Brooke Owens Fellowship
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Created to honor the legacy of a beloved space industry pioneer and accomplishedpilot, Dawn Brooke Owens (1980 2016), the Brooke Owens Fellowship is designed toserve both as an inspiration and as a career boost to capable young women and othergender minorities who, like Brooke, aspire to explore our sky and stars, to shake upthe aerospace industry, and to help their fellow people here on planet Earth. We dothis by matching up to forty students per year with purpose-driven, paid internshipsat leading aerospace companies and organizations and with senior and executive levelmentors.
- Income
- $339,531
- Spending
- $674,729
- Spent on programs
- 100%
- Reserves
- 11.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 90%
- Employees
- 1
- Volunteers
- 50
- Highest pay
- $74,687, administrator
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 63 out of 100. Higher than 33% of charities in its peer group (human services, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 11.8 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 99% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 48% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 15100% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Fair: 69 out of 100. Higher than 46% of charities in its peer group (human services, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
18 of 254 of 4 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no 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
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
6 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, 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)
- $674,729 spent. Our organizations accomplishments for 2025 include:a.The Brooke Owens Fellowship provides around 45 women and gender minority undergraduate students with summer internships at leading aerospace organizations along with Executive Mentorship from leaders in the aerospace industry.b.In 2025, the Brooke Owens Fellowship welcomed its ninth class of Fellows, matching 44 students to internships at SpaceX, Blue Origin, NASA, and others.c.The Brooke Owens Fellowship founded a spinoff program, the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship in 2020, which provides around 40 African-American and Black American undergraduate students with their first aerospace industry experience and matches them with Executive Mentors in the Aerospace industry.d.In 2024, the spinoff program Patti Grace Smith Fellowship became incorporated under its own 501(c)(3) and no longer operates under the Brooke Owens Fellowship.e.Over 100 students from the Brooke Owens Fellowship participated in a 5-day Summit, where they participated in leadership-building activities like delivering a team Challenge project, received Executive mentoring, and heard from aerospace panels of experts.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, 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 2025.
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 October 2017.
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.
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.