Norte Youth Cycling

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
464861142
IRS 990 coverage
2018–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2017, Form 990-N 2015
Location
Traverse City, MI, USA
Phone
2317146218
Rating
73
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Alliance/Advocacy

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$900,086
Expenses
$942,190
Assets
$379,078
Liabilities
$33,166

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

Leadership & pay

12 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • SUSAN HIBBARD (PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • JOHN GERMAINE (SECRETARY)
  • SUSAN HIBBARD (PRESIDENT)
  • SHANNON JORDAN (TREASURER)

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

Norte youth cycling champions bicycles and community in northern Michigan. The organization inspires happy, healthy, and strong communities by empowering youth and families through bicycles, active transportation, community engagement, education, and empowerment.

What it reported doing in 2025

Program service 1: youth cycling programs norte youth cycling helps riders of all ages and abilities gain confidence, build friendships, and develop lifelong healthy habits. During 2024, norte served more than 1,9693 youth and community participants across six counties through after-school bike clubs, adventure teams, summer bike camps, balance bike programs, and adaptive cycling programs. The 10-week summer bike camp reached 878 riders alone. We engaged and empowered another 4,959 community members through our predominantly free community events and initiatives, such as the national cherry festival pie ride and balance bike race, mechanic classes, slow rolls, balance bike meet-ups, and more girls on bikes rides. Program service 2: community access and inclusion nortes community bike library loaned approximately 900 bicycles at low or no cost, ensuring access for all riders. More than 10,000 in scholarships were awarded to eliminate financial barriers to participation. Nortes bikes for all program served approximately 23 weekly adaptive riders at no cost, promoting inclusivity and independence for individuals with cognitive or physical disabilities. Additionally, we provide adaptive bicycle programs for school-based programs in the region. We also distributed nearly 400 free helmets within the community. Program service 3: education and safety community bike tune-ups provided free repairs for residents in partnership with goodwill industries, the local library, and the senior center, supporting safe and reliable transportation for individuals who rely on bicycles for work and daily needs. We continue to provide free essential bikes to those in need. Every child in our program receives safety education, and helmets are required when on bike. Norte advanced its bike smart bicycle safety education program, designed to teach second graders safe riding and helmet use program service 4: infrastructure and community development norte continued planning and fundraising for a multi-phase bicycle education center at the grand traverse county civic center, including a 19,000-sq-ft asphalt pump track, safety traffic garden, and renovation of a county maintenance building into a community bike hub. This project, in partnership with grand traverse county parks and recreation that will enhance safety, access, and community connection. We continue to create new and strengthen existing community partnerships with community support organizations such as big brothers big sisters, the childrens advocacy center, single momm, the womens resource center, and more. Program service 5: volunteers more than 164 volunteers contributed over 2,350 hours in 2024 as coaches, mentors, and event supporters

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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of total spending goes to programs and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 56
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 82
  • Sustainability: 29
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 64.7%; rating input score 65
  • Program expense ratio: 58.1%; rating input score 58
  • Fundraising efficiency: $2.86 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 8; 8th 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: 4 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 57
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • 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: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -4.7%; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.4; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.09; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 11.9% per year; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 17.2% per year; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 8.3% per year; rating input score 100; 49th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 64.7% of revenue deployed · 58.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 11 of 11 board members independent · 4 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $548K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 12 people listed
  • Consistency: 25 of 25 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2018 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

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

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 58/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 8/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 20/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 20/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 36/100.