United Math Circles Foundation
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 463636266
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2014–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2013
- Location
- El Cerrito, CA, USA
- Phone
- 3413338921
- Rating
- 70
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Education N.E.C.
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $551,286
- Expenses
- $619,257
- Assets
- $769,220
- Liabilities
- $0
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
13 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- Zvezdelina Stankova (CEO)
- Quan Lam (President)
Highest reported compensation
- Zvezdelina Stankova (CEO): $108,705 total reported compensation
- Laura Givental (COO): $86,950 total reported compensation
- Peter Koroteev (CFO): $15,250 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 purpose of the United Math Circles Foundation (UMCF) is to enrich the mathematical education and to advance mathematical knowledge and skills among the students in grades 1 to 12, at the Berkeley Math Circle-Upper, Berkeley Math Circle-Elementary, San Jose Math Circle, and any other circles and similar programs that fall under its organizational and financial umbrella, and to carry on other charitable and educational activities associated with this goal. The UMCF facilitates mathematical circles and similar programs to emulate famous Eastern European models, draw kids to mathematics, prepare them for mathematical contests, introduce them to the wonders of beautiful mathematical theories, and encourage them to undertake future careers linked with mathematics, whether as mathematicians, mathematics educators, economists, or business entrepreneurs. The UMCF programs aim at providing an interaction media and stimulating environment, both encouraging further involvement from students al
What it reported doing in 2024
BMC Elementary is the after-school math program that has 877 students enrolled 1st-4th graders preparing for math contest, careers in math, theories, etc.(Fall and Spring, session is 1 hr) 30 sessions x 1 hr x 12 classes per week ( 9 classes on Tuesday, 3 classes on Wednesday) + (Summer, each session is 3 hr) (5 morning + 2 afternoon sessions) x 3 hr x 5 instructors = 360 + 75 = 435 hr/yr.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Earned-program. 97% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
- 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.
The verdict
SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of total spending goes to programs and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 56
- Transparency & Controls: 92
- Accountability: 67
- Sustainability: 33
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 66.5%; rating input score 66
- Program expense ratio: 59.2%; rating input score 59
- Fundraising efficiency: Limited
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: Limited
- Foreign activity oversight: Limited
- Grant itemization coverage: Limited
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 66.7%; rating input score 67; 14th percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 6 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 67
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Fail
- 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: Missing
- Independent financial-statement audit: Fail
Sustainability
- Operating margin: -12.3%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.24; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 38.5%; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 7.5% per year; rating input score 100; 54th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 11.3% per year; rating input score 100; 70th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 18% per year; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 66.5% of revenue deployed · 59.2% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 8 of 12 board members independent · 6 of 9 filing controls reported
- Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $366K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $109K · 13 people listed
- Consistency: 21 of 21 current checks pass
- Schedules: 3 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 10 filing years from 2014 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 6 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.
Key Signals
Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.
- Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 59/100.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 8 not reported.
- High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 15/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 50/100.
- High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 4/100.