Rising Routes Alliance

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
993492501
IRS 990 coverage
2024–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Denver, CO, USA
Phone
7205073545
Rating
57
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Alliance/Advocacy

Reported finances

Revenue
$253,169
Expenses
$96,867
Assets
$254,718
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DAVID SECUNDA (PRESIDENT/TR)

Highest reported compensation

  • MARY MCKEAN (CO-FOUNDER): $13,505 total reported compensation
  • JASON SWANN (CO-FOUNDER): $9,000 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

We expand access to outdoor spaces and shape a future where belonging is woven into every trail, summit, and shoreline.

What it reported doing in 2025

2025 was a building year for rising routes alliance. Our secured grants reflect that understanding - each unrestricted, providing maximum flexibility to grow our operational foundation and deepen our impact. O secured 100,000 Colorado outdoor equity grant program award for beast fingers climbing through direct technical assistance o produced black to the outdoors - inaugural event in collaboration with rei and alltrails, expanding camping to connect's audience and community reach o secured 250,000 in unrestricted capacity-building grant funding from rei cooperative action fund ---------------- more detail on schedule o -------------------

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: 26
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 63
  • Sustainability: 75
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 14.3%; rating input score 14
  • Program expense ratio: 37.3%; rating input score 37
  • Fundraising efficiency: $19.97 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 55; 55th 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 61.7%; rating input score 94; 94th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.63; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 23.2%; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -53.4% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 43.9% per year; rating input score 100; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 88.5% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 14.3% of revenue deployed · 37.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 6 board members independent · 1 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $36K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $14K · 8 people listed
  • Consistency: 20 of 20 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2024 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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 — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 14/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 37/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 6 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 55/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 16/100.