Bob Hoover Academy
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
USING THE POWER OF FLIGHT TO CHANGE LIVES: THE BOB HOOVER ACADEMY PROVIDES YOUTH WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN CHALLENGING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES FOCUSED ON AVIATION AND FLIGHT TRAINING, EMPOWERING THEM TO COMPLETE HIGH SCHOOL AND PURSUE HIGHER EDUCATION OR VOCATIONAL TRAINING. THE ACADEMY INSPIRES AT-RISK AND UNDERSERVED TEENS TO ENGAGE IN STEAM (SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, ARTS & MATHEMATICS) EDUCATION AND TO TAKE FLIGHT IN AVIATION. AVIATION IS A METAPHOR FOR THE DEEPER MISSION, TO CAPTURE STUDENTS' MINDS, FOCUS THEIR ENERGY, AND CULTIVATE SUCCESS IN SCHOOL AND LIFE. EACH STUDENT EARNS ADMISSION INTO FLIGHT TRAINING BY EXCELLING IN OUR GROUND TRAINING CURRICULUM. THE ULTIMATE TRANSFORMATION IS FLYING SOLO - LEAVING THE INSTRUCTOR BEHIND AND TAKING CONTROL. STUDENTS BECOME ACCOUNTABLE TO THEMSELVES AND THEIR PEERS, DEVELOPING THE SKILLS AND CONFIDENCE TO LAUNCH FROM THEIR CURRENT ORBIT TOWARD A FUTURE AS DYNAMIC, CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS OF SOCIETY.
- Income
- $1.1 million
- Spending
- $846,607
- Spent on programs
- 86%
- Reserves
- 6.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 99%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 7
- Highest pay
- $30,000, vice president
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
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 83% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 6.9 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 26% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 57% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1586% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 3 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
Good: 73 out of 100. Higher than 29% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 256 of 8 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
Independent check of accounts
0 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports 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)
- $730,566 spent. HAVING COMPLETED OUR EIGHTH YEAR OF PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MONTEREY COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION (MCOE), HAS BEEN ANOTHER YEAR OF TREMENDOUS PROGRESS FOR THE BOB HOOVER ACADEMY. OUR THIRD SCHOOL YEAR IN OUR SALINAS AIRPORT CAMPUS BROUGHT A NEW ACADEMIC AND OPERATIONS TEAM WITH RENEWED ACADEMIC RIGOR. STUDENTS ENJOYED SEVERAL FIELD TRIPS, WHICH INCLUDED NELLIS AIRFORCE BASE, A TOUR OF JOBY AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURING, AND A ROCKET LAUNCH ON MERRILL FARMS. WE HAVE ALSO BEGUN PLANNING FOR A NEW CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION AIRFRAME & POWERPLANT PROGRAM WITH REEDLEY COLLEGE AND IMPLEMENTED A NEW AOPA STEM CURRICULUM. LASTLY, WE HAVE BEGUN BUILDING A CUBCRAFTER EX KIT THAT WILL ALLOW US TO CONTINUALLY FUND OUR PROGRAM AS WE BUILD THEM AND SELL THEM.AIRCRAFT AND SIMULATOR TRAINING:BHA CONTINUES ITS CORE MISSION OF INSPIRING STUDENT LEARNING THROUGH THE POWER OF FLIGHT. IN 2024 WE MAINTAINED OUR EXTENSIVE USE OF THE SIMULATOR, RESULTING IN SAVINGS OF APPROXIMATELY 68 AIRCRAFT FLIGHTS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN FLOWN, FOR A COST SAVINGS VALUE OF $13,600 ($200/HOUR).IN 2024, WE WERE DONATED A 1963 PIPER PA-30 WHICH WE SOLD FOR $90,000. WE WERE DONATED $480,000 FOR THREE CUBCRAFTER EX KITS. WE HIRED AN A&P MECHANIC WHO IS BUILDING THE FIRST CUBCRAFTER KIT SO WE CAN BUILD IT AND SELL IT AND HAVE CONTINUAL INCOME FOR OUR A&P PROGRAM.THE YEAR 2024 ALSO BROUGHT IN $660 OF UNRELATED BUSINESS INCOME THROUGH 13.2 HOURS OF RENTING OUT OUR DONATED FLIGHT SIMULATOR.2024 STATISTICS: 39 STUDENTS, 476.5 PLANE HOURS, 339 STUDENT FLIGHTS, 1 SOLO FLIGHT, 66.7 SIMULATOR HOURS, 68 SIMULATOR FLIGHTS AND 600 VOLUNTEER HOURS.FLIGHT TRAINING ACHIEVEMENTS:THE YEAR 2024 BROUGHT ALONG A NUMBER OF ACHIEVEMENTS BY SOME EXCEPTIONAL STUDENTS IN THE AREA OF FLIGHT TRAINING. ONE OF OUR GRADUATED SENIORS CONTINUED ON EARNING HIS PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE THROUGH THE BOB HOOVER ACADEMY WHILE ALSO HELPING AS A VOLUNTEER. HE IS NOW IN BOOT CAMP FOR THE U.S. MARINE CORP.ANOTHER STUDENT ACHIEVED HIS SOLO FLIGHT TRAINING ENDORSEMENT AND HAS ACCOMPLISHED THE REQUIRED TRAINING TO QUALIFY FOR HIS PRIVATE PILOT CHECK RIDE. WE HOPE TO SEE ANOTHER NEWLY MINTED PRIVATE PILOT SOON!WITH THE GROWING INTEREST IN FLIGHT TRAINING AT THE BOB HOOVER ACADEMY WE HAVE A FEW MORE STUDENTS GETTING CLOSE TO SOLO FLIGHT. WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING MORE STUDENTS ACCOMPLISH THEIR GOALS IN THEIR LIVES AND IN THE WORLD OF AVIATION.GRADUATION 2023-2024 SCHOOL YEAR:WE HAD 6 GRADUATING SENIORS, AND ONE SENIOR CONTINUED ON TO JOB CORP. ALL IN ALL, A VERY SUCCESSFUL YEAR ACADEMICALLY. WE CELEBRATED WITH A NICE GRADUATION WHICH INCLUDED A MARIACHI BAND, DIPLOMAS, AND FOOD FOR ALL.LAS VEGAS TRIP:WE TOOK 7 EXCEPTIONAL STUDENTS TO LAS VEGAS TO EXPOSE THEM TO THE WORLD OF FLIGHT AND ENGINEERING. WE TOURED HOOVER DAM, TOOK THEM TO 'THE EARTH' SPHERE SHOW AND THEN TOURED NELLIS AIRFORCE BASE. THE STUDENTS LEARNED A LOT AND REALLY TOOK ADVANTAGE OF ALL WE SHOWED TO THEM.SUMMER SCHOOL 2024:SUMMER SCHOOL IN 2024 HAD 10 STUDENTS ENROLLED. SUMMER SCHOOL KEEPS OUR STUDENTS ENGAGED OVER THE SUMMER AND OPENS THE SCHOOL TO POTENTIAL NEW STUDENTS. MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CREDIT-DEFICIT SENIORS TO PERFORM CREDIT RECOVERY IN ORDER TO GRADUATE IN THE SUMMER MONTHS. WE HAD 3 NEW STUDENTS ATTEND THE SCHOOL. THIS WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO INTRODUCE THE NEW AOPA CURRICULUM TO OUR STUDENTS. THE STUDENTS HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN KINETICALLY BY BUILDING A "HEAVY LIFT ROCKET" WITH BALLOONS; THEY CONSTRUCTED AND FLEW HOT AIR BALLOONS; AND THEY DESIGNED, BUILT AND TESTED AIRFOILS THAT WERE INSERTED INTO A FULLY FUNCTIONING WIND TUNNEL AND LOGGED THE RESULTS. THE NEW CURRICULUM GAVE A RECORD NUMBER OF SUMMER CREDITS EARNED RANGING FROM 4.1 TO 9.1, IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION, PHYSICAL SCIENCE AND ENGLISH. THE CREDITS WERE BASED ON ATTENDANCE AND THE NUMBER OF EXTRA PACKETS COMPLETED.OTHER ACTIVITIES INCLUDED A NEW WELLNESS PROGRAM WHERE WE INTRODUCED THE STUDENTS TO MORNING THOUGHTS ON STAYING HEALTHY AND A NEW BASKETBALL HOOP. THE STUDENTS EITHER TOOK A WALK AROUND THE CAMPUS WITH A TEACHER OR PLAYED BASKETBALL FOR AN HOUR EVERY DAY. WE HAD A DEDICATED TEACHER FROM MCOE, CANDACE KINN, WHO INTRODUCED SOME RIGOR AROUND DISCIPLINE AND CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT. BOTH THE STUDENTS AND THE SHA STAFF ENJOYED THE CONSISTENCY IN DISCIPLINE. DANIELLE AGUILAR AND ZOE FREILICH GAVE TWO STUDENTS A DAY THE OPPORTUNITY TO FLY OR USE THE SIM. THE MCOE INSTRUCTOR HELPED STUDENTS REVIEW WHAT THEY MISSED IN THE AOPA CURRICULUM. AFTER LUNCH, THE STUDENTS HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK ON CREDIT RECOVERY WITH OUR MCOE TEACHER OR GO KARTING WITH CHRISTIAN FORBES, OUR GROUND SCHOOL INSTRUCTOR.THE STUDENTS ENJOYED TWO ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE OF OUR REGULAR SCHOOLWORK- EMERGENCY RESPONSE TRAINING AND A FIELD TRIP TO JOBY. THEY WERE GIVEN INSTRUCTION ON EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROCEDURES BY DEMETRIUS KASTROS, A MEMBER OF THE FEMA COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM (CERT) PROGRAM. SOME OF THE SKILLS WE COVERED INCLUDE: SECURING UTILITIES USE OF A FIRE EXTINGUISHER ASSESSING YOUR HOME FOR SAFETY AFTER AN EARTHQUAKE SAFETY AROUND A DOWNED POWER LINE RESCUE TECHNIQUES MEDICAL SKILLS: BLEEDING CONTROL, TREATING BURNS, FLUSHING THE EYES, BASIC SPLINTING.THE TRIP TO JOBY WAS HOSTED BY OUR FRIEND AND SUPPORTER PETER CHURCH, ON HIS LAST DAY AT JOBY. THE STUDENTS GREATLY APPRECIATED THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE INNER WORKINGS OF AN INDUSTRY LEADING FACILITY IN ELECTRIC AERIAL RIDESHARING. THE PARTS OF THE TOUR THAT THEY FELT WERE MOST IMPRESSIVE WERE: THE LARGE TEXTILE ROBOTS THE AUTOCLAVE OVENS THE LASER FITTING GUIDES THE WELL-APPOINTED WORK ENVIRONMENTTHE STUDENTS WERE ALSO VERY INTERESTED IN EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE AT JOBY AVIATION. THEY TOOK THE TIME TO WRITE A COLLECTIVE THANK YOU LETTER AS WELL. ALL IN ALL, SUMMER SCHOOL WAS A COMPLETE SUCCESS!GO-KART PROGRAM:BHA STUDENTS CONTINUE TO BENEFIT FROM THIS MECHANICAL EDUCATION, SMALL ENGINE REPAIR, AND MACHINE OPERATIONS, AS WELL AS LEARNING CLOSURE RATE
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
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 September 7, 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 September 30, 2026.
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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since June 2014.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 2026.
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