Learning Outside Inc. provides hands-on, experiential outdoor learning opportunities for children that enhance current lives and learning, instill a love of nature and promote lifelong stewardship of the Earth.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
74¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 37 volunteers and 7 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2024 · 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
FY2024
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
4 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $62K a year · 13% of revenue · last 5 filings
Fine: a surplus in 4 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
74%
of spending
Fine: 74% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$70K
to officers and key staff · 16% of spending
Fine: pay to officers and key staff is 16% of spending; 15% to 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
15 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 14.6 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
3
named funders · $55K
Looks good: 3 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$25K
4% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 4% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
7
of 7 voting members
Looks good: 7 of 7 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$485K
+5% vs prior year
Spent
$434K
To programs
74%
Net assets
$552K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$485K
FY2024▲ +5%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$385K
FY2021$534K
FY2022$444K
FY2023$462K
FY2024$485K
Expenses
$434K
FY2024▲ +6%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$397K
FY2021$374K
FY2022$387K
FY2023$408K
FY2024$434K
Net assets
$552K
FY2024▲ +10%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$232K
FY2021$391K
FY2022$448K
FY2023$502K
FY2024$552K

From the FY2024 Form 990 · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Oct 2011.

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

Where the money goes

74 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 74% · $321K Management & general 18% · $76K Fundraising 8% · $37K

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

8 people listed on the 990; $70K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Di
$70,355Pt VII · Sec A
Member at La
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Member at La
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Member at La
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Member at La
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Wendy B Banning’s $70K as Executive Di is at the 52nd percentile of top reported officer pay among 1989 $100K–1M environment 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 · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Wendy B Banning$70,355$72,666$81,860$84,475$87,668

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 Learning Outside INC 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

Offers children hands-on outdoor learning to foster nature love and environmental stewardship.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $321K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Develop, plan, prepare and conduct outdoor learning programs for children in chapel hill, NC and surrounding areas. In 2024, the organization conducted 7 different educational programs in 27 sessions,serving 471 participants, 70 of whom were able to enroll based on scholarships provided by contributions to the organization.

$321Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

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

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2024
Total grants receivedfrom 3 funders$55K
See all 3 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$485K
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$300K
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$163K
Investment incomeLn 3$21K
Money outPt IX
$434K
Ln 25
Programscol B$321K
Managementcol C$76K
Fundraisingcol D$37K
Owns and owesPt X
$552K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$527K
Total assetsLn 16$578K
LiabilitiesLn 26$25K
PeoplePt VI, VII
8
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a7
IndependentVI 1b7
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$163K
Noncash giftsLn 1g$9K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$300K
Investment incomeLn 3$21K
Other incomeLn 4–11$1K
Total revenueLn 12$485K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$527K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$527K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$51K
Total assetsLn 16$578K
LiabilitiesLn 26$25K
Net assetsLn 32$552K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 57
VolunteersI 637
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$473K$527K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$61K$51K
Total assetsLn 16$534K$578K
LiabilitiesLn 26$33K$25K
Net assetsLn 32$502K$552K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$70K$46K$12K$12K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$204K$166K$20K$18K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$9K$9K
Payroll taxesLn 10$24K$1K$23K
Accounting feesLn 11c$2K$2K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$29K$21K$7K$750
Advertising and promotionLn 12$1K$1K$148
Office expensesLn 13$4K$3K$161$418
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$425$425
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$11K$11K
InsuranceLn 23$6K$6K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$59K$58K$1K
All other expensesLn 24e$15K$8K$3K$4K
Total functional expensesLn 25$434K$321K$76K$37K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest Viewing $485K$434K$51K$552K 990 PDF
FY2023 $462K$408K$53K$502K 990 PDF
FY2022 $444K$387K$57K$448K 990 PDF
FY2021 $534K$374K$160K$391K 990 PDF
FY2020 $385K$397K−$12K$232K 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 FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $484,982 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $133,094$162,620
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $320,130$299,873
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $8,131$21,351
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $360$1,138
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $461,715$484,982
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $298,516$306,962
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $109,863$127,121
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $408,379$434,083
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $53,336$50,899
Part VI · Governance 7 of 7 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body7
VI-1b Independent voting members7
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $484,982 across 7 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$162,620
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$8,606
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$162,620
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $299,873$299,873
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $21,351$21,351
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $1,138$1,138
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $301,011 · Excluded from tax $21,351$484,982
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $434,083 across 13 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $46,247 · Management $12,054 · Fundraising $12,054$70,355
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $165,525 · Management $20,051 · Fundraising $18,242$203,818
IX-9 Other employee benefitsManagement $8,926$8,926
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $1,354 · Management $22,509$23,863
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $1,895$1,895
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $20,977 · Management $7,040 · Fundraising $750$28,767
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $1,241 · Fundraising $148$1,389
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $3,312 · Management $161 · Fundraising $418$3,891
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $425$425
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $10,528$10,528
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $5,728$5,728
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $57,847 · Fundraising $1,458$59,305
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $7,998 · Management $3,456 · Fundraising $3,739$15,193
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $321,182 · Management $76,092 · Fundraising $36,809$434,083
Part X · Balance sheet $577,948 assets, 10 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $473,078$527,082
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $61,395$50,866
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $534,473$577,948
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $159$1,462
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $32,722$23,995
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $32,881$25,457
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $421,592$462,491
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $80,000$90,000
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $501,592$552,491
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $534,473$577,948
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $552,491 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$484,982
XI-2 Total expenses$434,083
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$50,899
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$501,592
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$552,491

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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