Wilderness Inquiry Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
930708637
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Bloomington, MN, USA
Phone
6126769400
Rating
76
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Environmental Education and Outdoor Survival Programs

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$9,972,306
Expenses
$8,544,905
Assets
$16,247,643
Liabilities
$3,303,155

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

Leadership & pay

23 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ERIKA RIVERS (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • ERIKA RIVERS (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $207,348 total reported compensation
  • NELL HOLDEN (BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION DI): $136,850 total reported compensation
  • WILLY TULLY (EXTERNAL RELATIONS DIRECTO): $135,369 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Wilderness inquiry's mission is to connect people of all ages, backgrounds, identities, and abilities through shared outdoor adventures so that all people can equitably experience the benefits of time spent in nature.

What it reported doing in 2025

Day & multi-day programs: wilderness inquiry day programs provides introductory hands-on learning and outdoor recreation in more than 80 communities throughout Minnesota and nationally. Day programs serve the majority of wilderness inquiry's participants through programs including canoemobile, outdoor activity days, outdoor credit recovery, and virtual explorers. These nationally recognized outdoor programs connect youth, adults, and families to their local public lands and waterways, develop our next generation of environmental stewards, and address the opportunity gap. Wilderness inquiry continues to offer virtual programming in addition to in-person outdoor experiences. In 2025, 35,939 people participated in day & multi-day programs (1,096 virtually).number of people served: 35,939number of service days: 17,082number of events: 400" "day programs provides introductory hands-on learning and outdoor recreation in more than 80 communities throughout Minnesota and nationally. Day programs serve the majority of wilderness inquiry's participants through programs including canoemobile, outdoor activity days, outdoor credit recovery, and virtual explorers. These nationally recognized outdoor programs connect youth, adults, and families to their local public lands and waterways, develop our next generation of environmental stewards, and address the opportunity gap. Wilderness inquiry continues to offer virtual programming in addition to in-person outdoor experiences. In 2025, 35,939 people participated in day & multi-day programs (1,096 virtually).number of people served: 35,939number of service days: 17,082number of events: 400"

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 - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and most voting board members are independent. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and the filing does not identify recipients for some grant dollars.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 76
  • Transparency & Controls: 58
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 56
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 73.1%; rating input score 73
  • Program expense ratio: 83.7%; rating input score 84
  • Fundraising efficiency: $31.37 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 94.4%; rating input score 94; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: Scored; rating input score 0
  • 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: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 14.3%; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.9; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.2; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 7.1%; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 8.5% per year; rating input score 100; 55th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 11.1% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 11.4% per year; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 73.1% of revenue deployed · 83.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 17 of 17 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $7.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $207K · 23 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $734K reported
  • Consistency: 31 of 32 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2012 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 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.
  • 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.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 56/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 35/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 44/100.