Kevala Retreat

Overview

Mission

Center for Buddhist religious education & practice, to provide access to the early Pali teachings, in the style of Ajahn Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, and providing a rural retreat environment for experienced meditators.

What it reported doing in 2025

Contributions to charitable organizations including religious nonprofit organizations, local community needs, as part of the required practice of generosity, in the Buddhist tradition.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 97% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 95% 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.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
431920530
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Woodville, WI, USA
Phone
6083772784
Rating
73
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Buddhism
Affiliation
Buddhism

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$178,464
Expenses
$189,278
Assets
$660,054
Liabilities
$11

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

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 68
  • Transparency & Controls: 86
  • Accountability: 72
  • Sustainability: 38
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 78.2%; rating input score 78
  • Program expense ratio: 73.4%; rating input score 73
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 20th 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: 66.7%; rating input score 67; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -6.1%; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.49; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 66.6%; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 13.7% per year; rating input score 100; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3.5% per year; rating input score 100; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -0.1% per year; rating input score 0; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 78.2% of revenue deployed · 73.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 4 of 6 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $139K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $90K · 6 people listed
  • Consistency: 41 of 41 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 6 annual filings from 2020 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 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.

  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 23/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 1/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 52/100.

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • Robert Larson (President & Teacher): $90,000 total reported compensation
  • Jo Marie Thompson (Secretary/Treasurer & Director): $36,000 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025.