Special Operations Fund C/O Becki Chambers

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
521765222
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Arlington, VA, USA
Phone
7034693863
Rating
90
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Scholarships, Student Financial Aid Services, Awards

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,897,554
Expenses
$2,179,497
Assets
$15,084,549
Liabilities
$269,784

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

Leadership & pay

30 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • BECKI CHAMBERS (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • Rick Woolard (President Emeritus)
  • David F Cooper (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • BECKI CHAMBERS (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $113,000 total reported compensation
  • SUSAN GRANT (EXEC DIR EMERITA/SECRETARY): $83,966 total reported compensation
  • Ginny Owen (Treasurer): $8,450 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The Special Operations Fund (the "Fund") is a nonprofit organization that provides educational grants and support to the families of special mission unit warriors killed in action, killed in training, died in the line of duty, suicide, and Medal of Honor recipients. We also support the families of current and veteran special mission units' warriors with merit scholarships and other educational opportunities and programs.

What it reported doing in 2025

Warrior Health Initiative: A pilot executive health program at the Mayo Clinic for the medical evaluations of special operators who have previously transitioned, or are currently transitioning, out of military service. The program's objective is to facilitate a certain number of comprehensive medical evaluations. Further, the program will identify measurable outcomes such as the number of previously unidentified/unrecognized conditions per patient (diagnostic yield), the number of participants who engage in treatment relative to overall number of participants (treatment yield), and patient overall satisfaction with the program.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 87% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 80% 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. Reported officer compensation is a large share of total spending, which may reflect staffing concentration.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 84
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 74
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 76.1%; rating input score 76
  • Program expense ratio: 93.7%; rating input score 94
  • Fundraising efficiency: $347.37 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 95; 95th 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 50th 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: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Missing
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 24.8%; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 6.92; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 9.4%; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 14.4% per year; rating input score 100; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 8.5% per year; rating input score 100; 60th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 8.2% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 76.1% of revenue deployed · 93.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 27 of 27 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $113K · 30 people listed
  • Consistency: 31 of 31 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2020 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 13 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 6 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.

Key Signals

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

  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 35/100.