Camp Chippewa Foundation
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 391951458
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2010–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- Maple Grove, MN, USA
- Phone
- 2183358807
- Rating
- 82
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Camp Fire
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $1,286,191
- Expenses
- $1,207,647
- Assets
- $3,263,571
- Liabilities
- $361,216
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
9 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- John W Norris III (President)
- Zach Mills (Vice President)
Highest reported compensation
- Michael Endres (Camp Director): $74,010 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
To develop character, through adventure, inspired by tradition.
What it reported doing in 2024
A wilderness setting since 1935, Camp Chippewa provides boys ages 8-17 the opportunity to learn, grow, and achieve mastery in skills and activities that are life-long endeavors. Boys advance in activities (archery, sailing, riflery, tennis, soccer, canoeing, climbing, orienteering, waterskiing, swimming) at their own pace and level of interest. Counselors and staff are mentors, big brothers, coaches and teachers inspiring boys to feel pride in who they are and what they do. Learning, achieving and giving back to community are goals for all. 120 campers served from 24 states and 3 foreign countries; 21 campers on full or partial scholarshipsWhat began as a family-run business still retains a feeling of kinship which fosters positive role models for boys on the road to adulthood. Being in a technology-free wilderness surrounding, discovering and tapping into one's potential with an intentional program and guiding hand from a well-trained and talented staff helps boys develop the skills and character to manage adversity in their lives. Our goal is to provide age and skill appropriate risks under the supervision of qualified staff. Our intentional program allows for self-confidence to be realized in each camper.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Other-operating. 64% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
- Distribution model
- Direct operator. The filing allocates 89% 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 fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 80
- Transparency & Controls: 94
- Accountability: 72
- Sustainability: 57
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 80.8%; rating input score 81
- Program expense ratio: 85.6%; rating input score 86
- Fundraising efficiency: $20.17 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 59; 59th 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 87.5%; rating input score 88; 21st percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Fail
- Document-retention policy: Fail
- 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: Fail
- Independent financial-statement audit: Pass
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 6.1%; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.7; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.11; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 6.1%; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 6.9% per year; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 3.4% per year; rating input score 100; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 5% per year; rating input score 100; 39th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 80.8% of revenue deployed · 85.6% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 7 of 8 board members independent · 4 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $74K · 9 people listed
- Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
- Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
- Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2024
- 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.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 8 not reported.
- Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 59/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 53/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 41/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 50/100.