St Louis Science Center Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
431496632
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
St Louis, MO, USA
Phone
3142894400
Rating
70
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
General Science

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$10,815,081
Expenses
$9,659,434
Assets
$55,151,728
Liabilities
$7,879,668

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

Leadership & pay

11 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • RAY VANDIVER (PRESIDENT / CEO (AS OF 2/25))
  • TODD BASTEAN (PRESIDENT / CEO (THRU 4/25))

Highest reported compensation

  • RAY VANDIVER (PRESIDENT / CEO (AS OF 2/25)): $373,441 total reported compensation
  • REBECCA THOMPSON (CHIEF SCIENCE AND EDUCATION): $276,587 total reported compensation
  • BOBBY SANDERSON (CHIEF INST. ADVANCEMENT OFFICER): $260,344 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Support the st. Louis science center and its comprehensive array of educational outreach programs to the community in order to increase interest, understanding and enthusiasm for stem (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

What it reported doing in 2025

The saint louis science center foundation provides facilities and direct financial support for the operations of the saint louis science center. Each year, the foundation secures contributed revenue to support the science center's mission to inspire everyone to be curious and engaged in science. Welcoming more than 640,000 guests annually, the science center offers dynamic, accessible programming for learners of all ages including hundreds of interactive exhibits, early childhood education, teen initiatives like youth exploring science, and community outreach programs such as stl for all. Signature programs like scifest, esports enrichment, and summertime science camps foster hands-on stem learning.continued on schedule oanchored by destinations like the james s. Mcdonnell planetarium and the omnimax theater, the science center serves as a vital regional hub for science education and engagement.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 45% for direct work, and 55% for grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 67
  • Transparency & Controls: 71
  • Accountability: 85
  • Sustainability: 68
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 73.4%; rating input score 73
  • Program expense ratio: 76.7%; rating input score 77
  • Fundraising efficiency: $2.79 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • 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: 75%; rating input score 75; 12th 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: 10.7%; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 5.71; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.14; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 1.9%; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -7.5% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -3.5% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 0.5% per year; rating input score 100; 8th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 73.4% of revenue deployed · 76.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 4 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $7.4M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $373K · 11 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $264K reported
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 10 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2013 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Related organizations: 2 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 — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 6/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 59/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 59/100.