Nevada Outdoor School inspires exploration of the natural world, responsible stewardship of habitat and dedication to community. Our vision is for Nevadans to be healthy and engaged citizens who feel connected to the natural world and choose to explore the outdoors responsibly.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
85¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$56K 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

FY2020 · 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
3 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $33K a year · 4% of revenue · last 6 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
85%
of spending
Looks good: 85% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$56K
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
<1 mo
of spending, in cash
Worth a look: 0.9 months of spending in cash; under 1.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $12K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$13K
18% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 18% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
4
of 4 voting members
Looks good: 4 of 4 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$597K
Spent
$605K
To programs
85%
Net assets
$59K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$597K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$597K
FY2021$709K
FY2022$738K
FY2023$982K
FY2024$1.1M
FY2025$959K
Expenses
$605K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$605K
FY2021$686K
FY2022$759K
FY2023$846K
FY2024$1.0M
FY2025$993K
Net assets
$59K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$59K
FY2021$81K
FY2022$59K
FY2023$202K
FY2024$315K
FY2025$286K

From the FY2020 Form 990 (year ending September 2020) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2020 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 Feb 2004.

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

Where the money goes

85 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 85% · $512K Management & general 10% · $58K Fundraising 6% · $35K

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

5 people listed on the 990; $56K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2019); the FY2020 filing did not itemize Part VII
Executive Di
$56,400Pt VII · Sec A
President/Tr
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Melanie Erquiaga’s $69K as Executive Director is at the 50th 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

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Melanie Erquiaga$68,993$66,146$66,279$61,246$54,810$56,400

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 Nevada Outdoor School 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

Provides outdoor and environmental education programs for students, promoting responsible stewardship and community involvement.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $512K · in their own filed words · FY2019
01

Americorps State Corporation for National & Community Service

Nevada outdoor school (nos) is a subgrantee for the americorps state formula program in nevada. The americorps program at nos offers opportunities for partner non-profit and government agencies to host a national service member to help advance their mission.

$400Kprogram expense
02

Bureau of Land Management

Nevada outdoor school (nos) has maintained an assistance agreement with the BLM for the past 13 years acting as their primary partner for planning and implementation of environmental education and interpretation projects in alignment with goals for the black rock desert high rock canyon emigrant trails national conservation area and the…

$75Kprogram expense
03

State of Nevada, Division of State Parks

Nevada outdoor school has maintained a strong and consistent funding partnership with nevada state parks recreational trails program for several years. This grant helps us maintain the buckskin and table mountain ohv trails in the santa rosa mountains, but mainly supports our outdoor ethics education program where we travel all across…

$37Kprogram 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 · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$12K

By the numbers

The FY2020 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$597K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$599K
Investment incomeLn 3$16
Money outPt IX
$605K
Ln 25
Programscol B$512K
Managementcol C$58K
Fundraisingcol D$35K
Owns and owesPt X
$59K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$44K
Total assetsLn 16$72K
LiabilitiesLn 26$13K
PeoplePt VI, VII
5
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a4
IndependentVI 1b4
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$599K
Government grantsLn 1e$418K
Noncash giftsLn 1g$24K
Investment incomeLn 3$16
Total revenueLn 12$597K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
SavingsLn 2$44K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$44K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$27K
Total assetsLn 16$72K
LiabilitiesLn 26$13K
Net assetsLn 32$59K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 525
VolunteersI 60
Fiscal year endsHeaderSeptember
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 FY20End FY20
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$48K$44K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$36K$27K
Total assetsLn 16$84K$72K
LiabilitiesLn 26$15K$13K
Net assetsLn 32$68K$59K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$56K$17K$23K$16K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$341K$310K$15K$15K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$4K$4K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$18K$18K
Payroll taxesLn 10$34K$28K$3K$3K
Accounting feesLn 11c$4K$4K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$4K$3K$924
Office expensesLn 13$5K$4K$2K
OccupancyLn 16$32K$26K$6K
TravelLn 17$31K$31K$605
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$3K$3K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$8K$8K
InsuranceLn 23$22K$17K$4K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$38K$38K
All other expensesLn 24e$5K$5K$122
Total functional expensesLn 25$605K$512K$58K$35K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $959K$993K−$34K$286K 990 PDF
FY2024 $1.1M$1.0M$104K$315K 990 PDF
FY2023 $982K$846K$137K$202K 990 PDF
FY2022 $738K$759K−$21K$59K 990 PDF
FY2021 $709K$686K$23K$81K 990 PDF
FY2020 Viewing $597K$605K−$8K$59K 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 FY2020 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $596,666 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $635,709$598,625
I-9 Program service revenue$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year −$2,919,772$16
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $14,942−$1,975
I-12 Total revenuePrior year −$2,269,121$596,666
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $550,130$452,590
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $140,157$152,247
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $690,287$604,837
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$2,959,408−$8,171
Part VI · Governance 4 of 4 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body4
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 $596,666 across 7 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$417,511
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$181,114
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$24,250
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$598,625
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $16$16
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising events−$1,975
VIII-12 Total revenueExcluded from tax $16$596,666
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $604,837 across 15 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $17,400 · Management $22,560 · Fundraising $16,440$56,400
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $310,227 · Management $15,200 · Fundraising $15,258$340,685
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $4,300$4,300
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $17,506$17,506
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $27,659 · Management $3,268 · Fundraising $2,772$33,699
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $3,683$3,683
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $3,455 · Fundraising $924$4,379
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $3,552 · Management $1,523$5,075
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $25,866 · Management $6,466$32,332
IX-17 TravelPrograms $30,888 · Management $605$31,493
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $3,079$3,079
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $7,560$7,560
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $17,369 · Management $4,342$21,711
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $37,764$37,764
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $5,049 · Management $122$5,171
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $511,674 · Management $57,769 · Fundraising $35,394$604,837
Part X · Balance sheet $72,254 assets, 9 lines filed
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $47,500$44,481
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred charges$422
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $36,013$27,351
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $83,513$72,254
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $15,074$13,089
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $15,074$13,089
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $68,439$59,165
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $68,439$59,165
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $83,513$72,254
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $59,165 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$596,666
XI-2 Total expenses$604,837
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$8,171
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$68,439
XI-9 Other changes in net assets−$1,103
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$59,165

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2020 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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