The Outdoor Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
841549065
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Boulder, CO, USA
Phone
3034443353
Rating
74
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Education N.E.C.

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,561,107
Expenses
$1,003,614
Assets
$2,268,045
Liabilities
$36,566

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

Leadership & pay

7 people listed

People named in this filing

  • JIL LITTLEJOHN BOSTICK (DIRECTOR)
  • DANICA CAREY (DIRECTOR)
  • AMY DOMINGUEZ-ARMS (CHAIR)

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 foundation is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes related to outdoor recreation activites and education, including the preservation of the natural environment, addressing issues of the outdoor industry and promoting participation.

What it reported doing in 2025

Convening and participation: fostering collaboration and action - the foundation is working to bring together top leaders, key organizations, and youth activists from across the country in a range of action-oriented convening events, from intimate high-powered gatherings to large-scale youth festivals. A focus of this work includes exploration of public and private partnership opportunities for the outdoor industry, nongovernmental organizations, and the federal government to join forces and make a difference. The foundation works with organizations at the community level to drive outdoor participation. The thrive outside program involves supporting existing programs and providing the infrastructure, planning, and resources needed to build a lifelong commitment to the outdoors. Additionally, the foundation partners with members and affiliated organizations to execute and administer grant programs that also result in increased outdoor participation.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 85% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 62% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 58
  • Transparency & Controls: 80
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 76
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 54.5%; rating input score 55
  • Program expense ratio: 82.1%; rating input score 82
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • 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: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 35.7%; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.26; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -4.2% per year; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 0% per year; rating input score 100; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 6.5% per year; rating input score 100; 42nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 54.5% of revenue deployed · 82.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 7 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $824K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 7 people listed
  • Consistency: 28 of 28 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and grants
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 12 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 14 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.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 55/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 55/100.