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Starbase Minnesota Inc

EIN 41-1756817 · Saint Paul, MN

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood85 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

TO INSPIRE AND EDUCATE MINNESOTA YOUTH IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH (STEM)

Income
$3.0 million
Spending
$2.9 million
Spent on programs
94%
Reserves
5.9 months of spending
Largest source of income
government grants, 87%
Employees
26
Volunteers
989
Highest pay
$128,154, executive di

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 71% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 5.9 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 1% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 5% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 13% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    94% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    22 of 22 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

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • 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 September 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 (1)
  1. $2.7 million spent. STARBASE MINNESOTA, INC. IS A DEDICATED STEM EDUCATION NON-PROFIT, PARTNERING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, MINNESOTA AIR NATIONAL GUARD, CORPORATIONS, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. THEIR CENTRAL AIM IS TO IGNITE CURIOSITY AND EMPOWER YOUTH IN THE FIELDS OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH (STEM). THE CORNERSTONE OF THEIR EFFORTS IS THE DOD STARBASE PROGRAM-A 20-25 HOUR IMMERSIVE ONSITE STEM EXPERIENCE. STUDENTS STEP INTO THE VIBRANT, TECHNOLOGY-RICH ENVIRONMENTS AT THE MINNESOTA AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASES: THE 133RD AIRLIFT WING IN ST. PAUL AND THE 148TH FIGHTER WING IN DULUTH. HERE, LEARNING UNFOLDS IN WAYS THAT ARE BOTH EXCITING AND HANDS-ON.ALONGSIDE ONSITE PROGRAMS, STARBASE CONTINUED TO EXPAND ITS REACH THROUGHOUT MINNESOTA. THROUGH ITS STEM KIT INITIATIVE, THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDED STEM KITS AND CURRICULUM TO MORE THAN 31,000 5TH GRADE STUDENTS AND THEIR TEACHERS IN 392 SCHOOLS ACROSS THE STATE IN FY25. IN ST. PAUL AND DULUTH, STARBASE SERVED A COMBINED TOTAL OF 6,698 STUDENTS THROUGH FIVE-DAY SCHOOL YEAR AND SUMMER ONSITE PROGRAMS. MEANWHILE, THE STARBASE DESTINATION MARS STEM KITS EXTENDED LEARNING TO AN ADDITIONAL 35,000 STUDENTS AND THEIR EDUCATORS ACROSS MINNESOTA.THE IMPACT OF STARBASE PROGRAMS IS EVIDENT IN THE OUTCOMES. AMONG STUDENTS, 93% DEMONSTRATED IMPROVED STEM KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS, WITH A REMARKABLE 32 PERCENTAGE POINT GAIN FROM PRE- TO POST-TEST. 95% REPORTED THAT STARBASE MADE LEARNING FUN, 99% DISCOVERED NEW THINGS, AND 90% FELT AN INCREASED INTEREST IN STEM FIELDS. MOST EXPRESSED A DESIRE TO PURSUE A STEM CAREER.IN DULUTH, 94% OF STUDENTS INCREASED THEIR STEM KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS, ACHIEVING A 21.5% AVERAGE IMPROVEMENT FROM PRE- TO POST-TEST. 97% FOUND THE PROGRAM ENJOYABLE, 75% REPORTED GREATER INTEREST IN STEM, AND THE MAJORITY INDICATED AN INTEREST IN STEM CAREERS.TEACHERS, TOO, EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS. BETWEEN 92-99% REPORTED GAINS IN STEM KNOWLEDGE AND TEACHING STRATEGIES, 99-100% RATED THE STARBASE PROGRAMS AS EXCELLENT OR VERY GOOD, AND 100% EXPRESSED A DESIRE TO RETURN.BEYOND STUDENTS AND TEACHERS, STARBASE ALSO ENGAGED A COMBINED TOTAL OF 421 EDUCATORS WHO PARTICIPATED IN ONSITE PROGRAMS FOR 6,875 HOURS. THE PROGRAMS FURTHER BENEFITED FROM THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF 989 MILITARY, CORPORATE, AND COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS, WHO TOGETHER DONATED OVER 5,184 HOURS TO STARBASE EFFORTS.THE STORY OF STARBASE MINNESOTA, INC. IS ONE OF COLLABORATION, INNOVATION, AND MEASURABLE IMPACT-A TALE OF INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION OF STEM LEADERS ACROSS THE STATE. STARBASE MINNESOTA, INC. IS A DEDICATED STEM EDUCATION NON-PROFIT, PARTNERING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, MINNESOTA AIR NATIONAL GUARD, CORPORATIONS, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. THEIR CENTRAL AIM IS TO IGNITE CURIOSITY AND EMPOWER YOUTH IN THE FIELDS OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH (STEM). THE CORNERSTONE OF THEIR EFFORTS IS THE DOD STARBASE PROGRAM-A 20-25 HOUR IMMERSIVE ONSITE STEM EXPERIENCE. STUDENTS STEP INTO THE VIBRANT, TECHNOLOGY-RICH ENVIRONMENTS AT THE MINNESOTA AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASES: THE 133RD AIRLIFT WING IN ST. PAUL AND THE 148TH FIGHTER WING IN DULUTH. HERE, LEARNING UNFOLDS IN WAYS THAT ARE BOTH EXCITING AND HANDS-ON.ALONGSIDE ONSITE PROGRAMS, STARBASE CONTINUED TO EXPAND ITS REACH THROUGHOUT MINNESOTA. THROUGH ITS STEM KIT INITIATIVE, THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDED STEM KITS AND CURRICULUM TO MORE THAN 31,000 5TH GRADE STUDENTS AND THEIR TEACHERS IN 392 SCHOOLS ACROSS THE STATE IN FY25. IN ST. PAUL AND DULUTH, STARBASE SERVED A COMBINED TOTAL OF 6,698 STUDENTS THROUGH FIVE-DAY SCHOOL YEAR AND SUMMER ONSITE PROGRAMS. MEANWHILE, THE STARBASE DESTINATION MARS STEM KITS EXTENDED LEARNING TO AN ADDITIONAL 35,000 STUDENTS AND THEIR EDUCATORS ACROSS MINNESOTA.THE IMPACT OF STARBASE PROGRAMS IS EVIDENT IN THE OUTCOMES. AMONG STUDENTS, 93% DEMONSTRATED IMPROVED STEM KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS, WITH A REMARKABLE 32 PERCENTAGE POINT GAIN FROM PRE- TO POST-TEST. 95% REPORTED THAT STARBASE MADE LEARNING FUN, 99% DISCOVERED NEW THINGS, AND 90% FELT AN INCREASED INTEREST IN STEM FIELDS. MOST EXPRESSED A DESIRE TO PURSUE A STEM CAREER.IN DULUTH, 94% OF STUDENTS INCREASED THEIR STEM KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS, ACHIEVING A 21.5% AVERAGE IMPROVEMENT FROM PRE- TO POST-TEST. 97% FOUND THE PROGRAM ENJOYABLE, 75% REPORTED GREATER INTEREST IN STEM, AND THE MAJORITY INDICATED AN INTEREST IN STEM CAREERS.TEACHERS, TOO, EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS. BETWEEN 92-99% REPORTED GAINS IN STEM KNOWLEDGE AND TEACHING STRATEGIES, 99-100% RATED THE STARBASE PROGRAMS AS EXCELLENT OR VERY GOOD, AND 100% EXPRESSED A DESIRE TO RETURN.BEYOND STUDENTS AND TEACHERS, STARBASE ALSO ENGAGED A COMBINED TOTAL OF 421 EDUCATORS WHO PARTICIPATED IN ONSITE PROGRAMS FOR 6,875 HOURS. THE PROGRAMS FURTHER BENEFITED FROM THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF 989 MILITARY, CORPORATE, AND COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS, WHO TOGETHER DONATED OVER 5,184 HOURS TO STARBASE EFFORTS.THE STORY OF STARBASE MINNESOTA, INC. IS ONE OF COLLABORATION, INNOVATION, AND MEASURABLE IMPACT-A TALE OF INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION OF STEM LEADERS ACROSS THE STATE.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, 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 November 6, 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 September 2025.

    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 January 1995.

    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 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.