Is it real?
Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Aug 2015.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File
Where the money goes
91 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.
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
13 people listed on the 990.
Michelle Lucas’s $75K as President is at the 8th percentile of top reported officer pay among 364 $1–10M science & technology 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 · 1 named individual · Part VII
| Name | FY2021 | FY2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Michelle Lucas | $75,000 | $36,750 |
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.
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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 15aNo
Programs and updates
Inspires high school students with spaceflight projects to build STEAM skills and future success.
Questions for Higher Orbits Foundation
Your first name shows with your question. Higher Orbits Foundation answers here, for everyone.
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Go for launch! Is a multiday program that uses space exploration as a platform to launch student involvement in science, technology, engineering and math (stem), steam (art), teamwork, communication and leadership. This program was developed to reach high school-aged students.
Funders
Who pays for it.
From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.
Grants
By the numbers
The FY2024 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | Start FY24 | End FY24 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $724K | $264K |
| InvestmentsLn 11–13 | $532K | |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $724K | $796K |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $33K | $21K |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $691K | $775K |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management feesLn 11a | $105K | $105K | ||
| Advertising and promotionLn 12 | $19K | $19K | ||
| Office expensesLn 13 | $37K | $13K | $22K | $1K |
| Information technologyLn 14 | $2K | $2K | ||
| TravelLn 17 | $104K | $104K | $665 | |
| Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19 | $248 | $248 | ||
| InterestLn 20 | $28K | $28K | ||
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $749K | $703K | $46K | |
| All other expensesLn 24e | $30K | $28K | $2K | |
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $1.1M | $973K | $54K | $48K |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024 Latest Viewing | $1.2M | $1.1M | $84K | $775K | 990 PDF |
| FY2023 | $999K | $1.2M | −$203K | $691K | 990 PDF |
| FY2022 | Not on file | ||||
| FY2021 | $1.7M | $674K | $985K | $1.0M | 990 PDF |
| FY2020 | $182K | $39K | 990 PDF | ||
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Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $1,158,465 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 13 of 13 board members independent, 4 to look at
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $1,158,465 across 5 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,074,574 across 9 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $795,653 assets, 7 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $775,047 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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