Colorado Canyons Association

Overview

Mission

Colorado canyons association fosters community stewardship of our national conservation lands with a focus on dominguez-escalante, gunnison gorge and mcinnis canyons national conservation areas in western Colorado. We are a non-partisan, nonprofit organization encouraging cooperation among all nca users and interests.

What it reported doing in 2025

Colorado canyons association (cca) connects with over 3,000 community members annually to Colorado's national conservation areas (ncas) through education, stewardship, and outreach programs. With the associated expenses, cca leads dozens of land and river-based educational field trips with local school districts and partner organizations; conducts habitat restoration, trash cleanup, and additional stewardship activities; and promotes responsible recreation ethics to all user groups of the ncas.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
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.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
202409837
IRS 990 coverage
2016–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2015
Headquarters
Grand Junction, CO, USA
Phone
9702637902
Rating
78
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Support N.E.C.

Official website

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 61
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 34
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 63.7%; rating input score 64
  • Program expense ratio: 66.6%; rating input score 67
  • Fundraising efficiency: $7.67 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 5.5%; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.4; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.2; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 12.1%; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 7.7% per year; rating input score 100; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 11.3% per year; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 12.7% per year; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 63.7% of revenue deployed · 66.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 8 of 8 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $371K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $67K · 9 people listed
  • Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 10 annual filings from 2016 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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.

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • NICK ZIELINSKI (PAST EXEC.): $67,257 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2025.