Philadelphia Outward Bound School

What it reported doing in 2025

Expedition programs are immersive, multi-day wilderness experiences that accelerate social-emotional skills related to courage, belonging, reflection, and physical engagement. Participants primarily come from a school's specific grade level, a leadership group, club, or affinity cohort. Expeditions range 5-14 days and take place along the appalachian trail in the Delaware water gap. Along with the rigors of camping, students engage in 2-3 physical challenges (hiking, canoeing, and rock climbing). Together, they navigate sharing team responsibilities: cooking, decision making, route planning, and problem-solving. Pobs also offers merit-based 100% scholarship summer expeditions open to youth throughout the region. These opportunities attract motivated students who previously participated previously in a one-day insight program or a school/group sponsored expedition. In 2025, 611 youth participated in a multi-day wilderness expedition; 418 of these students were surveyed post course to measure the impact of our programs. Combined with findings from students participating in insight days, the largest growth areas were group relationships, assertiveness, and social responsibility. Highlights from pobs' 2025 student surveys include: 92% are more aware of how to support others 87% feel more connected to their peers 89% gained confidence to try new things expeditions take three basic forms. 1). Peer leadership courses are 5-7 day wilderness courses that engage participants with peers in challenging environments to develop leadership and personal skills. They are either backpacking or canoeing expeditions in the fall or spring. Schools use these as part of a program progression for their 8th - 12th grade students who participated earlier in insight programs. These are also a popular format for summer open enrollment courses that attract students from all over who seek a challenge. 2) get out and lead (goal) is an annual 10-day merit-award summer expedition for philadelphia region twelve middle school students. The crew brings together motivated students selected from a variety of backgrounds for a mix of backpacking, canoeing and rock- climbing. Students must apply, provide references, and interview to be considered. 3) youth leadership corps is an annual 14-day merit-award summer expedition for high school students. Depending on funding, there can be one to two crews (12 students each). In 2025 there was one crew. This course also brings together motivated students selected from a variety of backgrounds for a mix of backpacking, canoeing and rock-climbing. Students must apply, provide references, and interview to be considered.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 60.3%; rating input score 60
• Program expense ratio: 58.1%; rating input score 58
• Fundraising efficiency: $3.98 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Pass
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• 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: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -3%; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.62; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.18; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 8.1%; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 7.5% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 7.7% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 7.5% per year; rating input score 100; 47th percentile among comparable filings