Skaneateles Volunteer Fire Departme

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
161444278
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Skaneateles, NY, USA
Phone
3156853496
Rating
76
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Fire Prevention

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$387,212
Expenses
$280,445
Assets
$1,948,512
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

14 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • STEVE BUSA (PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • STEVE BUSA (PRESIDENT)
  • WILL HAINING (VICE PRESIDE)
  • CHARLIE WALLACE (RECORDING SE)

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 department provides fire protection and emergency service for the residents of the village and town of skaneateles. When called upon, the department will also respond to surrounding communities. The department is staffed completely by unpaid volunteers who are trained as fire fighting and emergency service professionals. Members conduct fund raising activities to provide revenue for the purchase and maintenance of fire fighting equipment.

What it reported doing in 2025

The program service provided by the skaneateles volunteer fire department during the fiscal year january 1, 2025 to december 31, 2025 achieved the following: fire calls 445 (includes structure fires, alarms, flooded basements, storm related damage) there are 87 members in the skaneateles volunteer fire company. In addition to responding to total calls and training/drill sessions, many hours were spent in monthly meetings, committee meetings, administrative work and general fire department maintenance.

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 - 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 assets have declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 68
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 70
  • Sustainability: 79
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 69.9%; rating input score 70
  • Program expense ratio: 87.7%; rating input score 88
  • 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: 2 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 29
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 27.6%; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 6.95; rating input score 85; 85th 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: 4.9% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5.4% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -0.2% per year; rating input score 0; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 69.9% of revenue deployed · 87.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 14 board members independent · 2 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $246K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 14 people listed
  • Consistency: 21 of 21 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 11 filing years from 2015 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.

  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.