Boatus Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
541156448
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Springfield, VA, USA
Phone
8002452628
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Safety Education

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$4,058,802
Expenses
$3,848,827
Assets
$2,041,714
Liabilities
$1,073,789

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

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • TAMMY MOORE (CHAIRMAN PRESIDENT & COO)
  • HEATHER LOUGHEED (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • TED SENSENBRENNER (TREASURER): $118,636 total reported compensation
  • ALAN DENNISON (SECRETARY): $107,479 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The boatu.s. Foundation is an innovative leader promoting safe, clean, and responsible boating. The foundation provides educational outreach directly to boaters and supports partner organizations nationwide.with millions of boaters on the water, our aim is to reduce accidents and fatalities, increase stewardship of our waterways and keep boating a safe and enjoyable pastime. The boatus foundation is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our work is primarily funded by grants and individual donations.

What it reported doing in 2024

On the water training program - as part of its general education mission, the foundation created an on the water training program in 2017 which partners with local providers to offer the public more access to hands on skills training aboard recreational vessels. Hands on training reduces recreational boating accidents and fatalities. More than 9000 students have received training since the program's inception. At the end of 2024, the foundation shifted its program model from providing the administrative services related to scheduling and payment for training to a listing service model for vetted local providers. The foundation publishes and promotes general education information regarding boating safety, marine debris, and clean water initiatives on its website. Distribution efforts include various marketing channels, direct email and multiple public speaking events by staff. Boatus foundation staff hold leadership positions on many boating safety organizations nationwide.

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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - 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 total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 79
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 32
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 85.3%; rating input score 85
  • Program expense ratio: 81.7%; rating input score 82
  • Fundraising efficiency: $9.45 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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; 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: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 5.2%; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.53; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.53; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: Limited

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 8.7% per year; rating input score 100; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5% per year; rating input score 100; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3.6% per year; rating input score 100; 27th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 85.3% of revenue deployed · 81.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $3.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $119K · 10 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 3 contractors listed · $1.1M reported
  • Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • 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.

Grant-readiness screening is separate from the live rating, not a measure of program quality. Review the source records before making a grant decision.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 36/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 19/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 51/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 20/100.
  • High — Grant Readiness: Federal audit findings: this organization reported findings in its latest federal Single Audit.