33; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Limited
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 88.4%; rating input score 98; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 8.23; rating input score 89; 89th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 47.1%; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -12.3% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 24.1% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -15.7% per year; rating input score 0; 1st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 10.8% of revenue deployed · 92.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 1 of 3 board members independent · 6 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $650K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $754K · 3 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 15 of 15 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 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: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 3 filed related-organization links
  • 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.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 11/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 33/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 1/100.