Institute for Applied Tinkering
Institute for Applied Tinkering reported $15.5 million in revenue and $5.6 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $86.85 went to program services, $11.87 to management and general costs and $1.28 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 72.9% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $147,294 (Founder). 4 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 340% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending August 31, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $5.6MFor context, the median across 212 covered youth development charities: $83.69 programs, $11.78 management, $4.53 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending August 31, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $15MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 86.8% | 82.4% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 1.3% | 4.5% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.01 | $0.07 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 72.9% | 80.1% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 5.5% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 26.8% | 6.6% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $147,294 | $274,234 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 2.63% | 1.76% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 20.4 | 15.4 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 11 of 11 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseBrightworks is an innovative school that reimagines education. By taking the best practices from both early childhood education and hands-on, project-based experiential learning, we strive to meet students' needs in a flexible, mixed-age environment that breaks the traditional walls between school and the community outside the classroom. We offer a broad-spectrum learning environment designed to encourage creative capacity, tenacity, citizenship, imaginative capabilities and empathy
Tinkering School acts as after school, break, and summer programming to encourage creative capacity, tenacity, and citizenship in youth. Tinkering School is a place where children are given abstract, open-ended building projects and problems. Trained to use the tools required for success, they have the freedom to fail and the time to persevere. Trusted with real tools and real supplies, kids are put in an environment where constraints breed creativity and foster problem-solving that will expand into every area of their lives. Kids learn to trust themselves and their curiosity. They develop…
Highest reported compensation
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Founder Listed in Part VII, 40.00 hrs/week | $104,363 | $0 | $42,931 | $147,294 |
| Asst.HeadofSchool Listed in Part VII, 40.00 hrs/week | $118,507 | $0 | $17,910 | $136,417 |
| Controller Officer, 32.00 hrs/week | $97,653 | $0 | $38,498 | $136,151 |
| Asst.HeadofSchool Listed in Part VII, 40.00 hrs/week | $115,252 | $0 | $18,826 | $134,078 |
| Head of School Listed in Part VII, 40.00 hrs/week | $104,921 | $0 | $15,368 | $120,289 |
| Executive Dir. Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $78,155 | $0 | $7,773 | $85,928 |
| Executive Dir. Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $73,642 | $0 | $10,798 | $84,440 |
| Controller Officer, 32.00 hrs/week | $60,687 | $0 | $7,523 | $68,210 |
4 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Institute for Applied Tinkering (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $327K (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b11 · 11 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4No
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 560
- Volunteers Part I, line 615
Private foundation grants it received
1 private foundation reported grants to Institute for Applied Tinkering totaling $399 on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Institute for Applied Tinkering's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Institute for Applied Tinkering, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Institute for Applied Tinkering spent in FY2025, $86.85 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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All youth development charities · Largest charities in California
Questions people ask
How much of Institute for Applied Tinkering's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending August 31, 2025, Institute for Applied Tinkering reported that 86.8% of its $5.6 million in expenses went to program services, 11.9% to management and general and 1.3% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Institute for Applied Tinkering pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Institute for Applied Tinkering reported for one person in the fiscal year ending August 31, 2025 was $147,294, for the role of Founder (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Institute for Applied Tinkering get its money?
Of $15.5 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending August 31, 2025, 72.9% came from contributions and grants and 26.8% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Institute for Applied Tinkering a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 26-4299346 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (509(a)(2))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2025, object 202611559349301571 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2024, object 202501699349300025 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2023, object 202401559349300115 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2022, object 202322549349300642 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2021 (amended), object 202330129349302978 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2020, object 202121959349301412 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 26-4299346: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.