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Gaston Innovation Group Inc

EIN 81-3076695 · Belmont, NC

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak30 out of 100GovernanceStrong91 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

Points to look into

  • It owes more than it owns.
  • Only 45% of its spending went to programs.

These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.

What it says it does

Gaston Innnovation Group, Inc., dba TechWorks Gaston, was formed for the purpose of improving the socio-economic conditions for citizens of Gaston County, North Carolina, by stimulating job growth through digital inclusion, small business formation and entrepreneurship, and advancement of technology. The programs and services the organization will be developing and delivering are badly needed in Gaston County due to the challenging economic conditions in the County. Gaston County had the highest unemployment rate (by at least .5%) of all the NC counties contiguous to and including Mecklenburg County and the highest poverty rate among NC counties in that same region. TechWorks Gaston addresses upward mobility for the low to moderate income population by expanding access to high speed internet, as well as specially-designed coding and other technology classes, a digital roadmap with digital literacy tools and training, and partnerships with local colleges and K-12 schools, and other orga

Income
$559,860
Spending
$461,981
Spent on programs
45%
Reserves
-2.3 months of spending
Largest source of income
government grants, 54%
Employees
1
Volunteers
37
Highest pay
$110,000, executive dir.

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

Weak: 30 out of 100. Higher than 5% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    0 of 35

    Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.

  • Debt

    0 of 20

    It owes 116% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 17% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 40% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    0 of 15

    45% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 15 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

Strong: 91 out of 100. Higher than 75% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    6 of 6 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

    6 of 15

    Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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 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 (3)
  1. $175,692 spent. K-12 STEM ClassesRowing & Robotics Summer Camp, June- July 2024Summer Coding Camp July 2024 for elementary, middle and high school youthRobotics Classes and First Lego League Competition Classes, Jan through Dec 2024Sunday Coding Club classes, Jan through Dec 2024, elementary, middle, and high school youth classesPaul D West Robotics Team Training, Jan thru Dec 2024Belmont Recreation Center Robotics, June-July 2024Highland School of Technology, Juniors Tech Day, Feb 26, 2024NC Digital Equity Grant funded $4,900 for K-12 STEM Programs in Q4 2024 Charlotte SIM Grant funded $3,500 for K-12 STEM Courses
  2. $31,733 spent. Pearson Vue Certification Testing Center and College Board Exam AdministrationTechWorks is open to the public for certification testing 5 days/week all year long. It's the only public certification testing center in Gaston County. We have paid proctors who manage the testing center. 1,622 testers used the center in 2024.We became a College Board Exam Center starting Nov 2024. SAT Exams were administered on Nov 2 & Dec 7, 2024, for a total of 80 students.NC Digital Equity Grant funded $3,043 for Pearson Vue Testing Proctors and SAT Exam operations.
  3. $130 spent. Various Adult Enterpreneurial and Tech Daily CoursesMonthly Lunch & Learns for Entrepreneurs Cybersecurity for Small BusinessDeal Desk Sessions with seasoned entrepreneurs/investors Chat GPT Seminar Oct 13 and Dec 1, 2024NC Digital Equity Grant funded $600 for Chat GPT Seminars

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

  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 October 13, 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 December 2024.

    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 March 2019.

    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 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.