Big Waves Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
611913895
IRS 990 coverage
2019–2025
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Broomfield, CO, US
Phone
7203930499
Rating
74
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Swimming & Other Water Recreation

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$111,010
Expenses
$79,570
Assets
$622,683
Liabilities
$1,807

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

Leadership & pay

7 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • VAUGHN BIGELOW (PRESIDENT/TR)

People named in this filing

  • VAUGHN BIGELOW (PRESIDENT/TR)
  • JOSEPH PEROTTO (VICE PRESIDE)
  • ASHLEY WILKINSON (SECRETARY)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

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

Overview

Mission

Big Waves is a non-profit organization with a two-part mission: 1) Gun Safety: reduce injuries and deaths caused by gun accidents and violence by providing education, programming, and safe gun storage, and advocating for common-ground measures. 2) Create a Ripple of Positivity: enrich kids' lives through water polo, including encouraging school-sponsored programs and providing collegiate scholarships.

What it reported doing in 2025

This year big waves finished the year with milestones to both celebrate and reflect upon. This december marks our 7th year as an organization, which we celebrate. The determination and perseverance of our board members, community, and volunteers continues to amaze me. Big waves continues to push forward and strengthen the communities it serves and strives to make them safer for all. We continue to expand existing programs and make strides in the development of new programs. Here are just some of our accomplishments from 2025: - three community blood drives that generated 97 units of blood helping as many as 194 people - awarded 35,000 in scholarships to seven student recipients towards secondary education - supported youth water polo programming in Colorado with fees assistance and volunteer hours - funded youth gun safety training classes educating 80+ youth in New Jersey - shipped 750+ free gun locks to responsible gun owners across the county - donated 100+ gun locks to organizations, educators, and medical providers across the country - volunteered 100's of hours supporting Colorado high school youth it is wonderful to see the number continue to grow year over year all of this continues to be done on a 100% volunteer basis. Our overhead is approximately 8% of our budget which means that nearly all of the money raised goes back into the community with the intention of supporting its youth and saving lives.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 62% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 71% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

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 some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 60
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 76
  • Sustainability: 76
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 70.4%; rating input score 70
  • Program expense ratio: 61.6%; rating input score 62
  • Fundraising efficiency: $1.09 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 6; 6th 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings
  • 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: 3 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 43
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 28.3%; rating input score 79; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 7.83; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 24.9% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -5.3% per year; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 15.7% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 7 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 70.4% of revenue deployed · 61.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 3 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $49K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 7 people listed
  • Consistency: 24 of 24 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2019 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • 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 6/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 47/100.