The Wilderness Technology Alliance

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
912035824
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2015
Location
Silver Spring, MD, USA
Phone
2028537617
Rating
83
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Education N.E.C.

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$446,230
Expenses
$599,658
Assets
$381,882
Liabilities
$1,538

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

Leadership & pay

13 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • CHRISTOPHER DAVID (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • LOUIS AUGUST (EXECUTIVE DI): $144,186 total reported compensation
  • DAN GRAHAM (TREASURER): $4,913 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Pioneering character and technology education for people in need. We accomplish this through character education through wilderness leadership providing free and low-cost technology access technology training and work-based learning often through school-based student-run enterprises called wild tech.

What it reported doing in 2024

Provide access to technology to dc seniors along with training support and information services valuable to seniors.on november 15 2021 the federal bipartisan infrastructure plan was passed into law. As part of this law the digital equity act provides 2.75 billion to establish three grant programs that promote digital equity and inclusion which is the wtas mission. In 2022 and 2023 every us state developed and completed their state digital equity plan including mapping the digit equity resources in their states for expending those funds. Since the wta has a large program focus on digital equity for seniors and Florida has more seniors per capita than any other state the wta obtained a Florida business license and Florida location in 2023 with 150sf office and 400sf warehouse garage space including all utilities and internet. This is much lower than market rates. We are now actively receiving and processing computer donations from this office meeting with Florida digital equity officials and seeking Florida grants.

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 87% 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.
  • 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 expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 98
  • Transparency & Controls: 69
  • Accountability: 85
  • Sustainability: 21
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 98.5%; rating input score 99
  • Fundraising efficiency: $137.19 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 92.3%; rating input score 92; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Fail
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 78.4%; rating input score 78; 48th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 92.3%; rating input score 92; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -34.4%; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.64; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 19%; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 11.8% per year; rating input score 100; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 11.2% per year; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 4.9% per year; rating input score 100; 47th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 98.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 12 of 13 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $591K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $144K · 13 people listed
  • Consistency: 44 of 45 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and grants
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2020 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 2 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.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 7 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 8/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 30/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 20/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 51/100.