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Nonprofiteer
← SPARKNC

Form 990 for tax year 2025

Filed by SPARKNC.

Totals

Total revenue
$109,739
Total expenses
$4,188,940
Contributions and grants received
$59,937
Grants paid
$0
Program service revenue
$0
Investment income
$47,019
Other revenue
$2,783
Total assets, end of year
$5,014,042
Total liabilities, end of year
$13,391
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$5,000,651
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$3,791,770
Management and general expenses
$330,315
Fundraising expenses
$66,855
Program service expenses (Part III)
$3,791,770

Program services were 90.5% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Revenue

Part VIII, the statement of revenue.

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $59,937

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $47,019 · excluded $47,019

  • 11a · Other revenue: CREDIT CARD REWARDS

    total $2,783 · related or exempt $2,783

  • 11e · Other revenue, total

    $2,783

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $436,625 · program services $362,729 · management and general $55,810 · fundraising $18,086

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $869,827 · program services $731,357 · management and general $101,986 · fundraising $36,484

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $48,225 · program services $34,115 · management and general $12,408 · fundraising $1,702

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $111,555 · program services $80,547 · management and general $27,095 · fundraising $3,913

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $101,071 · program services $84,982 · management and general $11,850 · fundraising $4,239

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $1,400 · program services $1,128 · management and general $223 · fundraising $49

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $65,009 · management and general $65,009

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $763,374 · program services $719,418 · management and general $43,555 · fundraising $401

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $4,677 · program services $4,411 · management and general $265 · fundraising $1

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $8,322 · program services $6,714 · management and general $1,335 · fundraising $273

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $10,638 · program services $8,931 · management and general $1,264 · fundraising $443

  • 17 · Travel

    total $53,169 · program services $51,395 · management and general $833 · fundraising $941

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $28,430 · program services $27,391 · management and general $1,039

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $142,362 · program services $140,258 · management and general $2,104

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $3,386 · program services $2,847 · management and general $397 · fundraising $142

  • 24a · Other expenses: SPARKLAB OPERATIONS DIS

    total $1,417,822 · program services $1,417,822

  • 24b · Other expenses: STUDENT AMBASSADOR PROG

    total $117,839 · program services $113,533 · management and general $4,306

  • 24c · Other expenses: STAFF TRAINING AND DEVE

    total $3,568 · program services $2,870 · management and general $572 · fundraising $126

  • 24d · Other expenses: DUES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS

    total $1,432 · program services $1,154 · management and general $230 · fundraising $48

  • 24e · All other expenses

    total $209 · program services $168 · management and general $34 · fundraising $7

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $5,072,856 · end of year $1,463,367

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    end of year $2,146,278

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    beginning of year $3,502,933 · end of year $764,559

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $87,371 · end of year $86,754

  • 10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis

    $707,606

  • 10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

    $154,522

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $693,648 · end of year $553,084

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $272,818 · end of year $12,547

  • 25 · Other liabilities

    beginning of year $4,138 · end of year $844

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $10,000 · end of year $509,650

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $9,069,852 · end of year $4,491,001

Mission and programs · 2025

Mission

SPARKNC EMPOWERS STUDENTS TO DISCOVER CAREERS IN HIGH-TECH FIELDS LIKE CYBERSECURITY, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND MACHINE LEARNING, SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT AND COMPUTER SYSTEMS ENGINEERING. WE HELP SCHOOLS MOVE AWAY FROM TRADITIONAL CLASSES AND RIGID SCHEDULES. INSTEAD, STUDENTS CHOOSE WHAT, WHERE AND HOW THEY LEARN. EDUCATORS HAVE FLEXIBILITY TO USE INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES TO DELIVER INSTRUCTION IN ENGAGING WAYS TO STUDENTS ACROSS THE STATE.

Activities or mission (Part I)

SPARKNC EMPOWERS STUDENTS TO DISCOVER CAREERS IN HIGH-TECH FIELDS LIKE CYBERSECURITY, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND MACHINE LEARNING, SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT AND COMPUTER SYSTEMS ENGINEERING. WE HELP SCHOOLS MOVE AWAY FROM TRADITIONAL CLASSES AND RIGID SCHEDULES. INSTEAD, STUDENTS CHOOSE WHAT, WHERE AND HOW THEY LEARN. AND EDUCATORS HAVE FLEXIBILITY TO USE INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES TO DELIVER INSTRUCTION IN ENGAGING WAYS TO STUDENTS ACROSS THE STATE. WE OFFER AN EXTENSIVE AND CONSTANTLY EVOLVING CATALOG OF LEARNING EXPERIENCES TO GIVE STUDENTS DIFFERENT PATHS TO GAIN KNOWLEDGE AND BUILD SKILLS, AND TO SHOWCASE WHAT THEY LEARN IN PERSONALIZED DIGITAL PORTFOLIOS OF WORK. WE ALSO HELP STUDENTS CONNECT WITH INDUSTRY EXPERTS THROUGH IN-PERSON EVENTS, TEAM-BASED INTERNSHIPS, AND OTHER RICH EXPERIENCES. BY DOING THIS WE GIVE STUDENTS A COMPETITIVE EDGE ON THEIR WAY TO HIGH-WAGE AND SOCIALLY IMPACTFUL CAREERS, PROVIDING A DYNAMIC TALENT PIPELINE FOR NORTH CAROLINA.

  • SPARKNC EMPOWERS STUDENTS TO DISCOVER CAREERS IN HIGH-TECH FIELDS LIKE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT, COMPUTER SYSTEMS ENGINEERING, AND CYBERSECURITY. SPARKNC HAS ESTABLISHED 25 DISTRICT PARTNERSHIPS IN 2025, 30 SPARKLABS ACROSS NORTH CAROLINA, EQUIPPED WITH FURNITURE AND EQUIPMENT, A SPARKLAB LEADER, AND A LEARNING PLATFORM FOR STUDENTS TO ACCESS CONTENT AND TRACK PROGRESS. SPARKLABS OFFER VARIOUS TYPES OF LEARNING EXPERIENCES, INCLUDING ON-DEMAND, LIVE-INTERDISTRICT, AND EXPERIENTIAL OPTIONS, WHICH CAN BE STACKED TOWARD ELECTIVE CREDIT. THESE MODERN, COLLABORATIVE SPACES PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH ACCESS TO COMPETENCY-BASED, INDUSTRY-ALIGNED, MODULAR LEARNING EXPERIENCES FOCUSED ON HIGH-WAGE, SOCIALLY IMPACTFUL CAREERS IN HIGH-TECH FIELDS. APPROXIMATELY 2,401 STUDENTS HAVE ENGAGED IN SPARKNC'S LEARNING PLATFORM SINCE AUGUST 2023, DEMONSTRATING THE REACH OF THIS INITIAL PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENT.

    Expenses $3,791,770

As filed on the 2025 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

  • DR RANDY BRIDGES

    CHAIR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • DR BILL HARRISON

    TREASURER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • DR JAMES MERRILL

    SECRETARY

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • ALLEN MASK

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • DR DERWIN WARREN

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • JENNIFER BELL

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • LYNN MOODY

    PRESIDENT

    Total calculated
    $244,190
    From this org
    $230,368
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $13,822
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $230,368
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $13,822
    Nontaxable benefits
    $0
    Filer's total
    $244,190

  • DANA BRINSON

    VICE PRESIDENT OF STRATEGY

    Total calculated
    $192,435
    From this org
    $172,281
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $20,154
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $172,281
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $10,337
    Nontaxable benefits
    $9,817
    Filer's total
    $192,435

  • PATRICIA HILLIARD

    SENIOR DIRECTOR OF DISTRICT LEADERSHIP

    Total calculated
    $165,499
    From this org
    $146,506
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $18,993
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $146,506
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $8,790
    Nontaxable benefits
    $10,203
    Filer's total
    $165,499

  • DR KEITH BABUSZCZAK

    VICE PRESIDENT OF PROGRAMS

    Total calculated
    $134,637
    From this org
    $121,551
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $13,086
    Hours/week
    40

  • MORGAN DRAUGHON

    DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY

    Total calculated
    $113,483
    From this org
    $108,225
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $5,258
    Hours/week
    40

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Answered yes

None.

Answered no

  • 4a · Severance or change-of-control payment
  • 4b · Supplemental nonqualified retirement plan
  • 4c · Equity-based compensation arrangement
  • 5a · Pay contingent on this organization's revenues
  • 5b · Pay contingent on a related organization's revenues
  • 6a · Pay contingent on this organization's net earnings
  • 6b · Pay contingent on a related organization's net earnings
  • 7 · Other non-fixed payments
  • 8 · Paid under the initial-contract exception

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2025
IRS schema version
2025v4.2
Source object
202622119349300712

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