Wild Whatcom's mission is to foster lifelong connections with nature and community through outdoor exploration and service.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
89¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX

Before you give

FY2021 · 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
2 of 4
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $6K a year · under 1% of revenue · last 4 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 2 of the last 4 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 4 filings
Spent on programs
89%
of spending
Looks good: 89% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
14 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 13.8 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
2
named funders · $15K
Fine: 2 funders name it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$292K
40% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 40% 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
$851K
Spent
$626K
To programs
89%
Net assets
$431K
By yearFY2021–FY2025
Revenue
$851K
FY2021
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$851K
FY2023$1.1M
FY2024$930K
FY2025$1.2M
Expenses
$626K
FY2021
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021$626K
FY2023$998K
FY2024$1.1M
FY2025$1.2M
Net assets
$431K
FY2021
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$431K
FY2023$490K
FY2024$303K
FY2025$217K

From the FY2021 Form 990 (year ending August 2021) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2021 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 2013.

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

Where the money goes

89 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 89% · $556K Management & general 7% · $45K Fundraising 4% · $26K

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

7 people listed on the 990.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2020); the FY2021 filing did not itemize Part VII
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Samantha Jolly’s $75K as Executive Director is at the 16th percentile of top reported officer pay among 3395 $1–10M education 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.

See Wild Whatcom 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 people with nature and community through outdoor exploration and service.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $449K · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

School programs offer children the opportunity to explore and connect with the natural world near their school and neighborhoods. The program encourages students to develop a connection to local natural and cultural history through exploration, games, play, art, and nature activities.

$255Kprogram expense
02

Explorers club is a long-term, outdoor, youth mentoring program based on exploration, service, and connection. Our goals are to awaken and strengthen in youth a profound connection to the natural world; to instill a life-long ethic of service to the community; and to reinforce character traits that sustain the capacity for healthy…

$186Kprogram expense
03

Trips are three to seven day backpacking trips that utilize mentor- facilitated, multi-night learning and discovery outdoors. Length and difficulty of trips vary by age, but each is designed to increase leadership capacity, resilience and strength in the outdoors, and foster connection to self, community, and place.

$8Kprogram 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 · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 2 funders$15K
Grants paid · 1 grant · $81K · 2024–2024
Unitemized GrantFY2024$81,281

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$851K
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$473K
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$377K
Investment incomeLn 3$633
Money outPt IX
$626K
Ln 25
Programscol B$556K
Managementcol C$45K
Fundraisingcol D$26K
Owns and owesPt X
$431K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$718K
Total assetsLn 16$724K
LiabilitiesLn 26$292K
PeoplePt VI, VII
7
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a8
IndependentVI 1b8
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$377K
Government grantsLn 1e$87K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$473K
Investment incomeLn 3$633
Other incomeLn 4–11$325
Total revenueLn 12$851K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$9K
SavingsLn 2$709K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$718K
Total assetsLn 16$724K
LiabilitiesLn 26$292K
Net assetsLn 32$431K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 531
VolunteersI 6187
Fiscal year endsHeaderAugust
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 FY21End FY21
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$407K$718K
Total assetsLn 16$418K$724K
LiabilitiesLn 26$213K$292K
Net assetsLn 32$205K$431K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of disqualified personsLn 6$57K$29K$11K$17K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$394K$370K$22K$2K
Payroll taxesLn 10$40K$35K$3K$2K
Accounting feesLn 11c$6K$6K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$42K$42K$240
Advertising and promotionLn 12$8K$7K$315
Office expensesLn 13$4K$2K$651$2K
Information technologyLn 14$3K$2K$72$458
OccupancyLn 16$13K$12K$532$792
TravelLn 17$2K$2K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$3K$3K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$505$505
InsuranceLn 23$8K$8K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$47K$44K$2K$1K
Total functional expensesLn 25$626K$556K$45K$26K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $1.2M$1.2M−$83K$217K 990 PDF
FY2024 $930K$1.1M−$187K$303K 990 PDF
FY2023 $1.1M$998K$70K$490K 990 PDF
FY2022 Not on file
FY2021 Viewing $851K$626K$225K$431K 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 FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $850,906 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $214,612$376,563
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $287,308$473,385
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $1,429$633
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $301$325
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $503,650$850,906
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $444,398$491,112
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $68,098$134,594
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $512,496$625,706
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$8,846$225,200
Part VI · Governance 8 of 8 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body8
VI-1b Independent voting members8
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 $850,906 across 7 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$86,993
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$289,570
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$376,563
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $473,385$473,385
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $633$633
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $325$325
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $474,343$850,906
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $625,706 across 14 lines filed
IX-6 Pay of disqualified personsPrograms $28,669 · Management $11,468 · Fundraising $17,201$57,338
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $370,149 · Management $21,553 · Fundraising $2,297$393,999
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $35,157 · Management $2,906 · Fundraising $1,712$39,775
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $5,550$5,550
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $41,650 · Management $240$41,890
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $7,298 · Fundraising $315$7,613
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $1,628 · Management $651 · Fundraising $1,525$3,804
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $2,138 · Management $72 · Fundraising $458$2,668
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $11,876 · Management $532 · Fundraising $792$13,200
IX-17 TravelPrograms $1,902$1,902
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $2,610$2,610
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $505$505
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $8,204$8,204
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $43,742 · Management $1,571 · Fundraising $1,335$46,648
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $555,528 · Management $44,543 · Fundraising $25,635$625,706
Part X · Balance sheet $723,615 assets, 10 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $16,314$8,935
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $391,076$709,135
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $10,000$5,545
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $417,895$723,615
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $175,172$248,937
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $37,876$43,434
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $213,048$292,371
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $204,847$431,244
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $204,847$431,244
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $417,895$723,615
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $431,244 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$850,906
XI-2 Total expenses$625,706
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$225,200
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$204,847
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$1,197
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$431,244

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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