The Ryan Licht Sang Bipolar Foundation Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
201750379
IRS 990 coverage
2014–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
Phone
8889444408
Rating
66
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Residential Mental Health Treatment

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$451,553
Expenses
$393,938
Assets
$450,618
Liabilities
$22,451

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

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JOYCE LICHT SANG (PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • JOYCE LICHT SANG (PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR): $98,200 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The foundation is dedicated to fostering awareness, understanding and research for early-onset bipolar disorder. The foundation is on a "quest for the test" to find an empirical test for bipolar disorder so that early detection and intervention become a reality.

What it reported doing in 2024

The foundation launched a new directive - "making a difference" - with projects in the areas of research, understanding and awareness of early-onset bipolar disorder, aimed at reducing the stigma associated with this serious illness of the brain, and its "quest for the test" aimed at finding an empirical, biomarker test for bipolar disorder. Projects included: 1) the foundation's insights vii juried art competition and exhibition showcasing "creativity and the bipolar brain" held in chicago (october 2024) at the zolla/lieberman gallery and in palm beach (january 2025) at the surovek gallery. Grants for the artists of selected works were underwritten. Each exhibition had a very successful opening night fundraiser and was open to the public at no charge thereafter to spread awareness about bipolar disorder. Many grantee artists were in attendance at their own expense; 2) the foundation's 19th annual chicago bipolar disorder medical briefing luncheon was held in may 2025 and featured a panel discussion with dr. John walkup of lurie children's hospital and dr. Janet wozniak of Massachusetts general hospital; 3) the foundation contributed to its fund at Massachusetts general hospital to support "quest for the test" research into early-onset bipolar disorder by promising post-doctoral fellows; 4) jersey mike's subs held a fourth annual multi-store fundraiser for the foundation in chicago that not only raised funds to support the foundation's mission but also spread awareness deep into various chicago neighborhoods; 5) the foundation's online awarenes store fulfilled awareness pin orders from around the world; and, 6) the foundation continued to spread awareness through its informational website and social media accounts.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 89% 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

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and program spending has grown recently. 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: 52
  • Transparency & Controls: 100
  • Accountability: 39
  • Sustainability: 49
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 51.5%; rating input score 52
  • Program expense ratio: 59.1%; rating input score 59
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.15 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 80th 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; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 12.8%; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.14; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 24.9%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 2.3% per year; rating input score 100; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 2.8% per year; rating input score 100; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3.3% per year; rating input score 100; 39th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 51.5% of revenue deployed · 59.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 2 of 5 board members independent · 3 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $233K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $98K · 5 people listed
  • Consistency: 31 of 31 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 11 filing years from 2014 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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 52/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 40/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 59/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 27/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 44/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 15/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 32/100.