Snowbird Outfitters Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
SNOWBIRD WILDERNESS OUTFITTERS IS A HIGH-ADVENTURE CHRISTIAN CAMP FOCUSED ON PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST THROUGH THE EXPOSITION OF SCRIPTURE AND PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS IN ORDER TO EQUIP THE CHURCH TO IMPACT THIS GENERATION. SEE SCHEDULE O.
- Income
- $6.3 million
- Spending
- $6.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 87%
- Reserves
- 2.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 83%
- Employees
- 196
- Highest pay
- $140,333, exec dir president
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 65 out of 100. Higher than 35% of charities in its peer group (youth development, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 2.9 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 44% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 4% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 6% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1586% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 9 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 64% of charities in its peer group (youth development, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 255 of 7 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 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 (4)
- $3.9 million spent. *SUMMER CAMP* -- SNOWBIRD WILDERNESS OUTFITTERS HOSTS TEN CONSECUTIVE WEEKS OF SUMMER CAMP THAT CENTER ON BOLD EXPOSITIONAL PREACHING, HIGH-ADVENTURE RECREATION, AND GOSPEL CENTERED DISCIPLESHIP. WE OFFER NEARLY TWO-DOZEN HIGH-ADVENTURE RECREATION OPTIONS BOTH ON AND OFF CAMPUS. GROUPS HAVE THE OPTION TO PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS THROUGH SNOWBIRD MISSIONS OUTREACH, WHERE STUDENTS ASSIST IN BUILDING PROJECTS FOR INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, SCHOOLS, AND NONPROFITS IN NEED. OUR SUMMER CAMPS HOST TWO WORSHIP SERVICES PER DAY, ENGAGING STUDENTS THROUGH SONG, EXPOSITIONAL PREACHING, DRAMA, AND VIDEO. DAILY BREAKOUT SESSIONS COVER A WIDE RANGE OF RELEVANT TOPICS, SUCH AS APOLOGETICS AND MISSIONS TO RELATIONSHIPS AND BIBLE DOCTRINE. EACH DAY CONCLUDES WITH SMALL GROUP SESSIONS, ALLOWING OUR STAFF TO ENGAGE PERSONALLY WITH STUDENTS AND ENCOURAGING YOUTH GROUPS TO GROW IN CHRIST. SNOWBIRD HOSTS OVER SIX THOUSAND STUDENTS FROM OVER 200 CHURCHES EACH SUMMER.
- $1.1 million spent. *CONFERENCES AND RETREATS* -- SNOWBIRD WILDERNESS OUTFITTERS OFFERS YEAR-ROUND CONFERENCES AND RETREATS FOR STUDENTS, CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS, AND ADULTS. THESE EVENTS ARE CENTERED AROUND WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND OFFER OUR ON-CAMPUS HIGH-ADVENTURE RECREATION. EACH CONFERENCE AND RETREAT HAS A TEACHING FOCUS AND MAINTAINS THE MISSION OF SWO, TO PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL THROUGH THE EXPOSITION OF SCRIPTURE AND PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS IN ORDER TO EQUIP THE CHURCH TO IMPACT THIS GENERATION.
- $194,839 spent. *EDUCATIONAL AND DISCIPLESHIP TRAINING* -- THE SNOWBIRD INSTITUTE IS A YEAR-LONG, DISCIPLESHIP PROGRAM THAT HOSTS 30-40 COLLEGE STUDENTS ANNUALLY. THE INSTITUTE FOCUSES ON THEOLOGICAL TRAINING AND PRACTICAL MINISTRY EXPERIENCE. THE SWO INSTITUTE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH JUDSON COLLEGE AT SOUTHEASTERN BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY PROVIDES IN-PERSON UNDERGRADUATE COLLEGE TRANSFER CREDIT FOR BIBLICAL CLASSES. THESE CLASSES ARE OFFERED AT NO COST TO THE STUDENT. IN ADDITION, EACH INSTITUTE STUDENT GETS MINISTRY EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS DURING SNOWBIRD EVENTS AND WITH LOCAL AT-RISK YOUTH. THE LMNT (LEADERSHIP, MENTORSHIP, NEXT GEN, TEAM) PROGRAM IS A 10-WEEK SUMMER PROGRAM THAT HOSTS 40 HIGH-SCHOOL-AGE STUDENTS. THIS DISCIPLESHIP PROGRAM FOCUSES ON THE MENTORSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEXT GENERATION OF YOUNG LEADERS.
- FORM 990, PART III, LINE 1 - ORGANIZATION MISSION:SNOWBIRD WILDERNESS OUTFITTERS (SWO) IS A HIGH-ADVENTURE CHRISTIAN CAMP FOCUSED ON PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST THROUGH THE EXPOSITION OF SCRIPTURE AND PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS IN ORDER TO EQUIP THE CHURCH TO IMPACT THIS GENERATION.SWO IS LOCATED IN THE MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. SWO HOSTS OVER 6,000 STUDENTS IN THE SUMMER PROGRAM. ITS YEAR-ROUND DISCIPLESHIP WEEKENDS AND 10 WEEKS OF SUMMER CAMP SERVE OVER 12,000 CAMPERS ANNUALLY.- -IN ADDITION, SNOWBIRD PROVIDES THEOLOGICAL DISCIPLESHIP PROGRAMS WITH THE SNOWBIRD INSTITUTE - A BIBLICAL THEOLOGICAL UNDERGRADUATE COLLEGE TRANSFER CREDIT PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SEVERAL THEOLOGICAL UNIVERSITIES. CLASSES MEET IN-PERSON AT CAMP AND ARE LED BY A TEAM OF QUALIFIED PROFESSORS. THIS GIVES INSTITUTE STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO GROW IN BIBLICAL KNOWLEDGE AND EARN CLASS CREDITS TO OUR PARTNER UNIVERSITIES WHILE GETTING HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE IN MINISTRY.--EVERYTHING AT SWO FROM WHITEWATER RAFTING, RAPPELLING, AND CLIMBING TO USING RELEVANT DRAMA, BREAKOUT SESSIONS, AND WORSHIP, IS USED AS A PLATFORM TO TEACH GODS WORD AND TO BUILD LONG-LASTING RELATIONSHIPS WITH STUDENTS TO SEE THEM GROW IN THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND LOVE FOR JESUS CHRIST.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
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 October 13, 2026.
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 October 13, 2026.
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 October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending September 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since February 1998.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
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 21, 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.