Skip to the page content
Your donations
Passes our checks

Comprehensive Advanced Life Support Program

EIN 20-1240867 · Plymouth, MN

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair68 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

CALS (COMPREHENSIVE ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT) IS AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRAINING NEEDS OF PHYSICIANS, PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS, NURSE PRACTITIONERS, RNS, LPNS, PARAMEDICS, AND ALLIED HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS (EG. CRNAS AND RESPIRATORY THERAPISTS) WHO WORK IN RURAL, REMOTE, OR GLOBAL SETTINGS. RURAL EMERGENCY CARE TEAMS ARE, BY NECESSITY, FRONT-LINE EMERGENCY CARE PROVIDERS WHO MUST ADEQUATELY EVALUATE AND STABILIZE CRITICALLY ILL/INJURED PATIENTS BEFORE TRANSFER TO A MEDICAL CENTER WITH GREATER TREATMENT CAPACITY. IN MANY CASES, THE MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS HAVE A MORE GENERALIST BACKGROUND RATHER THAN EMERGENCY MEDICINE. IN LIGHT OF THE ACCESS BARRIERS WHICH EXIST BETWEEN RURAL AND URBAN MEDICAL CENTERS, ADDITIONAL TRAINING IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT IN RURAL COMMUNITY HOSPITALS, OFTEN DEFINED AS CRITICAL ACCESS HOSPITALS (CAHS). CALS COMBINES THE CONCEPTS CONTAINED IN MANY OF THE OTHER ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT COURSES, PROVIDING A CUSTOMIZABLE, TE

Income
$1.3 million
Spending
$1.3 million
Spent on programs
86%
Reserves
4 months of spending
Largest source of income
government grants, 56%
Employees
7
Volunteers
20
Highest pay
$136,410, executive director

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Fair: 68 out of 100. Higher than 35% of charities in its peer group (public safety and disaster relief, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 4.0 months of spending.

  • Debt

    10 of 20

    It owes 30% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    8 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 3% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 13% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    86% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 90% of charities in its peer group (public safety and disaster relief, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    13 of 15 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (1)
  1. $1.2 million spent. THE CALS PROGRAM PROVIDES A SINGLE CURRICULUM UNIQUELY SUITED FOR RESOURCE-CONSTRAINED ENVIRONMENTS SUCH AS IN THE RURAL SETTING. THE CALS PROGRAM PROVIDES EMERGENCY MEDICINE FOR RURAL AND REMOTE COMMUNITIES. DURING THE PAST YEAR, CALS PROVIDED COURSES IN MULTIPLE STATES INCLUDING MINNESOTA, WISCONSIN, NORTH DAKOTA, OKLAHOMA, ALASKA, AND MONTANA EDUCATING APPROXIMATELY 900 HEALTHCARE INDIVIDUALS RESPONSIBLE FOR EMERGENCY CARE IN RURAL AND REMOTE COMMUNITIES WITH COMPREHENSIVE ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT TRAINING. IN THE UNITED STATES RESIDENTS OF RURAL US COMMUNITIES HAVE HIGHER MATERNAL AND INFANT MORTALITY IN COMPARED WITH URBAN RESIDENTS. MOST AREAS LACKING MATERNITY CARE ARE RURAL. THE CALS PROGRAM PROVIDED ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR RURAL OBSTETRIC EMERGENCY EDUCATION AND NEONATAL RESUSCITATION TRAINING TO 112 MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS WHO WORK IN RURAL COMMUNITIES. THE NEED FOR SUCH EDUCATION IS NEEDED DESPERATELY AS THE SERVICES FOR DELIVERY AND CARE ARE DIMINISHED IN RURAL AND REMOTE AREAS AND MORTALITY IS HIGH. THE CALS PROGRAM IS PROUD TO BE THE EXCLUSIVE PROVIDER OF INITIAL EMERGENCY TRAINING TO US EMBASSY MEDICAL PERSONAL WORKING AT THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE AROUND THE GLOBE. NEW ORIENTEES IN THE PROGRAM COMPLETED TRAINING. OVER 2,400 OF THE US DEPARTMENT OF STATE FOREIGN-SERVICE MEDICAL PERSONNEL HAVE COMPLETED CALS TRAINING OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS. CALS CONTINUES TO BE RECOGNIZED AS A UNIQUE PROVIDER OF RURAL EMERGENCY MEDICINE EDUCATION AND IS RECOGNIZED BY THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF FAMILY PHYSICIANS AND THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE AS A PROVIDER OF RURAL ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT TRAINING.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since December 2004.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.