Special Olympics Nevada Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. This gives them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills, and friendships with their families, other Special Olympics athletes, and the community.
- Income
- $2.6 million
- Spending
- $1.7 million
- Spent on programs
- 62%
- Reserves
- 6.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 67%
- Employees
- 13
- Volunteers
- 2,002
- Highest pay
- $168,326, president & ceo
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
Good: 82 out of 100. Higher than 59% of charities in its peer group (recreation and sports, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 6.7 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 21% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 35% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 3655% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1562% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 13 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 82% of charities in its peer group (recreation and sports, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2517 of 17 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 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 (5)
- $356,327 spent. Community Sports - This SONV programs provides opportunities for people with and without ID to engage in sports together all year long. Our program is free of charge to participants and has activities for every ability level. Children that are interesting in competing can enter competitions as young as 8 years old; but we have programming for ages 2 senior citizens. Our southern Nevada sports schedule includes the following: basketball, bowling, bocce, flag football, golf, swimming and track and field. During 2024, SONV engaged over 2,818 athletes and 1,968 volunteers in this program.
- $227,746 spent. Unified Champion Schools - This program focuses on creating inclusive school campuses for people with ID. The program targets students without disabilities i.e., student leaders to be the drivers of the program. Student leaders encourage their friends without disabilities to include students with disabilities in activities that they lead on their campus. The Champion Schools program includes lessons and opportunities for students to create events that engage the entire school and sports training and leadership development. During 2024, SONV was able to engage 75 schools in the Champion Schools Program. The program also engaged 28,941 students within the State of Nevada.
- $221,637 spent. Mindset Matters - This program utilizes some aspects of the Strong Minds program, in addition to new elements from the 8-Dimensions of Wellness Model, the Together Counts Program, and evidence-based activities to teach Nevada students adaptive coping skills and strategies to maintain emotional wellness. The Mindset Matters program includes topics such as: emotion identification and regulation, relaxation breathing, cognitive restructuring, muscle relaxation, mindfulness and interpersonal relationships, and social wellness and social skills. During 2024, SONV was able to engage over 4,500 students and 200 volunteers in this program.
- $140,387 spent. Athlete Leadership - This program allows people with disabilities the opportunity to receive training in speech writing and coaching so that they feel comfortable speaking in public. Program participants that receive this training have the opportunity to advocate; meeting annually with Nevada delegates at the national and state level; to speak first-hand on the impact that SONVs programs is having in their lives. Other program participants make presentations to corporate boards or business organizations to support diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts. Athlete leaders also engage in SONV fundraising activities and interviews to broaden awareness of the organizations work. During 2024, SONV engaged 65 athletes in this program.
- $103,621 spent. Healthy Athletes - Through this program, Nevada has the opportunity to position the state as a region where people with ID are provided full inclusion in mainstream health policies, laws, programs and services, research and funding streams. At our national level, Special Olympics has partnered with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to create curriculum so that local programs can train physicians, medical technicians and higher education students studying these disciplines in their state to become volunteers and provide health screenings and education to people with ID and underserved communities. On average, people with ID live 16 years less than the general population, so these health screenings allow us to mitigate health risks. SONV offers health screenings in the following areas: vision, hearing, BMI, podiatry, dental, mental health/stress management, endurance and flexibility testing. During 2024, SONV provided screenings to 200 athletes and trained 17 Clinical Directors in this program.
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 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 November 6, 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 December 2024.
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 October 2023.
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 November 4, 2026.
Could it be confused with another charity? Worth knowing.
A much larger organization has a similar name: Special Olympics Inc (Washington, DC), EIN 52-0889518. If that is the one you meant, check the EIN before giving.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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.