Ace Makerspace

Legal name: Ace Monster Toys Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
273573767
IRS 990 coverage
2019–2025
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2018, Form 990-N 2012
Location
Oakland, CA, USA
Phone
5105453245
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Vocational Rehabilitation

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$306,258
Expenses
$194,475
Assets
$231,981
Liabilities
$416,712

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

7 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • SYLVIA GONZALEZ (CHAIR & CEO, DIRECTOR)

People named in this filing

  • SYLVIA GONZALEZ (CHAIR & CEO, DIRECTOR)
  • STEVEN SHEFFIELD (TREASURER (THROUGH 9/30/2025), DIRECTOR)
  • DAVID R PERRY (TREASURER (AS OF 9/30/2025), DIRECTOR)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Making is for everyone

What it reported doing in 2025

Ace Monster Toys, doing business as Ace Makerspace, operates 4,000 square feet of shared workspace equipped with tools, technology, equipment, and other resources that enable people to create, learn, develop skills, and pursue independent projects. Members have 24/7 access to the makerspace, with space and tools for electronics, arts, 3D printing, laser cutting, metalworking, crafts, textiles, woodworking, CNC, large-format printing, and opportunities to connect with other makers. During the fiscal year, 180 unique individuals held memberships, with membership durations ranging from one month to a full year. Ace provided $7,940 in membership discounts, enabling 14 makers to access the makerspace at a reduced membership cost. Ace also welcomed visitors through free guest accounts, with 703 first-time visitors creating guest accounts during the year. Guest accounts provide limited access to the makerspace for people visiting with members or participating in workshops and free events. In addition to its educational program, Ace Makerspace also provided facility space for 32 workshops and classes hosted by external organizations. Ace fulfilled its Shuumi Land Tax commitment by providing Sogorea Te' Land Trust with complimentary membership and makerspace access. At least 2,500 volunteer hours, supplemented by contracted support services, supported sustainable makerspace operations and continued access to Ace Makerspace and its resources for members and the broader community.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 82% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of total spending goes to programs. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 68
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 88
  • Sustainability: 61
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 53.4%; rating input score 53
  • Program expense ratio: 83.7%; rating input score 84
  • Fundraising efficiency: $264.38 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 36.5%; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.19; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 1.8; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 5.3% per year; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 9.3% per year; rating input score 100; 67th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3.6% per year; rating input score 100; 37th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 3 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 53.4% of revenue deployed · 83.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $163K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 7 people listed
  • Consistency: 25 of 25 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2019 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 filed money-flow records
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 53/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 46/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 2/100.