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Aurelia Institute Inc

EIN 87-2812643 · Cambridge, MA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood83 out of 100GovernanceGood85 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

AURELIA INSTITUTE, INC. WAS DESIGNED TO DEVELOP THE TECHNOLOGIES, COMMUNITIES AND POLICIES THAT WILL HELP SCALE HUMANITY'S HORIZON FROM EARLY SPACE STATIONS IN LOW EARTH ORBIT TO THE FULLNESS OF AN INTERPLANETARY CIVILIZATION.

Income
$2.3 million
Spending
$2.3 million
Spent on programs
61%
Reserves
7.5 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 62%
Employees
11
Volunteers
12
Highest pay
$153,239, vp of engineering

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

Financial health

Good: 83 out of 100. Higher than 62% of charities in its peer group (science, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 7.5 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 5% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    12 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 0% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 225% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    8 of 15

    61% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 12 cents.

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

Governance

Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 43% of charities in its peer group (science, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    4 of 5 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    0 of 8

    Reports no written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    0 of 7

    Reports no 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 June 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 (3)
  1. $900,629 spent. SPACE ARCHITECTURE R&D: THE ORGANIZATION IS AN ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR FOUNDATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR A SPACE SOCIETY. THE ORGANIZATION'S EXPERTS ARE CONCERNED WITH THE STRUCTURES, MATERIALS, TECHNOLOGIES, AND IN-SPACE MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES THAT WILL MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO BUILD LARGER-SCALE HABITATS AND INCREASE THE NUMBER AND DIVERSITY OF PEOPLE WHO CAN PARTICIPATE IN LIFE IN ORBIT. AS THE ORGANIZATION'S PORTFOLIO GROWS AND CAN LEVERAGE THE "ROAD TO SPACE" OF AN EMERGING SPACE ECONOMY, THE ORGANIZATION WILL ALSO EXPLORE SURFACE HABITATS ON CELESTIAL BODIES IN THE NEAR NEIGHBORHOOD OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM. THE ORGANIZATION IS A FAST-MOVING FABRICATION AND DEPLOYMENT TEAM, WITH REGULAR SPACEFLIGHT LAUNCHES TO TEST AND ITERATE ON OUR ENGINEERING CONCEPTS. THE ORGANIZATION IS ALSO A GENERATOR OF TRANSLATIONAL INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT, WITH A HIGHLY COLLABORATIVE MODEL FOR SPINNING OUT NEW TECHNOLOGIES THAT MAY CONTRIBUTE TO LIFE IN SPACE.
  2. $476,029 spent. EDUCATION & OUTREACH: THE ORGANIZATION WANTS TO MAKE SPACE REAL AND ACCESSIBLE TO ALL PEOPLE. PEOPLE OF ALL AGES, BACKGROUNDS, AND SKILL SETS SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT SPACE IS ABOUT, WHAT'S AVAILABLE TO THEM, HOW TO GET TO SPACE, AND HOW THEY MIGHT LIVE, PLAY, AND WORK EFFECTIVELY IN DIFFERENT SPACE ENVIRONMENTS. TO THAT END, THE ORGANIZATION CREATES AND COLLABORATES ON OUTREACH PROGRAMS TO ENGAGE BROAD AUDIENCES IN DIRECT SPACEFLIGHT OPPORTUNITIES, EDUCATIONAL COURSES TO BROADEN ACCESS TO INSIDER KNOWLEDGE AND TRAIN THE NEXT GENERATION, AND COMMUNITY BUILDING TO GROW A GLOBAL, PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP NETWORK. THE ORGANIZATION OFFERS A BEST-IN-CLASS FLIGHT MISSION ACADEMY TO OPEN, DIVERSIFY, AND EMPOWER ACCESS TO SPACE EXPLORATION.
  3. $16,211 spent. POLICY: THE ORGANIZATION'S POLICY ARM CONSIDERS THE REAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL CHALLENGES OF CREATING AN INCLUSIVE, EQUITABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE FOUNDATION FOR A SOCIETY IN SPACE-FROM NEGOTIATING RESOURCE SHARING IN THE "SPACE COMMONS," TO KEY GOVERNANCE QUESTIONS FOR FUTURE HUMAN SETTLEMENTS, TO THE ETHICS OF NOVEL TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT UPON WHICH HUMAN LIFE IN EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS WILL DEPEND.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since June 2022.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 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.