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Arkansas Center for Data Sciences

EIN 83-2312317 · Little Rock, AR

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak33 out of 100GovernanceStrong95 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

Points to look into

  • It owes more than it owns.

These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.

What it says it does

INCREASE NUMBER OF IT, ADVANCED MANUFACTURING, TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS, HEALTHCARE, AND ENERGY PROFESSIONALS PRODUCED BY ARKANSAS EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS & EMPLOYED BY ARKANSAS CORPORATIONS. OUR VISION IS FOR ARKANSAS TO BECOME A GLOBAL LEADER IN TRANSFORMATION OF EXISTING INDUSTRIES THROUGH APPLICATION OF DATA ANALYTICS & RELATED COMPUTING CAPABILITIES INVOLVING INTEGRATION OF TECHNOLOGY & BUSINESS SKILLS.

Income
$2.8 million
Spending
$2.9 million
Spent on programs
95%
Reserves
-0.8 months of spending
Largest source of income
government grants, 77%
Employees
57
Volunteers
5
Highest pay
$214,401, director of apprenticeship

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Weak: 33 out of 100. Higher than 8% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    0 of 35

    Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.

  • Debt

    0 of 20

    It owes 127% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    8 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 4% of income.

  • Income trend

    10 of 15

    Income fell 1% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    95% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 95 out of 100. Higher than 69% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    5 of 5 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    0 of 5

    Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 (1)
  1. $2.8 million spent. THE ARKANSAS CENTER FOR DATA SCIENCES (ACDS) PROVIDES SERVICES TO EMPLOYERS NEEDING SPECIFIC SKILLS TO MAINTAIN AND GROW THEIR BUSINESSES. IN 2023 ACDS WAS ASKED TO CONTINUE WITH THE IT SECTOR, BUT ALSO BEGIN TO WORK WITH EMPLOYERS IN ADVANCED MANUFACTURING, TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS, HEALTHCARE, AND ENERGY. ACDS PROVIDES THE EMPLOYERS A SUPPLEMENTAL STAFFING STRATEGY USING THE REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM. AT THE END OF 2024, ACDS GREW THE IT SECTOR, HAD SIGNIFICANT OUTCOMES IN THE NEW SECTORS, AND A GROWING PIPELINE. THE NUMBER OF APPRENTICES GREW FROM 388 IN 2023 TO 710 IN 2024, AND THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPATING EMPLOYERS GREW FROM 145 IN 2023 TO 183 IN 2024. THE ACDS GOAL TO SCALE TO 400 APPRENTICES AND 100 EMPLOYERS HAS BEEN FAR EXCEEDED AS WE WRITE THIS IN NOVEMBER OF 2025. THE ROI FOR EMPLOYERS, THE LIFE CHANGING CAREERS FOR THE APPRENTICES AND THEIR FAMILIES, AND THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE NEW WAGES IN ARKANSAS IS SIGNIFICANT. ACDS DEVELOPS THE TALENT APPLICATIONS BY ASSESSING, OFFERING FREE PRE-APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING, RESUME COACHING, AND MOCK INTERVIEWS. WE TAKE THE CANDIDATES WHERE THEY ARE CURRENTLY AND PREPARE THEM TO BE EMPLOYER READY. TODAY WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 1,500 ACTIVE CANDIDATES, AND WE CONTINUE TO HAVE ALMOST 1,000 ACTIVE APPRENTICES.ACDS WORKS DIRECTLY WITH THE EMPLOYERS UNDERSTANDING THE SKILLS THEY NEED. ACDS WORKS WITH THE TALENT POOL AND PROVIDES PRE-APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING, WORK BASED LEARNING INTERNSHIPS, 48 IN 2024 WITH 80% BEING OFFERED FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT AFTER THE INTERNSHIP.THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER CONTINUES TO PLAN AN IMPORTANT ROLE FOR EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION. THE NUMBER OF SUBSCRIBERS HAS GROWN FROM 8,800 IN 2023 TO 10,600 IN 2024. THE NUMBER OF SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWERS HAS GROWN FORM 4,109 IN 2023 TO 5,800 IN 2024.THE TALENT DEVELOPMENT TEAM HAD 5,589 INDIVIDUAL APPLICATIONS. IN 2024, THAT NUMBER WAS 5,589 BRINGING OUR TOTAL TO-DATE TO 22,531.THE UNIFIED COMMUNITY APPRENTICESHIP TEAM (UCAT), NOW THE APPRENTICESHIP EXPANSION TEAM, CONTINUED TO MEET MONTHLY IN 2024. THIS TEAM HAS EVOLVED TO AND ITS MISSION HAS BECOME THE STATEWIDE APPRENTICESHIP EXPANSION MEETING NOW WEEKLY.THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR CONTINUED TO COMPLIMENT THE ACDS OUTCOMES THAT ARE BEING REPORTED QUARTERLY. ACDS BENEFITED FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR FORMULA FUNDING, STATE APPRENTICE EXPANSION FUNDING GRANTS, THAT THE STATE OF ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE FUNDED THROUGH THE DIVISION OF THE OFFICE OF SKILLS DEVELOPMENT. TWO NEW ACDS RESOURCES WERE ADDED TO FOCUS ON THE NEW SECTORS.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. 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.

  2. 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 October 13, 2026.

  3. 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.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since October 2019.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. 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 October 21, 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.