Challenge America connects service members, veterans and their families to resources and solutions that build community and give purpose to their lives.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
92¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$23K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2023 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
4 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $18K a year · 4% of revenue · last 6 filings
Fine: a surplus in 4 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
92%
of spending
Looks good: 92% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$23K
to officers and key staff · 9% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 9% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
3 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 2.6 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
3
named funders · $125K
Looks good: 3 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$3K
4% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 4% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
4
of 5 voting members
Looks good: 4 of 5 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$139K
-71% vs prior year
Spent
$263K
To programs
92%
Net assets
$60K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$139K
FY2023▼ -71%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$385K
FY2021$386K
FY2022$475K
FY2023$139K
FY2024$623K
FY2025$703K
Expenses
$263K
FY2023▼ -26%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$368K
FY2021$533K
FY2022$355K
FY2023$263K
FY2024$529K
FY2025$555K
Net assets
$60K
FY2023▼ -62%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$187K
FY2021$39K
FY2022$159K
FY2023$60K
FY2024$155K
FY2025$302K

From the FY2023 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2023 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Mar 2010.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

92 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 92% · $242K Management & general 6% · $15K Fundraising 2% · $5K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

6 people listed on the 990; $23K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Founder & Ce
$22,917Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary\tr
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Houston Cowen’s $58K as Founder & Ce is at the 47th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1043 $100K–1M public & societal benefit nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Dallas Blaney———$53,515$87,807$85,227
Houston Cowen$57,917$47,917$22,917$20,833——

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

See Challenge America executive salaries →

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Connects service members, veterans, and families to resources for community and purpose.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $242K · in their own filed words · FY2023
01

After completing a very successful pilot music therapy program with the va, we received a 1 year contract (with the va) to conduct 13 retreats in 8 different rural areas, by the end of september 2023. Each retreat enrolls 10 veterans with PTSD AND/OR MST.

$242Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2023
Total grants receivedfrom 3 funders$125K
See all 3 funders →
Grants paid · 6 grants · $111K · 2020–2021
Hermtac LLCFY2021$50,640
Electric Church INCFY2021$10,000
Wareologie LLCFY2021$10,000
Hermtac LLCFY2020$20,000
OkayaFY2020$10,000
Wareology LLCFY2020$10,000

By the numbers

The FY2023 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$139K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$138K
Investment incomeLn 3$132
Money outPt IX
$263K
Ln 25
Programscol B$242K
Managementcol C$15K
Fundraisingcol D$5K
Owns and owesPt X
$60K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$56K
Total assetsLn 16$63K
LiabilitiesLn 26$3K
PeoplePt VI, VII
6
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a5
IndependentVI 1b4
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$138K
Government grantsLn 1e$8K
Investment incomeLn 3$132
Total revenueLn 12$139K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
SavingsLn 2$56K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$56K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$4K
Total assetsLn 16$63K
LiabilitiesLn 26$3K
Net assetsLn 32$60K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 55
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY23End FY23
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$161K$56K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$2K$4K
Total assetsLn 16$195K$63K
LiabilitiesLn 26$36K$3K
Net assetsLn 32$159K$60K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$23K$20K$832$2K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$185K$179K$3K$2K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$2K$2K$30
Payroll taxesLn 10$19K$17K$1K$1K
Legal feesLn 11b$20$20
Accounting feesLn 11c$7K$7K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$690$690
Office expensesLn 13$7K$6K$456
Information technologyLn 14$8K$8K$550
OccupancyLn 16$2K$2K
TravelLn 17$4K$4K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$5K$5K
Total functional expensesLn 25$263K$242K$15K$5K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $703K$555K$148K$302K 990 PDF
FY2024 $623K$529K$94K$155K 990 PDF
FY2023 Viewing $139K$263K−$124K$60K 990 PDF
FY2022 $475K$355K$120K$159K 990 PDF
FY2021 $386K$533K−$148K$39K 990 PDF
FY2020 $385K$368K$17K$187K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2023 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $138,619 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $467,553$138,487
I-9 Program service revenue$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $32$132
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $7,155$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $474,740$138,619
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $291,056$228,837
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $63,790$33,687
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $354,846$262,524
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $119,894−$123,905
Part VI · Governance 4 of 5 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body5
VI-1b Independent voting members4
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $138,619 across 5 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$8,399
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$130,088
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$138,487
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $132$132
VIII-12 Total revenueExcluded from tax $132$138,619
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $262,524 across 12 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $20,421 · Management $832 · Fundraising $1,664$22,917
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $179,271 · Management $3,259 · Fundraising $2,494$185,024
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $1,888 · Management $30$1,918
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $16,899 · Management $1,076 · Fundraising $1,003$18,978
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $20$20
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $6,784$6,784
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $690$690
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $6,457 · Management $456$6,913
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $7,711 · Management $550$8,261
IX-16 OccupancyManagement $1,898$1,898
IX-17 TravelPrograms $4,174$4,174
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $4,947$4,947
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $242,458 · Management $14,905 · Fundraising $5,161$262,524
Part X · Balance sheet $63,039 assets, 9 lines filed
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $160,675$56,208
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $2,614$2,614
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $1,975$4,217
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $195,264$63,039
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $3,447$2,668
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $35,988$2,668
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $159,276$60,371
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $159,276$60,371
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $195,264$63,039
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $60,371 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$138,619
XI-2 Total expenses$262,524
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$123,905
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$159,276
XI-8 Prior period adjustments$25,000
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$60,371

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2023 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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