BlazeSports America Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
582087265
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Norcross, GA, USA
Phone
4042702000
Rating
73
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Amateur Sports Competitions

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,201,020
Expenses
$1,125,318
Assets
$721,834
Liabilities
$220,997

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Dawn Churi (Executive Director)

Highest reported compensation

  • Dawn Churi (Executive Director): $177,071 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Changing the lives of individuals with physical disabilities through adaptive sport and physical activity.

What it reported doing in 2024

In 2024, BlazeSports continues its mission to empower individuals with disabilities through a wide range of adaptive sports, recreation, and training programs. Building on our success in 2023, we proudly served 1,100 youth, veterans, adults, and toddlers with physical disabilities. Our adaptive sports offerings have expanded to encompass 14 sports, alongside camps, clinics, and events focused on ensuring quality accessible programs for our community. Newer programs and clinics, such as Pickle Ball, Wheelchair football, and golf, complement well-established programs like wheelchair basketball, archery, tennis, and summer camp. We've also enhanced our offerings with additions like corn hole, badminton, and expanded fitness programs, ensuring inclusive opportunities for all.BlazeSports hosted the National Parasport Conference, uniting industry leaders both virtually and in-person in Atlanta, GA. This event highlighted our commitment to advancing parasport, fostering collaboration, and driving positive change in the community.One of our most significant achievements has been the growth of BlazeTOTS, where we served over 400 toddlers aged 2-6 with disabilities. BlazeTOTS focuses on early childhood development through adaptive fitness and health activities, promoting physical, cognitive, and social skills in a supportive environment. The program includes structured play, skill-building exercises, and interactive sessions for parents and children, providing holistic support and educational resources. BlazeSports remains dedicated to expanding access and opportunity for all individuals with disabilities, enriching lives through sport, wellness, and community engagement. We remain steadfast in our dedication to ensuring the quality, diversity and availability of our programs are equal to sports programs open to those without disabilities.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 66% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
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 program spending has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 73
  • Transparency & Controls: 70
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 39
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 73.8%; rating input score 74
  • Program expense ratio: 78.5%; rating input score 78
  • Fundraising efficiency: $14.14 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • 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: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 6.3%; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.64; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.31; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 15.7%; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -4.5% per year; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -2.9% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 1.2% per year; rating input score 100; 22nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 73.8% of revenue deployed · 78.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $883K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $177K · 10 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 30 of 30 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2010 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.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 49/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 53/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 30/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 21/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 24/100.