The West Central Montana Avalanche Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
810538197
IRS 990-EZ coverage
2016–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2023, Form 990-EZ 2024, Form 990-N 2015
Location
Missoula, MT, USA
Phone
4062397241
Rating
69
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Safety Education

Reported finances

Revenue
$168,383
Expenses
$174,750
Assets
$17,780
Liabilities
$84,775

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

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • EMILY JOCHEM (President)

People named in this filing

  • JASON HARBY (Treasurer)
  • EMILY JOCHEM (President)
  • JACK DOERING (Secretary)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

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

Overview

Mission

The mission of the wcmaf is to support avalanche information and education for all backcountry users.

What it reported doing in 2024

The WCMAF was formed in 2001 to bridge the growing gap between the funding available from the U.S. Forest Service and the expenses required to operate the West Central Montana Avalanche Center (WCMAC). Today, it raises the funding needed to run the avalanche center, maintains the website Missoulaavalanche.org, delivers high-quality avalanche education, and connects the public to resources for staying safe in avalanche terrain. The WCMAF oversees and supports the West Central Montana Avalanche Center (WCMAC). The WCMAC generates avalanche forecasts for the west-central Montana forecast area and provides information to the public regarding terrain, weather, and snow conditions that contribute to avalanche danger. U.S. Forest Service employees assist the WCMAC on the Bitterroot, Nez Perce-Clearwater, and Lolo National Forests, contributing field observations and administrative support.The Board of Directors collaborates with the National Ski Patrol and regional riding clubs to install and maintain Backcountry Access Beacon Training Parks and Are you beeping? beacon checkers throughout west central Montana.

Operating model

Revenue model
Cannot be determined from the filing. The filing does not provide enough consistent revenue detail to tell how this nonprofit funds its work.
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 - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 67
  • Transparency & Controls: 76
  • Sustainability: 16
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 67.7%; rating input score 68
  • Program expense ratio: 65.2%; rating input score 65

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 92.9%; rating input score 93; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -3.8%; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.1; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 4.77; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 34.8%; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 6.3% per year; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 10.9% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -4.1% per year; rating input score 0; 17th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 67.7% of revenue deployed · 65.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: Filed governance answers
  • Accomplishments: 1 filed program accomplishment · $114K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 8 people listed
  • Consistency: 7 of 7 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 2 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2016 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • 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 — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 24/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 11/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 1/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 9/100.