Ann Arbor Spark
Public records raise at least one point you should look into before giving.
What it says it does
Ann Arbor SPARK advances the region by encouraging and supporting business acceleration, attraction, expansion and retention. Our organization identifies and meets the needs of companies at every stage, from start-ups to large organizations. Ann Arbor SPARK collaborates with business, academic, government and community investment partners to position the region as a destination for innovation.
- Income
- $12.8 million
- Spending
- $11.3 million
- Employees
- 116
- Volunteers
- 28
- Highest pay
- $438,044, president & ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. How we rate
Financial health
We do not score finances when yearly spending is very small or the return has too little detail. The ratios stop meaning much at that size.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. How we rate
Governance
This return does not answer enough of the governance questions to score.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. 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 (4)
- Business Incubator/Accelerator Services: SPARK creates long-term regional prosperity by accelerating the growth of start-ups and early-stage companies through support by offering direct and consultant services. SPARK creates a place where early-stage companies can conduct business at affordable rates and can co-locate with other entrepreneurs and in the eco-system. SPARK offers those companies educational and networking events in the incubator space. We create an ecosystem whereby start-ups can connect easily with resources they need at early stages to launch and establish, thus attracting start-ups to this region. This supports growth in the companies themselves, the direct support services, and the region's economy, creating a virtuous cycle of economic growth. SPARK is part of the award-winning Global Epicenter of Mobility (GEM) program, administering the Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) component of the program. In 2024, SPARK assisted 457 innovation start-ups which currently employ 1,154 Full Time Employees. SPARK nutured 156 incubator tenants.
- Business Development (Expansion, Attraction, Retention): SPARK maximizes potential jobs and capital investment in the region and helps grow the region's GDP through the retention and expansion of established driving industry companies and the targeted attraction domestically and internationally of similar companies that fit the region's identified clusters. This is done by regular communication with local businesses to determine their needs, making key business introductions, assisting with site selection, collaborating with local municipalities, and assisting companies in working with local academic partners to communicate talent needs.This year SPARK supported these major Washtenaw County companies: North Star Clean Energy, Leibherr's, Tortillas Tita, and the University of Michigan. Additionally, with 17 successful company growth projects, the team facilitated new investment commitments totaling more than $97 million. These projects led to the creating of 541 new jobs and the retention of 657 existing ones.
- Communication and Community Engagement: SPARK uses its established platform of social media followers, website traffic, and brand awareness to expand local, regional, statewide, national, and global awareness of the Ann Arbor region's attractiveness for business location and career and life opportunities. SPARK also promotes community events that market the region as a great place to start a business and/or work for a start-up. Our weeklong series of events, A2TECH360, had 20 total events and over 2,400 registered attendees, 1.2 million social media views as well as 161k webpage views.
- Capital Funding - Michigan Angel Fund & SPARK capital (formerly Michigan Pre-seed Fund): The mission of our funding programs is to support high-tech companies throughout the state at their earliest stages of development and position these high-growth companies to be able to raise additional capital and investments. Capital programs are an intentional economic development tool that pays itself back, allowing the funds to be redeployed for future reinvestment into more companies. With 155 members, the Michigan Angel Fund (MAF) is the largest angel organization in Michigan. The group has 40 companies, filling an important funding gap by investing in very early-stage companies across the state that are not yet primed for venture and other sources of capital. MAF is managed by Ann Arbor SPARK and invested $521K into 6 companies.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. 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)(6) business league.
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 October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Caution.
The IRS master file records contributions to this 501(c)(6) business league as not deductible.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, 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 December 2024.
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 October 1984.
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 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.