Vermont Huts Association Ltd

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
813630363
IRS 990 coverage
2022–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2021
Location
Stowe, VT, USA
Phone
8028813284
Rating
78
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Camps

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,384,357
Expenses
$920,181
Assets
$1,249,635
Liabilities
$367,215

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

Leadership & pay

14 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MIKE DONOHUE (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • RJ THOMPSON (EXECUTIVE DI): $82,795 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Our mission is to foster a deeper appreciation of our natural environment and strengthen Vermont's communities by providing enriching and immersive outdoor experiences for all.

What it reported doing in 2024

Hut and hostel development and construction: Vermont huts works with private, state, and federal land managers to identify suitable sites for the construction of affordable backcountry and frontcountry lodging accommodations for the general public, primarily focusing on outdoor recreation user groups such as biking, hiking, skiing, birding, hunting, etc. Velomont trail development and construction: Vermont huts works to connect its huts and hostels through the development and construction of the velomont trail, a multi-use trail optimized for mountain biking. The trail will connect towns and villages across the state of Vermont by providing new points of access to the outdoors. Hut reservations: Vermont huts manages the booking operations and guest services for members making reservations at structures in the hut network. Forest program: fostering outdoor recreation, education, sustainability, and teamwork, the forest program aims to get more people outside more often. Vha partners with other nonprofits, schools, and communities to actively invite underserved youth and other historically marginalized communities onto the trails and into our huts entirely free of charge. We provide transportation, gear, and food along with an outdoor educator and curriculum tailored to suit the participants. The program aims to introduce students and those who have been previously excluded to outdoor recreation in a safe and welcoming way, encouraging lifelong participation and stewardship of their natural environment.

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 99% 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

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 some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 59
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 64
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 48.4%; rating input score 48
  • Program expense ratio: 72.8%; rating input score 73
  • Fundraising efficiency: $36.81 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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; 63rd 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: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 33.5%; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.36; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.29; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 9%; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 7% per year; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 41.9% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 37.7% per year; rating input score 100; 94th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 48.4% of revenue deployed · 72.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 13 of 13 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $670K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $83K · 14 people listed
  • Consistency: 34 of 34 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 3 filing years from 2022 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 48/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Form 990 shared with the board not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 53/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 25/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 40/100.