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.
72¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$73K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

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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
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
72%
of spending
Fine: 72% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$73K
to officers and key staff · 18% of spending
Fine: pay to officers and key staff is 18% of spending; 15% to 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
14 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 13.9 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
$33K
6% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 6% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
8
of 8 voting members
Looks good: 8 of 8 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$462K
+4% vs prior year
Spent
$408K
To programs
72%
Net assets
$502K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$462K
FY2023▲ +4%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$385K
FY2021$534K
FY2022$444K
FY2023$462K
FY2024$485K
Expenses
$408K
FY2023▲ +6%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$397K
FY2021$374K
FY2022$387K
FY2023$408K
FY2024$434K
Net assets
$502K
FY2023▲ +12%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$232K
FY2021$391K
FY2022$448K
FY2023$502K
FY2024$552K

From the FY2023 Form 990 · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2023 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2024) →

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

72 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 72% · $294K Management & general 17% · $70K Fundraising 11% · $44K

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

9 people listed on the 990; $73K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Di
$72,666Pt 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
Member at La
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Chair
$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 · $294K · in their own filed words · FY2023
01

Develop, plan, prepare and conduct outdoor learning programs for children in chapel hill, NC and surrounding areas. In 2023, the organization conducted 6 different educational programs in 15 number of sessions, serving 553 participants, 60 of whom were able to enroll based on scholarships provided by contributions to the organization.

$294Kprogram 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 FY2023 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$462K
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$320K
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$133K
Investment incomeLn 3$8K
Money outPt IX
$408K
Ln 25
Programscol B$294K
Managementcol C$70K
Fundraisingcol D$44K
Owns and owesPt X
$502K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$473K
Total assetsLn 16$534K
LiabilitiesLn 26$33K
PeoplePt VI, VII
9
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a8
IndependentVI 1b8
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$133K
Noncash giftsLn 1g$6K
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$9K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$320K
Investment incomeLn 3$8K
Other incomeLn 4–11$360
Total revenueLn 12$462K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$473K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$473K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$61K
Total assetsLn 16$534K
LiabilitiesLn 26$33K
Net assetsLn 32$502K
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 FY23End FY23
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$436K$473K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$69K$61K
Total assetsLn 16$505K$534K
LiabilitiesLn 26$57K$33K
Net assetsLn 32$448K$502K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$73K$44K$15K$15K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$195K$160K$12K$23K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$9K$9K
Payroll taxesLn 10$22K$22K
Accounting feesLn 11c$5K$5K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$27K$21K$6K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$947$474$473
Office expensesLn 13$1K$962$316
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$3K$3K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$11K$11K
InsuranceLn 23$5K$5K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$43K$38K$5K
All other expensesLn 24e$14K$11K$2K$685
Total functional expensesLn 25$408K$294K$70K$44K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest $485K$434K$51K$552K 990 PDF
FY2023 Viewing $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 FY2023 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $461,715 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $127,587$133,094
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $306,940$320,130
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $2,688$8,131
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $6,495$360
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $443,710$461,715
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $15,239$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $274,035$298,516
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $97,419$109,863
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $386,693$408,379
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $57,017$53,336
Part VI · Governance 8 of 8 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body8
VI-1b Independent voting members8
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 $461,715 across 8 lines filed
VIII-1c Fundraising events$8,798
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$124,296
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$6,000
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$133,094
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $320,130$320,130
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $8,131$8,131
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $360$360
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $320,490 · Excluded from tax $8,131$461,715
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $408,379 across 13 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $43,600 · Management $14,533 · Fundraising $14,533$72,666
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $160,071 · Management $11,713 · Fundraising $23,425$195,209
IX-9 Other employee benefitsManagement $8,981$8,981
IX-10 Payroll taxesManagement $21,660$21,660
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $4,700$4,700
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $21,193 · Management $6,211$27,404
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $474 · Fundraising $473$947
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $962 · Management $316$1,278
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $2,660$2,660
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $10,760$10,760
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $5,473$5,473
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $37,686 · Fundraising $5,244$42,930
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $10,969 · Management $2,057 · Fundraising $685$13,711
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $293,848 · Management $70,171 · Fundraising $44,360$408,379
Part X · Balance sheet $534,473 assets, 10 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $436,329$473,078
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $68,721$61,395
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $505,050$534,473
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $159$159
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $56,635$32,722
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $56,794$32,881
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $444,373$421,592
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $3,883$80,000
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $448,256$501,592
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $505,050$534,473
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $501,592 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$461,715
XI-2 Total expenses$408,379
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$53,336
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$448,256
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$501,592

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

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