Sky's the Limit Fund
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 272592172
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2012–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2011, Form 990-N 2010
- Location
- South Lake Tahoe, CA, USA
- Phone
- 4086188093
- Rating
- 81
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Human Service Organizations
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $1,921,007
- Expenses
- $1,856,022
- Assets
- $1,668,979
- Liabilities
- $87,248
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
11 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- MARY DAVIDSON (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
Highest reported compensation
- MARY DAVIDSON (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $164,616 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Our mission is to make wilderness therapy, and nature-based therapy programs affordable to families of adolescents and young adults struggling with acute mental health conditions, regardless of their socioeconomic status. We believe in the transformative power of the outdoors to foster connections, build resilience, and support mental health.
What it reported doing in 2024
Sky's the limit fund coaching servicein fy2025, stlf provided $60,377 in coaching support to 46 adolescents and young adults and their families.each family that receives financial assistance from sky's the limit fund is also eligible to apply for our coaching service free of charge. Stlf provides up to 12 hours of coaching support for adolescents, young adults, and their family members as participants transition from a wilderness therapy or nature-based therapeutic program back into their home and social environment. This service is led by master-level therapists who have years of experience in wilderness therapy, transitional support care, and traditional therapeutic care with youth and their families.since its launch in 2016, the stlf coaching service has supported nearly 400 adolescents and young adults, along with their families.sky's the limit fund's coaching service helps strengthen family relationships by reinforcing and building on the skills developed during the nature-based therapeutic experience. This transitional support after program completion plays a critical role in sustaining long-term growth and success.stlf conducts a follow up survey with each family that receives financial assistance. The data below reflects the survey results received from families fy22-fy25.- 95% of families believe treatment was beneficial- 100% of families believe the stlf coaching services was beneficial- 90% of families are likely to recommend treament services
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 98% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- Distribution model
- Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 71% of its reported program spending out as grants.
- Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.
The verdict
STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 74
- Transparency & Controls: 84
- Accountability: 95
- Sustainability: 44
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 78.4%; rating input score 78
- Program expense ratio: 79.3%; rating input score 79
- Fundraising efficiency: $11.78 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 92.9%; rating input score 93; 19th percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
- Compensation committee: Pass
- Independent consultant: Pass
- Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
- Written employment contract: Pass
- Compensation survey or study: Missing
- Board or committee approval: Pass
- Foreign activity oversight: Limited
- Grant itemization coverage: 96.5%; rating input score 97; 44th percentile among comparable filings
- 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: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- 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: Pass
- Independent financial-statement audit: Fail
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 3.4%; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.9; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 8.9%; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 14% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 14.5% per year; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 16.2% per year; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 78.4% of revenue deployed · 79.3% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 10 of 10 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $1.5M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $165K · 11 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Consistency: 30 of 31 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
- Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
- Filing history: 13 filing years from 2012 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 18 filed money-flow records
- Related organizations: 5 filed related-organization links
- 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.
- Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 43/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 46/100.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 39/100.
- Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 41/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 51/100.