Greater Columbus Rowing Association Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 311118778
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2024–2025
- Forms available
- Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2023
- Location
- Columbus, OH, USA
- Phone
- 6142141608
- Rating
- 83
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $268,828
- Expenses
- $267,064
- Assets
- $484,190
- Liabilities
- $0
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
10 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- SARAH STAFFORD (PRESIDENT)
People named in this filing
- MARIA ESWAY (TRUSTEE)
- PATRICK KIELTY (VICE PRESIDE)
- DEAN MONIN (TRUSTEE)
Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
The greater columbus rowing association fosters accessible and exceptional rowing opportunities for adults of all ages and capabilities.
What it reported doing in 2025
Promoting the sport of rowing gcra's primary purpose is to promote the sport of rowing in central Ohio by providing adult rowing opportunities at all levels, from beginner to competitive levels. In addition to offering rowing equipment and storage for members to row, our programs include hosting multiple learn to row sessions throughout the year and our para-adaptive rowing program (parp), both of which provide rowing instruction to adults in the community. We also organize and provide transport for members to compete in regattas, both locally and nationally. Our member fees along with member donations and minimal program revenue support the operating expenses of the association and members volunteer their time to manage day-to-day activities as well as special programs and events. In 2025, the association contracted with a coach to provide technical guidance and support for all member skill levels, from novices to those competing at the national level. Small and large group sessions were made available to all members at no additional cost. The coach also supported our outreach efforts by leading our community indoor rowing program and community learn to row workshops, introducing approximately 80 area adults to the sport. Of these, 36 continued with our community winter indoor training at a nominal fee.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Earned-program. 83% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
- 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.
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: 84
- Transparency & Controls: 90
- Accountability: 76
- Sustainability: 51
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 94.9%; rating input score 95
- Program expense ratio: 95.1%; rating input score 95
- Fundraising efficiency: Limited
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: Limited
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 3 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 43
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Fail
- Document-retention policy: Fail
- CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Missing
- Independent financial-statement audit: Fail
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 0.7%; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.81; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 29.8% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 2.8% per year; rating input score 100; 35th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 4.6% per year; rating input score 100; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 94.9% of revenue deployed · 95.1% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 10 of 10 board members independent · 3 of 7 filing controls reported
- Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $254K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 10 people listed
- Consistency: 22 of 22 current checks pass
- Schedules: 3 filed schedules
- Filing history: 2 filing years from 2024 to 2025
- 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.
- Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 6 not reported.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 37/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 57/100.