The Da Vinci Discovery Center of Science and Technology Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
232824084
IRS 990 coverage
2014–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Allentown, PA, USA
Phone
4846641002
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Children's Museums

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$20,651,736
Expenses
$12,678,224
Assets
$79,380,644
Liabilities
$33,462,295

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

Leadership & pay

32 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • LINDA L ERICKSON (EXEC. DIRECT): $168,344 total reported compensation
  • MARYELLEN DICKEY (CHIEF PHILAN): $138,220 total reported compensation
  • BRIAN STROHECKER (CHEIF OPERAT): $129,349 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Our mission is to bring science to life and lives to science. Through inquiry-based science learning experiences, we champion the next generation and help build a technical and scientific workforce. See schedule o.

What it reported doing in 2024

The da vinci discovery center of science and technology, inc. Provides hands-on, inquiry-based science education through interactive exhibits and a variety of educational programs for students, teachers, and families. (also see schedule o)

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 69% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of total spending goes to programs and the filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 67
  • Transparency & Controls: 84
  • Accountability: 93
  • Sustainability: 79
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 53.5%; rating input score 54
  • Program expense ratio: 86.9%; rating input score 87
  • Fundraising efficiency: $35.58 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • 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: 95.8%; rating input score 96; 29th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • 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: 38.6%; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 6.26; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.42; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 4.4%; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 15.8% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 22.1% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 26.7% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 53.5% of revenue deployed · 86.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 23 of 24 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $11M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $168K · 32 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 35 of 35 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 10 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 10 filing years from 2014 to 2024
  • 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.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 54/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 35/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 56/100.