The Fort Lewis College Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
237122114
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Durango, CO, USA
Phone
9703826941
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Undergraduate College (4-year)

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$15,465,008
Expenses
$9,054,322
Assets
$70,801,215
Liabilities
$809,977

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

Leadership & pay

30 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MELISSA MOUNT (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)

People named in this filing

  • STEVE SHORT (CHAIR)
  • JASON PORTZ- DIRECTOR THRU (10/24) / VICE CHAIR (FROM 10/24))
  • DAN KORMAN (SECRETARY (THRU 10/24))

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 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Enriching educational and cultural opportunities at fort lewis college by encouraging and stewarding gifts for scholarships, programs, and facilities-wise investments in the leaders of tomorrow.

What it reported doing in 2024

Funds are raised for the benefit of the students, faculty, and administration of fort lewis college. The foundation raises resources that directly fuel opportunities for fort lewis college students and our community. This includes support for students through increased scholarships and experiential learning funding for internships, fieldwork, travel, and programs like fort lewis on the water. The foundation also raises funding aimed at supporting student success through innovative summer bridge programs offering additional academic and social support for students. The springboard fellowships mentor program continued in fiscal year 2025, to help students build the social capital and (con't on sch o) confidently launch their post college careers. Additionally, new funds were raised to support capital improvements to skyhawk hall and launch the new nursing program at fort lewis college.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 81% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 97% 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. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 82
  • Transparency & Controls: 75
  • Accountability: 94
  • Sustainability: 92
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 82%; rating input score 82
  • Program expense ratio: 87.3%; rating input score 87
  • Fundraising efficiency: $28.62 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd 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; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 86
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 41.5%; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 7.82; rating input score 89; 89th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 12% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 16.1% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 9.9% per year; rating input score 100; 65th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 82% of revenue deployed · 87.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 26 of 26 board members independent · 6 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $7.9M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 30 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $478K reported
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and grants
  • Filing history: 11 filing years from 2013 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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 — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Form 990 shared with the board not reported.