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Colorado Longitudinal Study

EIN 81-5231484 · Fort Collins, CO

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak25 out of 100GovernanceGood71 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

ADVANCING THE HEALTH OF PEOPLE THROUGH ADVANCING THE SCIENCE OF MEDICINE. THE COLORADO LONGITUDINAL STUDY (COLS) IS BUILDING THE WORLD'S MOST COMPREHENSIVE LONGITUDINAL COLLECTION OF BIOLOGICAL SPECIMENS MATCHED WITH CLINICAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH DATA. THIS DATA WILL ENABLE RESEARCHERS TO STUDY THE COMPLEX RELATIONSHIPS THAT DETERMINE HEALTH, LEADING TO UNPRECEDENTED ADVANCES IN HEALTH, HEALTH CARE, AND HEALTH EQUITY.

Income
$400,058
Spending
$495,074
Spent on programs
57%
Reserves
-0.2 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 100%
Employees
6
Volunteers
6
Highest pay
$51,000, board vice c

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Weak: 25 out of 100. Higher than 3% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    0 of 35

    Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.

  • Debt

    2 of 20

    It owes 79% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 24% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 299% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    8 of 15

    57% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 21 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Good: 71 out of 100. Higher than 52% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    6 of 6 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    0 of 8

    Reports no written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    0 of 7

    Reports no 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

    0 of 5

    Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.

  • Independent check of accounts

    6 of 15

    Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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 December 31, 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. $283,878 spent. IN 2025, COLS CONTINUED TO STRENGTHEN ITS ORGANIZATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND ADVANCE ITS MISSION THROUGH STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS, PARTICIPANT ENGAGEMENT, AND PROGRAM GROWTH. BUILDING ON THE SUCCESSFUL LEADERSHIP TRANSITION INITIATED IN 2024, THE ORGANIZATION MAINTAINED CONTINUITY ACROSS STAFF AND BOARD LEADERSHIP WHILE CONTINUING TO RETAIN KEY TALENT AND INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND STAFF REMAINED FOCUSED ON EXPANDING PARTICIPANT ENGAGEMENT WITHIN THE COLS PROGRAM. A CONTINUED EMPHASIS WAS PLACED ON RE- ENGAGING PRIOR PARTICIPANTS TO FURTHER STRENGTHEN THE LONGITUDINAL IMPACT AND INTEGRITY OF THE STUDY. THESE EFFORTS SUPPORTED SUSTAINED PARTICIPANT RETENTION AND ENHANCED THE ORGANIZATION'S ABILITY TO COLLECT MEANINGFUL LONG-TERM DATA. DURING 2025, COLS ALSO EXPANDED ITS EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATIVE INITIATIVES. MOST NOTABLY, COLS BEGAN A COLLABORATION WITH THE CLINTON FOUNDATION TO EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR INCREASED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AWARENESS, AND SUPPORT SURROUNDING HEALTHY AGING AND LONGITUDINAL RESEARCH INITIATIVES. IN ADDITION, COLS CONTINUED ITS LONGSTANDING COLLABORATION WITH COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY'S COLUMBINE HEALTH SYSTEMS CENTER FOR HEALTHY AGING (CHA) AND THE HUMAN PERFORMANCE CLINICAL RESEARCH LABORATORY (HPCRL). THE CHA CONTINUED TO PROVIDE A WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE FOR PARTICIPANT VISITS, INCLUDING ACCESS TO CLINICAL AND PARTICIPANT PROCESSING FACILITIES. HPCRL STAFF CONTINUED TO SUPPORT THE HOUSING, MONITORING, AND PROCESSING OF BIOLOGICAL SPECIMENS WHILE PROVIDING ADDITIONAL EXPERTISE AND EQUIPMENT AS NEEDED TO SUPPORT ONGOING RESEARCH OPERATIONS. COLS ALSO CONTINUED IMPLEMENTATION AND REFINEMENT OF ITS FUNDRAISING AND DONOR MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS TO BETTER CAPTURE, ORGANIZE, AND TRACK AN EXPANDING PIPELINE OF PROSPECTIVE DONORS AND SUPPORTERS. THESE EFFORTS WERE UNDERTAKEN TO IMPROVE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY AND STRENGTHEN ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY FOR FUTURE GROWTH. IN 2025, COLS CONTINUED TO STRENGTHEN ITS ORGANIZATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND ADVANCE ITS MISSION THROUGH STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS, PARTICIPANT ENGAGEMENT, AND PROGRAM GROWTH. BUILDING ON THE SUCCESSFUL LEADERSHIP TRANSITION INITIATED IN 2024, THE ORGANIZATION MAINTAINED CONTINUITY ACROSS STAFF AND BOARD LEADERSHIP WHILE CONTINUING TO RETAIN KEY TALENT AND INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND STAFF REMAINED FOCUSED ON EXPANDING PARTICIPANT ENGAGEMENT WITHIN THE COLS PROGRAM. A CONTINUED EMPHASIS WAS PLACED ON RE- ENGAGING PRIOR PARTICIPANTS TO FURTHER STRENGTHEN THE LONGITUDINAL IMPACT AND INTEGRITY OF THE STUDY. THESE EFFORTS SUPPORTED SUSTAINED PARTICIPANT RETENTION AND ENHANCED THE ORGANIZATION'S ABILITY TO COLLECT MEANINGFUL LONG-TERM DATA. DURING 2025, COLS ALSO EXPANDED ITS EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATIVE INITIATIVES. MOST NOTABLY, COLS BEGAN A COLLABORATION WITH THE CLINTON FOUNDATION TO EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR INCREASED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AWARENESS, AND SUPPORT SURROUNDING HEALTHY AGING AND LONGITUDINAL RESEARCH INITIATIVES. IN ADDITION, COLS CONTINUED ITS LONGSTANDING COLLABORATION WITH COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY'S COLUMBINE HEALTH SYSTEMS CENTER FOR HEALTHY AGING (CHA) AND THE HUMAN PERFORMANCE CLINICAL RESEARCH LABORATORY (HPCRL). THE CHA CONTINUED TO PROVIDE A WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE FOR PARTICIPANT VISITS, INCLUDING ACCESS TO CLINICAL AND PARTICIPANT PROCESSING FACILITIES. HPCRL STAFF CONTINUED TO SUPPORT THE HOUSING, MONITORING, AND PROCESSING OF BIOLOGICAL SPECIMENS WHILE PROVIDING ADDITIONAL EXPERTISE AND EQUIPMENT AS NEEDED TO SUPPORT ONGOING RESEARCH OPERATIONS. COLS ALSO CONTINUED IMPLEMENTATION AND REFINEMENT OF ITS FUNDRAISING AND DONOR MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS TO BETTER CAPTURE, ORGANIZE, AND TRACK AN EXPANDING PIPELINE OF PROSPECTIVE DONORS AND SUPPORTERS. THESE EFFORTS WERE UNDERTAKEN TO IMPROVE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY AND STRENGTHEN ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY FOR FUTURE GROWTH.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 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 October 13, 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 November 6, 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 October 13, 2026.

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

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

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

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

    Recognized by the IRS since September 2017.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 November 4, 2026.

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