National Collegiate Inventors & Innovators Alliance
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
VentureWell is on a mission to cultivate a pipeline inventors, innovators, and entrepreneurs driven to solve the world's biggest challenges and to create lasting impact. We foster collaboration among the best minds from research labs, classrooms, and beyond to advance innovation and entrepreneurship education and to provide unique opportunities for stem students and researchers to fully realize their potential to improve the world.
- Income
- $106.2 million
- Spending
- $105.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 88%
- Reserves
- 4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 92%
- Employees
- 191
- Volunteers
- 15
- Highest pay
- $456,079, president
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 62 out of 100. Higher than 50% of charities in its peer group (education, over $100m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 4.0 months of spending.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 59% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 1% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 9% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1588% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 9 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 41% of charities in its peer group (education, over $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2514 of 15 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (3)
- $92.6 million spent. RADX - VentureWell serves as the network partner and administrator for the National Institutes of Health's Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics Initiative. Known as RADX, this program aims to expand the range of innovative diagnostic technologies available to support a rapid increase in reliability, speed, and scale of testing for SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) across the country.
- In addition to the 3 grants programs outlined on lines 4a through 4c, NCIIA also: a) awards other types of grants primarily to institutions of higher education in keeping with the organization's mission of promoting invention, innovation and entrepreneurship; b) offers membership to colleges and universities across the U.S., which afford member institutions the opportunity to attend NCIIA-sponsored events at reduced rates, tap into the NCIIA network, and to apply for NCIIA grants; c) conducts workshops and events, including but not limited to an annual conference and workshops designed to teach technology entrepreneurship basics and how to enhance success of commercializing inventions and innovations; and d) invests in select ventures emerging from U.S institutions of higher education.
- I-Corps Program - VentureWell led courses engage participants in moving products out of the lab into the market by talking to potential customers, partners and competitors, and encountering the challenges and uncertainty of creating successful innovations.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since May 2007.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.