Vigilant Torch Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
471084970
IRS 990 coverage
2024–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2023
Location
Alexandria, VA, USA
Phone
7032325019
Rating
79
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Human Service Organizations

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,507,527
Expenses
$1,329,401
Assets
$1,409,643
Liabilities
$266

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

Leadership & pay

17 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • BRIAN GELLMAN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • BRIAN GELLMAN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $50,400 total reported compensation
  • MARY CISOWSKI (CHIEF OF STAFF): $44,530 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Founded in 2009, vigilant torch supports a unique subset of the special operations community and their families through holistic well-being initiatives. Our programs, ranging from mentorship and wellness programs to emergency relief and educational opportunities are tailored to address the specific challenges of military life, transition to civilian life, and beyond. We provide personalized resources that empower and uplift, making us a trusted, essential resource for those we serve.

What it reported doing in 2025

A. Mental wellness program: the program offers resources for care and community connection. While vigilant torch does not provide clinical treatment, the program leverages professional expertise and strategic partnerships to help members access appropriate mental wellness services. A dedicated program director assists members in identifying external resources and, when needed, provides financial support to help offset the cost of care. The program takes a holistic approach to wellness, addressing a broad range of needs, including service dogs, family medical bills, individual and family mental health care, specialty mental health services not covered during active duty, grief support, substance abuse care, financial literacy, employment assistance, disability rating guidance, and specialty medical resources. In 2025, the program served 49 participants, and since its inception, 128 individuals have received support through this vital program.emergency assistance program: vigilant torch provides immediate, compassionate support to individuals and families facing urgent crises, ensuring they have the resources to navigate challenging times with dignity and stability. Whether coping with the sudden loss of a loved one, financial strain, medical emergencies, or urgent housing needs, our team stands ready to respond with critical aid. In 2025, we provided emergency assistance to 26 families, a direct reflection of our commitment to being there when it matters most.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 97% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 80% for direct work, 17% for grants, and 3% for member benefits.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 76
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 64
  • Sustainability: 55
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 73.9%; rating input score 74
  • Program expense ratio: 82.7%; rating input score 83
  • Fundraising efficiency: $34.39 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 68; 68th 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 93.8%; rating input score 94; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 2 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 22
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 11.8%; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.06; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 7.1%; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 115.9% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 35% per year; rating input score 100; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 28.4% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 73.9% of revenue deployed · 82.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 15 of 16 board members independent · 2 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $1.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $50K · 17 people listed
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2024 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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 — Accountability: Governance controls: 6 of 8 not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 59/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 45/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 45/100.