The Powerhouse

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
841310757
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-T 2025
Location
Durango, CO, USA
Phone
9702599234
Rating
75
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Children's Museums

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,591,593
Expenses
$1,291,368
Assets
$3,199,298
Liabilities
$701,584

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

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JEFF SUSOR (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • JEFF SUSOR (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $85,296 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 powerhouse is southwest colorados steam engine empowering curious young learners through interactive experiences, discovery and play.

What it reported doing in 2025

EDUCATION - In 2025, The Powerhouse continued to deliver engaging, hands-on science experiences to youth and families across Southwest Colorado through a combination of in-museum programming and expanded regional outreach. Building on the success of prior years, our educational offerings remained strong and consistent, with continued growth in participation and geographic reach. Our Camp Discovery program served over 650 students, providing high-quality STEAM learning opportunities both onsite and in surrounding communities. In addition to our Durango-based camps, we ran camps in Cortez, Pagosa Springs and on Fort Lewis Colleges campus, increasing access for families across the region. We also partnered with Durango Montessori to bring science education directly into the classroom, bringing our Powerhouse style of learning to students grades K-5. The San Juan Regional Science Fair, led by The Powerhouse through a partnership with San Juan BOCES, remained a cornerstone program inspiring curiosity, critical thinking, and scientific inquiry among local students. From the Science Fair, 15 students advanced to the State Science Fair, demonstrating the strength and potential of emerging scientists in Southwest Colorado. In collaboration with Durango School District 9-R, we also supported team-based STEM learning through Destination Imagination and FIRST LEGO League, helping create a more connected and comprehensive ecosystem of opportunities for young learners across the region. Together, these efforts highlight a strong network of partners committed to expanding access to high-quality STEM experiences. The Powerhouse remained committed to reducing barriers to participation through its financial aid program, ensuring that museum access, camps, and educational programming were available to families across Southwest Colorado regardless of financial circumstance. In 2025, financial assistance supported participation in Camp Discovery and other youth programs, helping ensure that cost was not a limiting factor for engagement in high-quality STEAM learning experiences. This support reflects our ongoing commitment to accessibility and inclusion, and to creating meaningful opportunities for all learners in our community.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
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

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 63
  • Transparency & Controls: 86
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 62
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 60.9%; rating input score 61
  • Program expense ratio: 77.7%; rating input score 78
  • Fundraising efficiency: $8.66 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 92.9%; rating input score 93; 22nd 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th 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: 18.9%; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.48; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.22; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 6.6%; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 2.7% per year; rating input score 100; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -2.1% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -5.3% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 60.9% of revenue deployed · 77.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $85K · 10 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $273K reported
  • Consistency: 30 of 31 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 30/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 24/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 47/100.