Stenson Foundation
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 923160606
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2025–2025
- Forms available
- Form 990 2025, Form 990-N 2024
- Location
- Auburn, WA, USA
- Phone
- 2537377197
- Rating
- 57
- Verdict
- MIXED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Pediatrics Research
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $230,435
- Expenses
- $218,958
- Assets
- $41,782
- Liabilities
- $0
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
14 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- Emily Stenson (President)
- Derek Stenson (Vice President)
People named in this filing
- Kimberly Stenson (Treasurer)
- Tauni Ness (Secretary)
- Ellie Koltermann (Board Member)
Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
The Stenson Foundation is dedicated to funding innovative pediatric cancer research to improve outcomes and develop safer, more effective treatments for children. The organization raises funds through community-driven events and partnerships, directing proceeds to leading research institutions and collaborative initiatives focused on advancing cures. The Foundation also supports organizations that provide relief and respite to families navigating childhood cancer.
What it reported doing in 2025
The Stenson Foundation provided holiday gifts and support to teens undergoing cancer treatment, a group often underserved in pediatric care. The program delivered age-appropriate gifts and comfort items to patients at hospitals including Seattle Childrens Hospital and Mary Bridge Childrens Hospital, helping bring joy, relief, and a sense of normalcy during the holiday season while addressing the emotional challenges of treatment.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 72% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- Distribution model
- Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 87% of its reported program spending out as grants.
- Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.
The verdict
MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up. 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: 49
- Transparency & Controls: 95
- Accountability: 35
- Sustainability: 43
- Growth: NotEnoughData
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 53.2%; rating input score 53
- Program expense ratio: 56%; rating input score 56
- Fundraising efficiency: $1.92 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 92.3%; rating input score 92; 24th percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: Limited
- Foreign activity oversight: Limited
- Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 40%; rating input score 40; 18th percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 2 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 29
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
- Whistleblower policy: Fail
- Document-retention policy: Fail
- CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Fail
- Independent financial-statement audit: Fail
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 5%; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.19; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: Limited
- Revenue growth: Limited
- Asset growth: Limited
Details
- Where the money goes: 53.2% of revenue deployed · 56% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 6 of 15 board members independent · 2 of 7 filing controls reported
- Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $117K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 14 people listed
- Consistency: 33 of 34 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
- Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 3 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.
- Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 53/100.
- Moderate — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 40/100.
- High — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 7 not reported.
- Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 56/100.
- High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 9/100.
- High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 12/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 47/100.
- Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.