A Carousel for Missoula Foundation Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
810475393
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-T 2025
Location
Missoula, MT, USA
Phone
4065498382
Rating
78
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Physical Fitness and Community Recreational Facilities

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$252,464
Expenses
$316,979
Assets
$2,192,695
Liabilities
$8,021

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

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • PAUL TIEDE (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • TRACY URSERY (EXECUTIVE DI): $58,568 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

A carousel for missoula foundation is dedicated to continuing the spirit of generosity and community teamwork which created the carousel and dragon hollow play area. We are committed to providing a lively atmosphere in which people can relax, celebrate, have fun and share the experience of belonging and simple old-fashioned fun our goals are: to contribute to the community to ensure the safety of all visitors and staff to maintain and preserve the carousel and dragon hollow play area physically and fiscally to maintain a facility in which everyone can take pride

What it reported doing in 2025

The organization operates a hand-carved wooden horse carousel and play area for the use and enjoyment of the residents and visitors of missoula, mt. In 2005, the agency donated the ownership of the play area to the city of missoula to ensure the long-term public purpose of the area. The carousel has provided an average of nearly 150,000 rides annually. In addition to rides, the carousel also provides event parties, a gift shop, and concession stand.at least 5,000 free rides are offered to the disadvantaged, to riders with disabilities, and to childrens groups. The carouselalso is responsible for the caretaking and oversight of the dragon hollow play area which was created by nearly 4,000 volunteers. During 2019 the dragon hollow play area was substantially rennovated expending over 340,000 which was supported by community donations and was donated to the city for its longterm preservation.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 76% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program 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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 76
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 84
  • Sustainability: 37
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 91%; rating input score 91
  • Program expense ratio: 74%; rating input score 74
  • Fundraising efficiency: $1.58 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 8; 8th 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 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
    • 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: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -25.6%; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 6.92; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 18.5%; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -3.6% per year; rating input score 0; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -3.1% per year; rating input score 0; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 19.3% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 91% of revenue deployed · 74% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $235K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $59K · 10 people listed
  • Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 11 filing years from 2015 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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 — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 8/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 9/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 20/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 46/100.