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US nonprofit · EIN 463550618 · Aurora, COiSource and licenceOrganisation record IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File (EIN 463550618) - NTEE activity code, address.Board and officers IRS Form 990 annual filings, Part VII (directors, trustees, officers, key employees), read year by year to observe time served.Latest return IRS Form 990 series e-file data - 990 for the year to 31 December 2024: assets, liabilities, staff, website, telephone, pay.Finances by year IRS Form 990 e-file data - total revenue and total expenses by tax year.Renewal outlook Computed by Governance Register from the observed filing history and filed revenue. Not a statement that the organisation is recruiting.Principal officer IRS Form 990-N (e-Postcard) - principal officer named for tax year 2016.Deductibility IRS Publication 78 data (code PC), downloaded 18 October 2026.State registers Colorado Secretary of State (17 October 2026).Licence US Federal Government public domain.How we handle data

Higher Orbits Foundation

Donations deductible
Revenue
$1.2m
year to 31 December 2024
Expenses
$1.1m
year to 31 December 2024
Total assets
$796k
$21k liabilities
Net assets
$775k
assets less liabilities
Directors and trustees
12
3.5 years on average
Staff
0
employees, year to 31 December 2024
Left since last filing
0
no seats appear to have opened
Officers and senior staff
1
named in Part VII
How am I connected?

Higher Orbits Foundation's network

12 people3 organisationsi12 people and 3 organisations on this map.The large node is the subject of this page. Solid lines are what the register itself records (12). Violet dotted lines (3) are likely: the same full name sits on the current board of another organisation in the same register and region. Form 990 filings give names without a person identifier; SEC insider filings carry a CIK. It may be a different person.

The board

12 listediTime on the board is observed from the annual filings: the IRS files no appointment date, so the bar counts years from the first filing the person appears on - a lower bound, not a filed start date. Names are exactly as filed. The IRS publishes no person identifier, so this edition does not yet link a person across organisations in the tables. The network map shows same-name matches as likely links only, never as confirmed.Time served and departures are observed across annual filings. Observed time served is a lower bound - a member may have joined before the first year on record. The organisation reported 13 voting members of its governing body on its latest Form 990 Part VI, which matches the board listed here.
NameRole as filedSinceOn the board
Austin BraunBoard Member2023
3 yrs
Jason ArtnerBoard Member2023
3 yrs
Jason HopkinsBoard Member2024
2 yrs
Jennifer GinsburgBoard Member2024
2 yrs
Kim DespainBoard Member2023
3 yrs
Marissa GonzalezBoard Member2023
3 yrs
Natalie ChristianBoard Member2020
6 yrs
Nicole StottBoard Member2023
3 yrs
Phil SmithBoard Member2023
3 yrs
Richard PrussBoard Member2023
3 yrs
Sean WilsonBoard Member2023
3 yrs
Victoria MechtlyBoard Member2023
3 yrs
Under 5 years5 to 6 years6 years or moreShow all 12 →

Officers and senior leadership

1 listediNamed in Part VII as officers, key employees or highest-compensated staff - not board members, shown for completeness.
NameTitle as filedOn the filings
Michelle LucasPresidentsince 2023

Pay and hours

year to 31 December 2024iFrom Part VII of the Form 990: compensation reported for each officer, director, trustee, key employee and highest-paid staff member, and the average hours a week they report. Most board members are unpaid; a blank means nothing was reported. Pay from related organisations is shown separately.
NameTitle as filedHours a weekPay from the organisationRelated organisationsOther
Austin BraunBoard Member1$0
Jason ArtnerBoard Member1$0
Jennifer GinsburgBoard Member1$0
Kim DespainBoard Member1$0
Marissa GonzalezBoard Member1$0
Natalie ChristianBoard Member1$0
Nicole StottBoard Member1$0
Phil SmithBoard Member1$0
Richard PrussBoard Member1$0
Sean WilsonBoard Member1$0
Victoria MechtlyBoard Member1$0
Jason HopkinsBoard Member1$0
Michelle LucasPresident60$0

No pay was reported for anyone in Part VII on this return.

Colorado roster

14 listediOfficers, directors and trustees from the latest filing with the Colorado Secretary of State (document 20253037050). Titles are as filed; some entries are registered agents or custodians of records rather than board members. Source: data.colorado.gov, public domain.
NameTitle as filed
Jason ArtnerMember
Phil SmithMember
Nate ZeienMember
Richard PrussMember
Marissa GonzalezMember
Kim DespainMember
Sean WilsonMember
Chirag GoelMember
Jason HopkinsMember
Natalie ChristianSecretary
Michelle LucasChairperson
Jennifer GinsburgMember
Michelle Lucas
Nicole StottMember

About

Legal name
Higher Orbits Foundation
EIN
463550618
Address
5892 Perth St, Aurora, CO, 80019-2229
State
Colorado
Mission
Higher orbits is a non-profit with the mission to inspire and engage high-school students through the use of spaceflight, in hands-on, project based learning experiences that are designed to promote science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (steam) and prepare them for future academic and career success by building confidence, perseverance, teamwork, leadership, critical thinking... (as filed on the Form 990)
Activity (NTEE)
U20 Science and technology research
IRS classification
501(c)03 (tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) where shown)
Classified purpose
Science & Technology
Size band
5 (IRS master file code)
Formed
2013
Principal officer
Michelle Lucas (as named on the Form 990)
IRS ruling date
1 August 2015
Status
Code 01 (unconditional exemption)
Form 990 filings on record
3, latest 2024
IRS Publication 78
PC (contributions deductible)

Most connected

Longest observed on the filings

≥6years on the filingsNatalie Christian
≥3years on the filingsAustin Braun
≥3years on the filingsJason Artner
≥3years on the filingsKim Despain

Latest return

year to 31 December 2024iFigures from the newest Form 990 or 990-EZ in the IRS e-file releases of 2025 and 2026, for the year ending 31 December 2024. US dollars, as filed.
Total assets
$796k
Total liabilities
$21k
Net assets or fund balances
$775k
Contributions and grants received
$143k
Program service revenue
$984k
Employees
0

Filed finances

1 yeariTotals as filed on the IRS Form 990 (revenue and expenses), by tax year.
Tax yearTotal revenueTotal expensesSurplus or deficit
2024$1.2m$1.1m$84k

As filed on the IRS Form 990. US dollars.

State registration

1 entityiBusiness-entity registers published by US states. These records are matched to this organisation by name and state, not by EIN, and are labelled as likely matches. Street addresses are not shown.
Higher Orbits Foundation likely matchiMatched by exact name and state (and ZIP where shown). State registers do not publish EINs, so this is not a confirmed match. Source: Colorado Secretary of State (CDOS), business entities (data.colorado.gov 4ykn-tg5h). Licence: public domain. Data last fetched 18 October 2026.
State
Colorado
Entity type
nonprofit corporation
Status
Good Standing
Formed
27 February 2023
Registered agent
Michelle Lynn Lucas (city and state not held)

This register does not publish officers or directors.