Outward Bound Adventures

Overview

Mission

To change the lives of diverse youth and change the face of the conservation field by training BIPOC people in environmental careers.

What it reported doing in 2024

Obas core programs are centered on a wide range of in-school and after-school programs, one-day, weekend, and extended expeditions to natural areas, and work career opportunities for youth and young adults. Our programs are deigned to connect not only urban youth to open spaces and employment opportunities that go beyond their normal consideration. In its core programs, oba also offers the diverse outdoor leadership institute (doli) which is a training programs designed to develop and train a cadre of elite wilderness leaders of color that will expose urban youth to our national parks, forests, and other wilderness areas.

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.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
952561330
IRS 990 coverage
2017–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Headquarters
Pasadena, CA, US
Phone
+1626.564.0844
Rating
63
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Environmental Education and Outdoor Survival Programs

Official website

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 56
  • Transparency & Controls: 60
  • Accountability: 74
  • Sustainability: 59
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 58.9%; rating input score 59
  • Program expense ratio: 69.3%; rating input score 69
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Fail
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 15.1%; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.11; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 10%; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 18.3% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 23.5% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 29% per year; rating input score 100; 92nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 8 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 8 operating locations identified
  • Where the money goes: 58.9% of revenue deployed · 69.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 7 board members independent · 3 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $1.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $172K · 7 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 27 of 29 current checks pass · 2 findings to review
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 5 annual filings from 2017 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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

7 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • Charles Thomas (Executive Dir.): $171,935 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.