Howlers Ridge

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
993154576
IRS 990 coverage
2025–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-N 2024
Location
Bozeman, MT, USA
Phone
2016946218
Rating
50
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Counseling, Support Groups

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$209,938
Expenses
$70,318
Assets
$140,036
Liabilities
$416

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

Leadership & pay

3 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • TAYLOR KITSCH (PRESIDENT)
  • MEGHANN BEER (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • MEGHANN BEER (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $43,600 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Howlers ridge is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting healing, personal growth, and resilience through immersive, nature-based retreats, educational programs, and grants to nonprofit partners. We provide people who have experienced trauma time, space and customized programs in nature to support their healing process. We work with veterans, people in recovery from substance use disorders and other trauma survivors to promote healing, connection and empowerment.

What it reported doing in 2025

Nature- based healing retreats - howlers ridge is developing its nature-based healing retreat program in preparation for future multi-day retreats serving small groups of participants who have experienced trauma, including veterans and people in recovery from substance use disorders. During 2025, program work focused on retreat design, partner development, and planning trauma-informed, nature-based activities intended to support healing, connection, resilience, and personal growth.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% 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

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 18
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 60
  • Sustainability: 68
  • Growth: NotEnoughData

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 9.1%; rating input score 9
  • Program expense ratio: 24.8%; rating input score 25
  • Fundraising efficiency: $10.72 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 39; 39th 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: 66.7%; rating input score 67; 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: Pass
    • 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: 66.5%; rating input score 95; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.99; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 62%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: Limited
  • Revenue growth: Limited
  • Asset growth: Limited

Details

  • Where the money goes: 9.1% of revenue deployed · 24.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 2 of 3 board members independent · 4 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $17K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $44K · 3 people listed
  • Consistency: 18 of 18 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • 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.

Key Signals

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

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 9/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 25/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 7 not reported.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 39/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 59/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 2/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 47/100.