Form 990 for tax year 2024

Totals

Total revenue

$5,380,680

Total expenses

$4,028,447

Contributions and grants received

$5,085,781

Grants paid

$441,109

Program service revenue

$153,775

Investment income

$0

Other revenue

$141,124

Total assets, end of year

$2,969,229

Total liabilities, end of year

$215,509

Net assets or fund balances, end of year

$2,753,720

Program services expenses (Part IX)

$3,257,630

Management and general expenses

$526,722

Fundraising expenses

$244,095

Program service expenses (Part III)

$3,257,630

Program services were 80.9% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Mission and programs · 2024

• AERIAL RECOVERY DEPLOYS HUMANITARIAN SPECIAL OPERATORS TO DISASTER-AFFECTED COMMUNITIES DOMESTICALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY, PROVIDING SEARCH AND RESCUE, MEDICAL ASSISTANCE, LOGISTICS COORDINATION, SUPPLY DISTRIBUTION, AND DIRECT SURVIVOR SUPPORT. OPERATORS INCLUDE VETERANS AND FIRST RESPONDERS DEVELOPED THROUGH AERIAL RECOVERY'S HEAL THE HEROES PROGRAM, AS WELL AS MISSION-QUALIFIED VOLUNTEERS AND CIVILIAN SPECIALISTS, ALL TRAINED, SCREENED, AND EQUIPPED TO FUNCTION IN AUSTERE, HIGH-RISK, AND RAPIDLY EVOLVING ENVIRONMENTS WHERE CONVENTIONAL AID ORGANIZATIONS HAVE DIFFICULTY EFFECTIVELY OPERATING.AERIAL RECOVERY DOES NOT OPERATE PRIMARILY AS A SUPPLY-DISTRIBUTION ORGANIZATION. ITS MODEL IS TO DEPLOY TRAINED HUMAN OPERATORS CAPABLE OF FUNCTIONING IN HIGH-RISK, RAPIDLY EVOLVING ENVIRONMENTS. THIS OPERATOR-FIRST APPROACH REQUIRES SUSTAINED INVESTMENT IN RECRUITMENT, TRAINING, AND READINESS THAT PRECEDES AND ENABLES EVERY FIELD RESPONSE.DISASTER RESPONSE DEPLOYMENTS ALSO FUNCTION AS ACTIVE RECRUITMENT ENVIRONMENTS WITHIN THE AERIAL RECOVERY IMPACT ENGINE. IN THE FIELD, TEAMS IDENTIFY VETERANS, FIRST RESPONDERS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITH THE CAPABILITY AND CALLING TO SERVE, INCLUDING THOSE WHO MAY BENEFIT FROM AERIAL RECOVERY'S HEAL THE HEROES REINTEGRATION PROGRAM. EVERY DEPLOYMENT BUILDS THE NEXT ONE.SINCE INCEPTION, AERIAL RECOVERY HAS AIDED OVER 8,000 PEOPLE ACROSS MISSIONS RESPONDING TO HURRICANES, TORNADOES, FLOODS, EARTHQUAKES, VOLCANIC EVENTS, AND MAN-MADE CRISES IN HAITI, HONDURAS, THE BAHAMAS, THE UNITED STATES, TAJIKISTAN, ST. VINCENT, THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS, UKRAINE, PAKISTAN, CUBA, AND ADDITIONAL COUNTRIES.

  Expenses $524,183 · Grants $20,000 · Revenue $42,400

• HEAL THE HEROES IS AERIAL RECOVERY'S FOUNDATIONAL PROGRAM AND THE ENGINE THAT POWERS EVERY MISSION. THE PROGRAM ADDRESSES A DOCUMENTED NATIONAL CRISIS: MORE THAN 6,200 U.S. VETERANS TAKE THEIR OWN LIVES EACH YEAR (ONE EVERY 84 MINUTES). THE PRIMARY DRIVERS INCLUDE THE LOSS OF MISSION, COMMUNITY, AND PURPOSE THAT FOLLOWS SEPARATION FROM SERVICE. HEAL THE HEROES CONFRONTS THESE DRIVERS DIRECTLY BY REPLACING THEM WITH SOMETHING REAL: A NEW MISSION, A NEW TEAM, AND A NEW CALLING.THE HEAL THE HEROES PROGRAM IS AVAILABLE TO VETERANS AND FIRST RESPONDERS, WHETHER ALREADY SERVING ON AERIAL RECOVERY'S TEAMS OR NEWLY IDENTIFIED THROUGH FIELD RECRUITMENT, COMMUNITY OUTREACH, OR PARTNER REFERRALS. PARTICIPATION IS NOT A PREREQUISITE FOR JOINING AERIAL RECOVERY'S TEAMS; IT IS A RESOURCE ACTIVELY MADE AVAILABLE TO ELIGIBLE TEAM MEMBERS, AND A PIPELINE THROUGH WHICH MANY OPERATORS ARE DEVELOPED. AERIAL RECOVERY ALSO PROVIDES MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT, RESILIENCE RESOURCES, AND PEER CARE TO TEAM MEMBERS WHO DO NOT MEET THE VETERAN OR FIRST RESPONDER CRITERIA BUT WHO SERVE IN DEMANDING OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS.THE PROGRAM OPERATES THROUGH AERIAL RECOVERY'S FIVE-PHASE IMPACT ENGINE:RECRUIT: VETERANS AND FIRST RESPONDERS SEEKING RENEWED PURPOSE ARE IDENTIFIED AND INVITED THROUGH FIELD OPERATIONS, PARTNER REFERRALS, AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH.RETRAIN: PARTICIPANTS UNDERGO STRUCTURED, TRAUMA-INFORMED PROGRAMMING THAT REBUILDS DISCIPLINE, TRUSTED COMMUNITY, AND MISSION-READINESS. NON-VETERAN TEAM MEMBERS RECEIVE PARALLEL PREPARATION APPROPRIATE TO THEIR ROLE.REPURPOSE: SKILLS FROM MILITARY, EMERGENCY SERVICE, OR CIVILIAN BACKGROUNDS ARE REDIRECTED INTO HUMANITARIAN OPERATIONS, INCLUDING SPECIALIZED TRACKS SUCH AS ANIMAL RESCUE AND EQUINE THERAPY AT REDEMPTION RANCH.RESCUE: PARTICIPANTS AND TRAINED OPERATORS DEPLOY GLOBALLY TO CONDUCT DISASTER RELIEF, ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING OPERATIONS, AND ANIMAL RESCUE MISSIONS.RECOVER: OPERATORS RECEIVE TRAUMA-INFORMED RESILIENCE AND RECOVERY CARE POST-DEPLOYMENT. SURVIVORS RECEIVE SUPPORT, COMMUNITIES REBUILD, AND NEW CANDIDATES ARE IDENTIFIED TO RESTART THE CYCLE.INVESTMENT IN OPERATOR RECRUITMENT, TRAINING, RESTORATION, AND READINESS IS DIRECT PROGRAM EXPENDITURE, NOT ADMINISTRATIVE OVERHEAD. THE OPERATORS WHO DELIVER EVERY MISSION ARE HEAL THE HEROES PARTICIPANTS AND MISSION-QUALIFIED CIVILIANS BUILT WITH THIS SAME INTEGRATED SYSTEM IN MIND. THERE IS NO PROGRAM DELIVERY WITHOUT THE PEOPLE THIS PROGRAM BUILDS.

  Expenses $919,887

• AERIAL RECOVERY'S ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING INITIATIVE DEPLOYS HUMANITARIAN SPECIAL OPERATORS AND TRAINING VOLUNTEERS IN COORDINATION WITH DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, INTELLIGENCE PARTNERS, AND VETTED NGOS TO COMBAT TRAFFICKING NETWORKS, SUPPORT VICTIM IDENTIFICATION, ASSIST IN RESCUE OPERATIONS, AND PROVIDE OR FUND SURVIVOR AFTERCARE SERVICES. WITH AN ESTIMATED 49.6 MILLION PEOPLE LIVING IN MODERN SLAVERY GLOBALLY, INCLUDING 12.4 MILLION CHILDREN, AND AERIAL RECOVERY DEPLOYS PRIMARILY OPERATORS WITH MILITARY, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND SPECIALIZED CIVILIAN BACKGROUNDS BECAUSE THE ENVIRONMENTS WHERE TRAFFICKING OCCURS REQUIRE THAT LEVEL OF CAPABILITY AND DISCRETION.OPERATIONAL TEAMS INCLUDE VETERANS AND FIRST RESPONDERS DEVELOPED THROUGH HEAL THE HEROES, AS WELL AS CIVILIAN SPECIALISTS, ANALYSTS, AND SUPPORT PERSONNEL WITH RELEVANT EXPERTISE OR CAPABILITY. ALL TEAM MEMBERS ARE SCREENED, TRAINED, AND OPERATE UNDER ESTABLISHED PROTOCOLS DESIGNED TO PROTECT VICTIM SAFETY, DIGNITY, AND IDENTITY.IN SOME CASES, AERIAL RECOVERY'S ANTI-TRAFFICKING WORK INCLUDES FUNDING OR COORDINATING WITH ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE SPECIALIZED REHABILITATION, LEGAL SUPPORT, FAMILY REUNIFICATION, AND CARE FACILITATION FOR RESCUED OR AT-RISK INDIVIDUALS, INCLUDING VULNERABLE CHILDREN. ALL ACTIVITIES ARE CONDUCTED UNDER STRICT PROTOCOLS TO PROTECT VICTIM IDENTITY AND SAFETY IN ALL PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS AND DISCLOSURES.

  Expenses $1,441,506 · Grants $421,109 · Revenue $74,000

• AERIAL RECOVERY'S ANIMAL RESCUE INITIATIVE, PRIMARILY OPERATED THROUGH ITS REDEMPTION RANCH PROGRAM, RESCUES AND REHABILITATES ANIMALS DISPLACED, INJURED, OR ENDANGERED BY DISASTER, NEGLECT, AND HUMAN CRUELTY. ANIMAL RESCUE OPERATIONS ARE FREQUENTLY CONDUCTED IN DIRECT CONNECTION WITH DISASTER RESPONSE DEPLOYMENTS, AS NATURAL DISASTERS DISPROPORTIONATELY HARM ANIMALS ALONGSIDE HUMAN SURVIVORS.REHABILITATED ANIMALS ARE INTEGRATED INTO THERAPEUTIC PROGRAMMING SERVING VETERANS WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS, CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, SURVIVORS OF ABUSE AND OTHERS. REDEMPTION RANCH ALSO PROVIDES ANIMAL-ASSISTED SUPPORT AND EQUINE THERAPY ACCESS TO TEAM MEMBERS WHO DO NOT QUALIFY FOR HEAL THE HEROES, EXTENDING AERIAL RECOVERY'S COMMITMENT TO WELLBEING ACROSS ITS FULL TEAM.

  Expenses $372,054 · Revenue $37,375

As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those.

Grants on this return

• NIGHTLIGHT CHRISTIAN ADOPTIONS

  $406,109

  FOSTER AND ADOPTION PROGRAMS FOR ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING SAFEGUARDING

Provenance

Return type

form_990

Tax year

2024

Filed

27 May 2026

IRS schema version

2024v5.5

Source object

202611479349300136

Check it against the return as filed: the GivingTuesday Data Lake hosts a public copy of the original XML.

The source document this was parsed from is served over the API, which is where bulk and document access live.