Ghisallo Cycling Initiative

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
453031077
IRS 990 coverage
2019–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-N 2012
Location
Austin, TX, USA
Phone
5125247440
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Recreation& Sports N.E.C.

Reported finances

Revenue
$822,836
Expenses
$858,985
Assets
$841,760
Liabilities
$41,942

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

Leadership & pay

4 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • Christopher Stanton (Board Chair (1/1-12/9), ED (1/1-12/31)): $120,000 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Our primary work is enabling youth to develop into self-sufficient and confident riders who have the skills and knowledge to use their bicycles for transportation without depending upon adults. We envision a future in which kids riding bikes to school and adults riding to work is viewed as normal, and all have access to bikes at an affordable price or cost. We provide programs that support bicycling as transportation, physical activity and socialization for all ages.

What it reported doing in 2025

City Cyclist programs educate and motivate the general population by hosting local events and participating with local groups, community nonprofits, and businesses that want to promote cycling safety. In Austin, we produced Bike to Work Day with 46 Fueling Station and 1,768 riders, Cyclovia ATX with over 500 attendees and 45 partners. Austin also produced 22 adult focused programs such as BikeStart clinics, Beginning City Cycling clinics, and experiential Group Rides reaching 499 participants and another 565 through presentations and direct community engagement. In San Antonio, we produced 6 bike maintenance clinics, 7 experiential Group Rides, participated in Siclovia, and hosted a fueling station during Bike to Work Day.

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. Program spending has declined or grown slowly and revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 81
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 30
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 83.9%; rating input score 84
  • Program expense ratio: 80.2%; rating input score 80
  • Fundraising efficiency: $42.75 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 73; 73rd 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; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -4.4%; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.98; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 14%; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -2.8% per year; rating input score 0; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -8.7% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -0.3% per year; rating input score 0; 14th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 83.9% of revenue deployed · 80.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 3 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $689K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $120K · 4 people listed
  • Consistency: 44 of 44 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 6 filing years from 2019 to 2025
  • 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.

  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 20/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 42/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 27/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 43/100.