Ruck-Up Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO HELP VETERANS IN CRISIS OR NEED, AND HELP SOLVE FINANCIAL, PHYSICAL, OR ADVOCACY NEEDS THAT CANNOT BE MET BY MEANS OF MAINSTREAM VETERAN'S ORGANIZATIONS, OR THE VETERAN'S ADMINISTRATION ALONE.
- Income
- $225,518
- Spending
- $193,026
- Spent on programs
- 87%
- Reserves
- 12.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 92%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 0
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 87% of charities in its peer group (human services, under $250k).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 12.9 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 1% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 14% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 23% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1587% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 91% of charities in its peer group (human services, under $250k).
Independent board
25 of 2512 of 12 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.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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)
- $168,340 spent. PROGRAM NARRATIVE AND SERVICES BREAKDOWN: SINCE IT'S VERY HUMBLE BEGINNINGS AS AN IDEA AROUND A PICNIC TABLE AT SURRY DAM PARK, RUCK UP'S EFFORTS AND GOALS HAVE FOCUSED ON TRYING TO HELP VETERANS IN NEW ENGLAND BY "FILLING THE GAP" ON SERVICES AND ASSISTANCE THAT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS MISS OR ARE UNABLE TO HELP WITH. WE DO THAT KEEPING TO OUR 3 "PILLARS" OF SUPPORTIVE SERVICE- ADVOCACY, OUTREACH [INCLUDES EFFORTS IN SUICIDE PREVENTION], AND COUNSELING. ALL THIS IS DONE BY VOLUNTEERS, AND WITH DONATIONS OR GRANTS ONLY. WE RECEIVE ABSOLUTELY NO STATE OR FEDERAL FUNDS. IN 2020 WE SERVED 363 VETS AND FAMILIES IN NEW ENGLAND, RISING TO 402 IN 2021, SPIKING TO 730 IN 2023, AND THIS 457 THIS YEAR IN 2024.ADVOCACY SERVICES- RUCK UP PROVIDES FREE ADVOCACY AND ASSISTANCE SERVICES FOR VA AND SOCIAL SECURITY CLAIMS IN OUR CATCHMENT AREA. IN 2021, THAT MEANT MORE THAN $1,480,355 IN BENEFITS AND SERVICES "WON" ON BEHALF OF OUR CLIENT VETERANS WE SERVE, OVER $1,640,000 IN 2023. THAT INCLUDES NOT ONLY DISABILITY BENEFITS, BUT ALSO VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION BENEFITS WITH THE VA. MUCH OF OUR TIME AND EFFORTS GO INTO RECORDS RETRIEVAL, INTERACTION WITH TREATING MEDICAL AGENCIES, FILING, AND PRESSING CLAIMS. THIS TAKES UP MUCH OF OUR ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS. FY24: $1,889,806 IN BENEFITS AND SERVICES "WON", OVER $13.4 MILLION IN 8 YEARS.OUTREACH SERVICES - WHILE OUR OUTREACH SERVICES INCLUDE OTHER EFFORTS, A GOOD PORTION OF THEM IS OUR FOOD AND CLOTHING SHELF FOR VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES IN NEED. WE HELP FILL A GAP OFTEN NOT MET BY OTHER LOCAL AGENCIES, AND WE WORK SIDE BY SIDE WITH THE KEENE COMMUNITY KITCHEN IN OUR EFFORTS. UNTIL THE 2020 PANDEMIC, OUR EFFORTS ALSO INCLUDED FEEDING LOCAL AREA VETS EVERY FRIDAY WITH A "NO-COST COOKOUT", AND EVERY YEAR WE FEED AREA VETS AT THANKSGIVING WHO HAVE NO ONE TO SHARE IT WITH. OUR FOOD SHELF HAS CONTINUED TO BE OPERATIONAL, AND IN 2023, RUCK UP GAVE OUT MORE THAN 2.97 TONS OF FOOD AND CLOTHING TO VETERANS IN NEED, WITH A COST OF $65,000 IN FOOD & CLOTHING. THAT ROSE SIGNIFICANTLY THIS YEAR, 2024, TO 3.18 TONS OF FOOD & CLOTHING.HOMELESS PREVENTION - IN OUR LOCAL KEENE COMMUNITY, WE INTERACT WITH OTHER COMMUNITY AGENCIES IN HELPING VETERANS WITH EMERGENCY HOUSING AND FOOD, BUT ALSO IN THE LAST FEW YEARS WE HAVE HELPED VETERANS OBTAIN HOUSING OR SAVE THE HOMES THEY ARE IN WITH "HOMELESS PREVENTION" FUNDS WORKED IN COOPERATION WITH AGENCIES SUCH AS EASTER SEALS, FRIENDS OF VETERANS, VETS INC, VA HUD/VASH, HARBOR HOMES, AND OUR LOCAL VVA, VFW, AND AMERICAN LEGION RIDERS. THIS HAS BEEN OUR BIGGEST AREA OF GROWTH IN THE LAST 7 YEARS. THESE GRANTS, PAYABLE ONLY TO UTILITIES AND MORTGAGE FIRMS/LANDLORDS, ARE AT MAXIMUM OF $600 PER VETERAN, PER YEAR, UNLESS SPECIFICALLY RAISED BY CASE BY THE BOARD. WE CANNOT DO MORE. BUT THE COORDINATION BETWEEN US AND OTHER AGENCIES HAS KEPT FAMILIES HOUSED IN SOME SEVERE CIRCUMSTANCES. IN 2018, $5,200 WAS COMMITTED TO AIDING VETERANS WITH RENT, UTILITIES, AND BASIC SERVICES ASSISTANCE IN WORK WITH OTHER AGENCIES. THOSE NUMBERS ROSE TO:-$13,205 IN 2019 -IN 2020, 71 VETS WERE AIDED AT A COST OF $37,500 -IN 2021, $59,530 - 2022, $83,000 AIDING VETS -IN FY23 $84,400 AND THIS LAST YEAR 2024 , $93,657 IN DIRECT AID, ASSISTANCE, AND FOOD WAS PROVIDED TO VETERANS IN NEW ENGLAND. ALONG WITH THE OTHER COMMUNITY OUTREACH EFFORTS WE MAKE, RUCK UP EVERY YEAR FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS NOW, HAS HOSTED AND PROVIDED TO AREA VETERANS AND FAMILIES ALL THE SUPPORTS AND SUPPLIES TO DO THE YEARLY "CANDLE VIGIL IN THE PARK". EACH MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, IN AN EFFORT LIKE THE "MOVING WALL" VETERANS GATHER TO PAY HONOR TO THE MEN AND WOMEN LOST IN SERVICE TO OUR NATION FROM OUR AREA. EVERY YEAR, MORE THAN 4,200 CANDLES THAT RUCK UP PROVIDES, ALONG WITH ALL THE SUPPORTIVE STAFF AND EQUIPMENT, HELP LIGHT UP THE CENTER OF KEENE, NH IN HONOR OF OUR VETERANS AND THE FALLEN. COUNSELING SERVICES- RUCK UP HELPS PROVIDE VET2VET PEER COUNSELING AND AA SERVICES FOR VETERANS FROM NOT ONLY NH, BUT ALSO VT, AND WESTERN MA. IN 2020, RUCK UP PROVIDED MORE THAN 2,500 HOURS OF FREE COUNSELING SERVICES TO THE VETERANS WE SERVE, THAT NUMBER OF HOURS INCREASING TO 2,742 CLINICAL HOURS IN 2021, AND OVER 2,950 HOURS IN 2024. THIS INCLUDED CASE MANAGEMENT AND INTERACTION WITH THE VA MEDICAL SYSTEMS MEDICATION MANAGER AT OUR LOCAL VA CBOC, AS WELL AS DIRECT COOPERATION WITH THE VA MEDICAL CENTERS IN THE REGION FOR HOSPITALIZATION AND PSYCHIATRY FOLLOW UP SERVICES. THAT PART ALONE HAS BECOME VERY SIGNIFICANT WITH THE VA HOSPITALS REGIONALLY "SHUTTING THEIR DOORS" FOR MENTAL HEALTH HOSPITALIZATION DURING MUCH OF THE PANDEMIC AND THE POST-COVID MONTHS, AND NOW STILL MOSTLY FOCUSING ON "ZOOM OR OFF SITE VIDEO COUNSELING, WHICH HAS UNFORTUNATELY A STILL PROBLEMATIC SUCCESS RATE WITH MOST VETERANS- WHO REFUSE TO SEE ANY COUNSELOR, IF NOT IN PERSON. OUR PTSD AND MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM WORKS IN CLOSE CONJUNCTION WITH AA AND SUBSTANCE DISORDER RESOURCES, WITH 2 OF OUR STAFF ON SITE NOW ALSO BEING STATE LICENSED ALCOHOL & DRUG COUNSELORS. RUCK UP'S STAFF ALSO OFTEN COORDINATES OUTSIDE MULTIPLE SEPARATE HOSPITALIZATIONS WITH OUTSIDE MENTAL HEALTH AGENCIES TO HELP VETERANS IN CRISIS, INCLUDING NOT JUST VA PROGRAMS, BUT ALSO GRANITE RECOVERY. _____$605,000_IN SERVICES___ 13,476 TOTAL VOLUNTEERS HOURS FROM ALL OUR STAFF VETERAN'S SUICIDE PREVENTION- - IN ADDITION TO OUR PRIMARY EFFORTS IN ADVOCACY, OUTREACH, AND COUNSELING, RUCK UP HAS BUILT A CLOSE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION [AFSP]. RUCK UP HELPS PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION, AND ASSISTANCE TO THE VETERANS WHO MAKE UP THE TEAM AND MAKE THE WALK, PRIMARILY TO HELP THE TEAM GIVE THEIR BEST EFFORTS. NONE OF RUCK UP'S FUNDS GO TO AFSP DIRECTLY, BUT IN SUPPORT OF THE VETERAN'S MAKING THE GRUELING 18 MILE WALK AGAINST SUICIDE. THE TEAM OF VETERAN'S THEMSELVES, [MANY OF WHOM MAKE THE EFFORT DESPITE DISABILITIES], RAISE DIRECT SPONSOR MONIES TO HELP AFSP IN THEIR MISSION. IN 2020-21, RUCK UP WAS TASKED TO OVERCOME THE DIFFICULTIES OF COV
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since September 2015.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 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.