Come Alive Outside

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
472357025
IRS 990 coverage
2018–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2016, Form 990-N 2014
Location
Rutland, VT, USA
Phone
7078675969
Rating
76
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Alliance/Advocacy

Reported finances

Revenue
$512,856
Expenses
$466,217
Assets
$234,666
Liabilities
$10,574

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

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Burt DeMarche (Vice President)
  • Russ Marsan (President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Arwen Turner (Executive Dir.): $87,200 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 inspire collaborative community systems that create the awareness, intention and opportunity for people to live healthier lives outside.

What it reported doing in 2024

2024 Program Service AccomplishmentsIn 2024, Come Alive Outside directly impacted over 30,000 individuals through its core programs and community partnerships.Outdoor Youth Passport ProgramMore than 12,000 elementary students participated in the Summer and Winter Passports across Vermont. Families reported that 85% of children were more excited about physical activity because of the program.Outdoor Adult Passport ProgramReached over 2,000 adults, with 98% reporting increases in both physical activity and mental well-being.Mile-A-Day ChallengeEngaged more than 2,000 participants, with 96% saying they were more physically active and 96% reporting improved mental health. The new Mile-A-Day app gave users more ways to participate and track their progress.NatureRx ProgramSupported 50 participants, with 80% increasing physical activity and 95% reporting better mental well-being.Green Street ChallengeBrought temporary parks and play spaces to over 5,000 people in Rutland, VT.Community Events and OutreachPartnered with more than 50 local organizations to host equity-focused outdoor programs. Together, these reached over 4,000 community members.Depot Park ProjectInstalled tulip chairs and a music garden for folks to be able to stay and play in the greenspace downtown Vermont. Estimated reach 2,000 individuals per year.WinterfestTook over running Winterfest, a multi-partner-led community festival that reaches 5,000 people per year.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 74% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 72
  • Transparency & Controls: 85
  • Accountability: 74
  • Sustainability: 43
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 74.8%; rating input score 75
  • Program expense ratio: 82.2%; rating input score 82
  • Fundraising efficiency: $7.05 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 90.9%; rating input score 91; 8th 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: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 9.1%; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.5; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 18.7%; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 15.6% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 17.8% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 18.5% per year; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 74.8% of revenue deployed · 82.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 10 of 10 board members independent · 3 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $383K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $87K · 9 people listed
  • Consistency: 24 of 25 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 6 filing years from 2018 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.

  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 27/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 23/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 59/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 16/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 53/100.