Colorado Boys Ranch Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- Only 38% of its spending went to programs.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
Our mission is to help Colorado youth develop the resilience to thrive and become hopeful, productive citizens.
- Income
- $445,464
- Spending
- $287,390
- Spent on programs
- 38%
- Reserves
- 82.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 51%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 15
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
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 70% of charities in its peer group (mental health, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 82.5 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 3% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 35% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 70% on the year before.
Spending floor
0 of 1538% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 28 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
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 73% of charities in its peer group (mental health, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
18 of 254 of 4 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
0 of 7Reports no 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.
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 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 (2)
- $108,817 spent. The organization connects partners and opportunities to youth, identifying and supporting those facing and overcoming adversity who may otherwise be overlooked. Through its Resilience Initiativecomprised of three programs, HERO-WITHIN, Bounce Back, and Human-Animal Connectionthe organization recognizes and supports youth developing resilience at different stages. During the fiscal year, the organization expanded from one to three programs and directly served more than 175 youth, an increase from approximately 25 in the prior year. In support of this growth, the organization invested in operational and infrastructure capacity; accordingly, management and general expenses may be elevated in the short term, with program service ratios expected to improve as scale increases.
- CBR YouthConnect is an operating entity of the Colorado Boys Ranch Foundation, which has supported youth-serving programs for more than 65 years. The Foundation provides significant financial support for core operating and administrative functions, allowing a substantial portion of external donor contributions to be directed toward program delivery and youth impact.During the fiscal year, the organization experienced a period of intentional growth and capacity building. Investments were made in financial management systems, accounting infrastructure, and outreach capacity to support expansion of programs and ensure long-term sustainability. These investments are reflected in management and general expenses and are part of a strategic effort to scale program impact across Colorado.The organization expanded its Resilience Initiative from one program to three, including: (1) HERO-WITHIN, which provides individualized opportunity grants to youth demonstrating resilience; (2) Bounce Back, which supports youth actively overcoming adversity; and (3) Human-Animal Connection, which engages youth through therapeutic and experiential connections with animals.As a result of this expansion, the number of youth directly served increased from approximately 25 in the prior year to more than 175 during the current fiscal year. The organization anticipates continued growth and increased program efficiency as recent infrastructure and capacity investments mature, with a goal of serving more than 400 youth in the following fiscal year.Due to the organizations operating model and current stage of growth, the allocation of expenses between program services and management and general categories in this reporting period may not fully reflect the organizations long-term cost structure. Capacity-building investments and the timing of program expansion have resulted in comparatively higher management and general expenses in the short term. As program scale increases and infrastructure investments are leveraged across a larger service base, the organization expects program service expense ratios to increase accordingly.
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
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 June 2025.
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 March 1971.
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.