Monterey Bay Dart
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It owes more than it owns.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
Drone, Aviation, and Robotics Technology (DART) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) to support quality job growth and community vitality. DART's mission is to help catalyze the emerging Low Altitude Economy-the rapidly growing sector of drones and new classes of aircraft operating below 5,000 feet such as electric vertical tack-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft-so that individuals and communities can benefit both from the services these technologies provide and from the meaningful career pathways they create.
- Income
- $38,421
- Spending
- $53,123
- Reserves
- -0.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 87%
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 0 out of 100. Higher than 0% of charities in its peer group (science, under $250k).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
0 of 20It owes 180% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 38% of income.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
This organization files the short tax form, which does not ask about boards, policies or audits. That is normal for a small charity and is not a mark against it.
Source: Form 990EZ 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 (5)
- $20,043 spent. DART hosted the Annual Drone Pavilion at FIRA USA in partnership with The Reservoir, showcasing agricultural robotics, drone platforms, and emerging applications in precision agriculture. FIRA USA is the leading U.S. gathering for advancing robotics, automation, and drone technologies in agriculture, bringing together farmers, AgTech companies, researchers, and policymakers to address labor shortages, sustainability, and efficiency. The Pavilion featured live demonstrations of tools ranging from crop monitoring to autonomous data collection, connecting exhibiting companies with customers, investors, and research partners and supporting DART's mission to expand job creation and workforce development in AgTech.
- $3,890 spent. The 4th Annual DART Symposium brought together leaders from workforce agencies, educational institutions, AAM/UAS companies, and government organizations for a multi-day convening on workforce training, infrastructure planning, and the economic development potential of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) technologies. Highlights included an Advanced Air Mobility Short Course for public officials, tours of Joby Aviation's manufacturing facilities, panels on airspace integration and vertiport/test-site needs, and sessions on workforce and partnership development, all in support of DART's mission of community impact. The event also reinforced DART's role in ensuring that the growth of the Low Altitude Economy translates into tangible opportunities for Monterey County communities and beyond.
- The James Irvine Foundation's first grant to DART, administered by CSUMB, funded staff, operations, and project contracts totaling $1.5 million to support workforce development, strategic partnerships, and regional resilience, including the launch of the Advanced Manufacturing Apprenticeship Program (AMAP) with Joby Aviation (20 initial hires, plus 40 additional positions independently funded by Joby), completion of the Regional Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Training Center Feasibility Study, and strengthened partnerships with CBOs, educators, and policymakers across Salinas and Pajaro Valley. A second Irvine grant (2023-2025) continues this work with a $1.95 million investment expanding aerospace and agricultural technology career pathways for disinvested communities. All program activities below were carried out under this James Irvine Foundation grant, administered through CSUMB. See Schedule O Statements 4 and 5.
- DART's regional leadership grew in 2024: DART, the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership, and UC Santa Cruz co-founded the Monterey Bay Tech Hub; DART expanded engagement with the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) and contributed to California's response to the FAA's Center for Advanced Aviation Technology RFI; and DART completed three foundational workforce studies: the Regional Workforce Training Center Feasibility Study, the Monterey Bay Emerging Technology Workforce Skills Demand Study, and the SOAR Advanced Air Mobility Readiness Assessment. DART also published the AMAP Case Study with Joby Aviation and Talent Rewire to support scalable apprenticeship models, and saw policy momentum follow in the form of SB 800 (tax incentives for electric aviation manufacturing) and a $9.8 million CalCompetes Award enabling Joby to expand its Marina Airport facility into a 250,000-square-foot site projected to create 690 statewide jobs, including over 400 in Marina. DART's Executive Director was appointed to a two-year term on the Monterey County Workforce Development Board.
- DART engaged the community throughout the year by hosting major convenings (per Statement 1 and 2), participating in industry events and workforce convenings, while also expanding its staff and Board of Directors and launching an Advisory Council. The organization pursued additional funding, including a TAMC-partnered U.S. DOT SMART Grant, an invited Disaster Response and Resilience Grant, and the Advancing Central Coast AAM Economy proposal to the CA Jobs First-Uplift Central Coast Catalyst program, and completed its Three-Year Strategic Business & Action Plan. By the end of 2024, DART advanced its mission to help communities benefit from drone and advanced aviation technologies, both through enhanced services and pathways to quality, living-wage jobs.
Source: Form 990EZ 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 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 November 6, 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 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 March 2019.
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 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.