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Nonprofiteer
← SPARK MICROGRANTS

Form 990 for tax year 2024

Filed by SPARK MICROGRANTS.

Totals

Total revenue
$7,705,723
Total expenses
$7,023,787
Contributions and grants received
$7,342,515
Grants paid
$1,177,770
Program service revenue
$0
Investment income
$181,129
Other revenue
$182,079
Total assets, end of year
$18,939,194
Total liabilities, end of year
$1,367,184
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$17,572,010
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$5,472,131
Management and general expenses
$1,217,363
Fundraising expenses
$334,293
Program service expenses (Part III)
$5,472,131

Program services were 77.9% 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

    $7,342,515

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $181,129 · excluded $181,129

  • 11a · Other revenue: GAIN ON CURRENCY EXCH.

    total $181,408 · excluded $181,408

  • 11b · Other revenue: MISCELLANEOUS

    total $671 · excluded $671

  • 11e · Other revenue, total

    $182,079

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments

    total $150,000 · program services $150,000

  • 3 · Grants to foreign organizations and individuals

    total $1,027,770 · program services $1,027,770

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $212,814 · management and general $212,814

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $2,092,654 · program services $1,441,316 · management and general $407,490 · fundraising $243,848

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $77,617 · program services $33,898 · management and general $43,719

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $250,679 · program services $122,964 · management and general $127,715

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $76,437 · program services $22,517 · management and general $34,205 · fundraising $19,715

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $25,289 · program services $11,068 · management and general $14,221

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $116,808 · program services $20,408 · management and general $96,400

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $560,415 · program services $423,176 · management and general $126,217 · fundraising $11,022

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $211,086 · program services $95,644 · management and general $82,002 · fundraising $33,440

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $32,489 · program services $29,745 · management and general $2,368 · fundraising $376

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $103,729 · program services $100,110 · management and general $3,544 · fundraising $75

  • 17 · Travel

    total $317,466 · program services $236,965 · management and general $55,899 · fundraising $24,602

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $89,796 · program services $86,383 · management and general $2,198 · fundraising $1,215

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $4,753 · program services $4,753

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $2,507 · management and general $2,507

  • 24a · Other expenses: PROGRAM TRAIN.& PART.

    total $948,282 · program services $948,282

  • 24b · Other expenses: EVALUATION COSTS

    total $717,132 · program services $717,132

  • 24c · Other expenses: OTHER

    total $6,064 · management and general $6,064

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $6,699,061 · end of year $8,670,215

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    beginning of year $1,490,520 · end of year $1,016,638

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    beginning of year $9,094,882 · end of year $6,508,892

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $34,265 · end of year $35,174

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

    $60,931

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

    $26,122

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $26,953 · end of year $34,809

  • 11 · Investments: publicly traded securities

    beginning of year $2,019,655 · end of year $2,665,126

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $29,599 · end of year $8,340

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $1,804,076 · end of year $318,944

  • 18 · Grants payable

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $1,048,240

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $17,590,859 · end of year $8,115,027

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    end of year $9,456,983

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

SPARK MICROGRANTS EMPOWERS COMMUNITIES TO WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE A WORLD WHERE EVERYONE LIVES WITH DIGNITY AND DETERMINES THEIR OWN POSITIVE FUTURE.

Activities or mission (Part I)

SEE PART III, LINE 1.

  • SPARK BELIEVES IN THE COLLECTIVE POWER OF PEOPLE. YET TOO OFTEN, COMMUNITIES FACING POVERTY ARE SIDELINED BY THE VERY PROGRAMS MEANT TO UPLIFT THEM. SPARK UPDATES THE DEVELOPMENT MODEL, FROM PRESCRIPTIVE TO COMMUNITY-LED, SO THAT EVERY VILLAGE CAN DEFINE THEIR OWN FUTURE. SPARK'S KEY INNOVATION IS THE FACILITATED COLLECTIVE ACTION PROCESS, OR FCAP PAIRS A VILLAGE PLANNING PROCESS WITH A SEED GRANT TO FACILITATE COOPERATIVE SOLUTIONS TO POVERTY. RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THE FCAP RESULTS IN FAMILIES DOUBLING THE MEALS THEY EAT AND A SEVENFOLD INCREASE IN WOMEN ENGAGING IN LEADERSHIP ROLES. MORE THAN 80 PERCENT OF COMMUNITIES CREATE INCLUSIVE VILLAGE COUNCILS THAT LAST. SINCE 2010, SPARK HAS REACHED MORE THAN 500,000 PEOPLE IN EIGHT COUNTRIES, INCLUDING THROUGH ITS FLAGSHIP PROGRAM WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF RWANDA. OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS, SPARK WILL ACCELERATE ITS IMPACT BY SCALING THE NATIONAL PROGRAM IN RWANDA AND EXPANDING TO TWO NEW COUNTRIES, PRODUCING NEW RESEARCH ON COMMUNITY-LED DEVELOPMENT, AND CURATING A GLOBAL COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE. TODAY, SPARK TRAINS PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS AND WORKS WITH GOVERNMENTS TO SCALE THE FCAP AS THE SYSTEM OF CHOICE TO ADVANCE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, IMPROVE LIVES, AND SECURE LASTING CHANGE. SPARK HAS OFFICES IN KIGALI, KAMPALA, AND NEW YORK AND OPERATES IN SIX COUNTRIES IN EAST AND WEST AFRICA.

    Expenses $5,472,131 · Grants $1,177,770

As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

  • ALEXANDRA FISHER

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CO-FOUNDER

    Total calculated
    $212,814
    From this org
    $200,175
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $12,639
    Hours/week
    50

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $200,000
    Bonus
    $175
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $1,255
    Nontaxable benefits
    $11,384
    Filer's total
    $212,814

  • SUZANNE VAN HOOK

    CFO

    Total calculated
    $168,504
    From this org
    $150,176
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $18,328
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $150,001
    Bonus
    $175
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $943
    Nontaxable benefits
    $17,385
    Filer's total
    $168,504

  • KATHERINE REYNOLDS DIRECTOR

    OF LEARNING & SECTOR BUILDING

    Total calculated
    $142,759
    From this org
    $130,555
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $12,204
    Hours/week
    40

  • NINON ROGERS

    EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

    Total calculated
    $122,338
    From this org
    $104,183
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $18,155
    Hours/week
    40

  • AUSTIN WALKER

    GROWTH DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $111,368
    From this org
    $102,738
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $8,630
    Hours/week
    40

  • JONATHAN JACKSON

    FINANCIAL CHAIR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • STACEY FAELLA

    BOARD CO-CHAIR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • ANGELA RUGAMBWA

    BOARD CO-CHAIR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • KARA WEISS

    GOVERNANCE CHAIR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • SAM BONSEY

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • AMOL JAIN

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • ANDERS JONES

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

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

  • 3 · Approval by the board or compensation committee
  • 7 · Other non-fixed payments

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
  • 8 · Paid under the initial-contract exception

The filer's explanations (Part III)

PART I, LINE 7
THE BONUS PAYMENTS MADE DURING THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2024, ARE BASED ON PERFORMANCE.

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

Taxable family on this return

Schedule R Parts I, III and IV, as filed. These record ownership and control, not shared board members or money moved.

Related corporations and trusts

Part IV: related organizations taxable as a corporation or trust.

  • SPARK MICROGRANTS MALAWI

    COMMUNITY FACILITATION · MI · 100% owned · share of income $1,223,363 · share of assets $119,966 · controlled entity

    Directly controlled by SPARK MICROGRANTS INC

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2024
Filed
3 November 2025
IRS schema version
2024v5.2
Source object
202523079349302287

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