Steady Strides Riding Center

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
822983802
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2019, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Tucson, AZ, USA
Phone
5204155800
Rating
81
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Human Service Organizations

Reported finances

Revenue
$583,676
Expenses
$563,216
Assets
$907,507
Liabilities
$723,687

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Lauren Schroeder (Executive Director)

Highest reported compensation

  • Melanie Roeder (Program Director): $27,860 total reported compensation
  • Lauren Schroeder (Executive Director): $26,705 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Fiscal Year 2025 marked SSRC's eighth year of service to riders and horses. During FY25, SSRC provided more than 2,375 riding lessons and served 300 riders and program participants. Through its sliding-scale financial assistance program, 17 individuals received free or reduced-cost riding and horsemanship lessons. Continued on Schedule O.

What it reported doing in 2024

COLLABORATIONS. In addition to its regularly offered programs, SSRC engages in collaborative initiatives with partner organizations. Since 2018, SSRC has partnered with Masterson Method to host annual equine bodywork certification workshops, providing program horses with complimentary bodywork services. Since 2019, SSRC has collaborated with Freedom Run Horse Shows to include adaptive classes for riders with disabilities in local Tucson hunter/jumper schooling shows. For the second consecutive year, SSRC partnered with Freedom Run Equine Veterinary Services and the Desert Equine Education Group to host 24 University of Arizona veterinary students for a day of education and hands-on technical training with SSRC's school horses. SSRC also partnered with Mica Mountain High School through the school's vocational training program. Students volunteered weekly to assist with barn maintenance, including mucking stalls, weeding, cleaning, and general upkeep. This experience fostered teamwork, problem-solving skills, and professionalism in an active barn setting. For the second year, SSRC co-produced the Tucson Fall Horse Shows in partnership with Freedom Run Horse Shows. The events, held at the Pima County Fairgrounds from October 20 to November 10, 2024, attracted 180 riders and horses from across the Southwest. This is a large community event with potential to grow significantly in the coming years.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 81% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
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

STRONG - 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 expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 77
  • Transparency & Controls: 100
  • Accountability: 63
  • Sustainability: 44
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 85.1%; rating input score 85
  • Program expense ratio: 88.2%; rating input score 88
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

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: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 60%; rating input score 60; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 3.5%; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.61; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.8; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 9.7%; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 28.1% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 22.8% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 33.5% per year; rating input score 100; 92nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 85.1% of revenue deployed · 88.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 5 board members independent · 6 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $497K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $28K · 5 people listed
  • Consistency: 28 of 28 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2020 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 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.

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 9 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 46/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 58/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 9/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 38/100.