At minnestar we build, nurture and engage those interested in technology through meaningful connection.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
78¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 100 volunteers and 1 employee.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2024 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2024
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
4 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $9K a year · 4% of revenue · last 5 filings
Fine: a surplus in 4 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
78%
of spending
Looks good: 78% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$24K
to officers and key staff · 18% of spending
Fine: pay to officers and key staff is 18% of spending; 15% to 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
25 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 25.1 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $20K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$43K
13% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 13% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
16
of 16 voting members
Looks good: 16 of 16 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$166K
-9% vs prior year
Spent
$136K
To programs
78%
Net assets
$277K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$166K
FY2024▼ -9%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$248K
FY2021$257K
FY2022$284K
FY2023$182K
FY2024$166K
Expenses
$136K
FY2024▼ -47%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$176K
FY2021$247K
FY2022$277K
FY2023$258K
FY2024$136K
Net assets
$277K
FY2024▲ +12%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$305K
FY2021$316K
FY2022$322K
FY2023$247K
FY2024$277K

From the FY2024 Form 990 · see the original

Give Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Feb 2010.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

78 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 78% · $106K Management & general 19% · $26K Fundraising 3% · $4K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

17 people listed on the 990; $24K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director Thru Feb 2024
$24,038Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Sarah Olson’s $24K as Executive Director Thru Feb 2024 is at the 18th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1613 $100K–1M education nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Maria Ploessl—$51,298$105,523$100,931$101,231
Sarah Olson$24,038$56,731———

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

See Minne executive salaries →

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Connects and engages people interested in technology through meaningful experiences.

Questions for Minne

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Your first name shows with your question. Minne answers here, for everyone.

Provided by the organization

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1 program · $106K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Minnestar helps to infuse minnesota with a thriving technology environment. Minnestar brings together the minnesota technology community, promoting connections and helping the technology community learn from each other.

$106Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2024
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$20K

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$166K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$160K
Investment incomeLn 3$6K
Other incomeLn 4–11$232
Money outPt IX
$136K
Ln 25
Programscol B$106K
Managementcol C$26K
Fundraisingcol D$4K
Owns and owesPt X
$277K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$284K
Total assetsLn 16$320K
LiabilitiesLn 26$43K
PeoplePt VI, VII
17
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a16
IndependentVI 1b16
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$160K
Investment incomeLn 3$6K
Other incomeLn 4–11$232
Total revenueLn 12$166K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$21K
SavingsLn 2$264K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$284K
Other assetsLn 15$0
Total assetsLn 16$320K
LiabilitiesLn 26$43K
Net assetsLn 32$277K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 51
VolunteersI 6100
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$295K$284K
Total assetsLn 16$310K$320K
LiabilitiesLn 26$64K$43K
Net assetsLn 32$247K$277K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$24K$19K$2K$2K
Payroll taxesLn 10$2K$1K$175$176
Accounting feesLn 11c$5K$5K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$8K$8K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$5K$2K$3K
Information technologyLn 14$6K$800$5K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$83K$83K
InsuranceLn 23$2K$2K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$2K$9$325$1K
All other expensesLn 24e$25$25
Total functional expensesLn 25$136K$106K$26K$4K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest Viewing $166K$136K$30K$277K 990 PDF
FY2023 $182K$258K−$76K$247K 990 PDF
FY2022 $284K$277K$6K$322K 990 PDF
FY2021 $257K$247K$10K$316K 990 PDF
FY2020 $248K$176K$72K$305K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $166,266 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $175,922$159,648
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $4,489$6,386
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $1,846$232
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $182,257$166,266
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $116,451$25,796
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $141,590$110,033
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $258,041$135,829
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$75,784$30,437
Part VI · Governance 16 of 16 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body16
VI-1b Independent voting members16
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $166,266 across 5 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$159,648
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$159,648
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $6,386$6,386
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $232$232
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $232 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $6,386$166,266
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $135,829 across 10 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $19,231 · Management $2,404 · Fundraising $2,403$24,038
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $1,407 · Management $175 · Fundraising $176$1,758
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $4,530$4,530
IX-11g Other fees for servicesManagement $8,100$8,100
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $1,780 · Management $3,454$5,234
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $800 · Management $4,916$5,716
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $82,561$82,561
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $2,208$2,208
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $9 · Management $325 · Fundraising $1,325$1,659
IX-24e All other expensesManagement $25$25
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $105,788 · Management $26,137 · Fundraising $3,904$135,829
Part X · Balance sheet $319,653 assets, 11 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $72,378$20,611
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $222,424$263,810
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $9,000$35,232
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $2,263$0
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $4,000$0
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $310,065$319,653
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $6,515$13,666
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $57,000$29,000
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $63,515$42,666
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $246,550$276,987
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $310,065$319,653
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $276,987 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$166,266
XI-2 Total expenses$135,829
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$30,437
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$246,550
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$276,987

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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