Boulder Mountainbike Alliance

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
841240757
IRS 990 coverage
2022–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2021
Location
Boulder, CO, USA
Phone
3039606641
Rating
83
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Parks and Playgrounds

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$291,984
Expenses
$273,777
Assets
$96,387
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JOSHUA LAWTON (President)

Highest reported compensation

  • WENDY SWEET (Executive Dir.): $74,254 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The Boulder Mountainbike Alliance exists to serve as a positive voice for mountain biking in the greater Boulder County, Colorado area by improving the trail experience for all users through social rides and events, advocacy, and trail building.

What it reported doing in 2025

Boulder Mountainbike Alliance (BMA) advances safe, responsible, and enjoyable mountain biking in Boulder County through trail development, stewardship, education, and community programs.In 2025, BMA partnered with public land agencies including the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, Boulder County Parks and Open Space, and the U.S. Forest Service to plan, build, reroute, and maintain multi-use trails. Projects focused on improving trail design, reducing erosion, increasing safety, restoring damaged areas, and expanding high-quality riding opportunities while balancing environmental protection and other trail uses.BMA operated several ongoing community programs. The Boulder Mountain Bike Patrol provided on-trail assistance, rider education, and stewardship through a trained volunteer force. Group Rides and Skills Clinics offered structured opportunities for riders of varying experience levels to improve skills, safety, and confidence. The Flow Riders Race Team and Brute Squad programs supported adult riders throughorganized training, mentorship, and competitive development.BMA also represented the mountain bike community in public planning processes and stakeholder working groups, providing input on trail access, connectivity, and recreation management. Through volunteer engagement, education, and partnerships, BMAs programs improved trail conditions, supported responsible recreation, and benefited thousands of trail users annually.

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 99% 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. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 78
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 84
  • Sustainability: 39
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 77.9%; rating input score 78
  • Program expense ratio: 83.1%; rating input score 83
  • Fundraising efficiency: $25.39 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 61; 61st 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: 6.2%; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.35; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 27.1%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 85.1% per year; rating input score 100; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 9.3% per year; rating input score 100; 67th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 1.5% per year; rating input score 100; 28th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 77.9% of revenue deployed · 83.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $227K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $74K · 10 people listed
  • Consistency: 21 of 21 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2022 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

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

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 49/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 19/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 13/100.