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Peak Innovations

EIN 99-1571329 · Bozeman, MT

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong90 out of 100GovernanceNot ratedThe short tax form does not cover thisImpact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

PEAK INNOVATIONS IS A 501(C)(3) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO IMPROVING MOUNTAIN EXPERIENCES BY RETHINKING THE FUNDAMENTALS OF GEAR, GUIDING, EDUCATION, AND RESEARCH MAKING MOUNTAIN TRAVEL SAFER AND MORE ACCESSIBLE.

Income
$142,439
Spending
$148,460
Reserves
14.5 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 70%
Highest pay
$87,200, founder/board member

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

Financial health

Strong: 90 out of 100. Higher than 70% of charities in its peer group (recreation and sports, under $250k).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 14.5 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 0% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    8 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 4% of income.

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

Governance

This organization files the short tax form, which does not ask about boards, policies or audits. That is normal for a small charity and is not a mark against it.

Source: Form 990EZ 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. $125,080 spent. PEAK INNOVATIONS OPERATES AS A SINGLE INTEGRATED PROGRAM - MOUNTAIN SAFETY EDUCATION & INNOVATION THROUGH WHICH ALL ACTIVITIES ARE DELIVERED UNDER A UNIFIED OPERATIONAL STRUCTURE BY THE SAME PERSONNEL AND RESOURCES. THE PROGRAM ENCOMPASSES GUIDING, EDUCATION, PROFESSIONAL RESCUE TRAINING, ONLINE LEARNING, AND RESEARCH, ALL IN SERVICE OF THE ORGANIZATION'S CORE MISSION. RATHER THAN SILOED DEPARTMENTS, THESE ACTIVITY AREAS ARE DEEPLY INTERCONNECTED AND MUTUALLY REINFORCING. WE PROVIDED ONLINE EDUCATIONAL CONTENT REACHED OVER 10,000 VIEWS ACROSS VIDEO PLATFORMS, NICHE TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT DEVELOPED THROUGH THE GEAR LAB PROGRAM DISTRIBUTED SEVERAL HUNDRED UNITS AND IN-PERSON PROGRAMS DELIVERED INTENSIVE, HIGH-QUALITY INSTRUCTION WITH PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON PROFESSIONAL RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS WHOSE TRAINING MULTIPLIES SAFETY IMPACT ACROSS THE BROADER COMMUNITY. PEAK INNOVATIONS DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING INTERCONNECTED ACTIVITIES IN 2025: GUIDED EXPEDITIONS & OUTINGS - PROFESSIONAL MOUNTAIN GUIDING SERVICES INCLUDING RUNNING A COURSE IN SQUAMISH, BC, AN ALASKA EXPEDITION, AND GUIDED OUTINGS THROUGHOUT MONTANA. PROGRAMS WERE OFFERED AT SUBSIDIZED RATES WITH FLEXIBLE PAYMENT OPTIONS TO REDUCE FINANCIAL BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION. RESCUE & SAFETY EDUCATION - SUBSIDIZED SELF-RESCUE COURSES FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC, AS WELL AS TECHNICAL SAFETY TRAINING TO ENSURE PEAK INNOVATIONS PROGRAMS MEET THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF INSTRUCTIONAL QUALITY AND PARTICIPANT SAFETY. PROFESSIONAL RESCUE TRAINING - TECHNICAL RESCUE TRAINING COURSES PROVIDED TO SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAMS AND MILITARY RESCUE UNITS, COVERING MOUNTAIN RESCUE TECHNIQUES, SELF-RESCUE SKILLS, AND TECHNICAL TERRAIN OPERATIONS. TRAINING PROFESSIONAL RESCUERS CREATES A FORCE-MULTIPLIER EFFECT FOR MOUNTAIN SAFETY WHOSE DOWNSTREAM IMPACT EXTENDS WELL BEYOND DIRECT PARTICIPANTS. E-LEARNING & ONLINE EDUCATION - DEVELOPMENT AND LAUNCH OF AN ONLINE E-COURSE COVERING MOUNTAIN SKILLS AND SAFETY, OFFERED FREE TO THE PUBLIC IN 2025 AND TRANSITIONING TO A SLIDING-SCALE FEE MODEL IN 2026. A NEW ORGANIZATIONAL WEBSITE WAS BUILT TO SUPPORT PROGRAM DELIVERY AND EXPAND THE REACH OF PUBLIC EDUCATION CONTENT. ONLINE VIDEO CONTENT ACROSS PLATFORMS REACHED OVER 10,000 VIEWS. RESEARCH & GEAR INNOVATION - INDEPENDENT SAFETY RESEARCH AND FIELD TESTING PROJECTS AIMED AT CHALLENGING INDUSTRY ASSUMPTIONS AND IMPROVING MOUNTAIN TRAVEL PRACTICES. THE GEAR LAB PROGRAM - DEVELOPED AND DISTRIBUTED NICHE TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT - INNOVATIONS THE BROADER OUTDOOR INDUSTRY HAS OVERLOOKED WITH SEVERAL HUNDRED UNITS DISTRIBUTED IN 2025. PEAK INNOVATIONS SERVES RECREATIONAL CLIMBERS, MOUNTAINEERS, BACKCOUNTRY SKIERS, THE GENERAL PUBLIC SEEKING ACCESSIBLE MOUNTAIN SAFETY EDUCATION, PROFESSIONAL SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAMS, MILITARY RESCUE UNITS, GUIDE ORGANIZATIONS, AND THE BROADER OUTDOOR COMMUNITY. A PARTICULAR FOCUS IS PLACED ON PARTICIPANTS WHO FACE FINANCIAL OR GEOGRAPHIC BARRIERS TO HIGH-QUALITY MOUNTAIN INSTRUCTION.ALL ACTIVITIES ADVANCE PEAK INNOVATIONS' MISSION OF MAKING MOUNTAIN TRAVEL SAFER AND MORE ACCESSIBLE. SUBSIDIZED GUIDING AND EDUCATION REMOVES COST BARRIERS. ONLINE CONTENT EXPANDS GEOGRAPHIC REACH. PROFESSIONAL RESCUE TRAINING MULTIPLIES SAFETY IMPACT THROUGH THE ORGANIZATIONS AND PERSONNEL TRAINED. INDEPENDENT RESEARCH AND GEAR INNOVATION ADDRESS GAPS THE COMMERCIAL INDUSTRY HAS NOT PRIORITIZED. TOGETHER THESE INTERCONNECTED ACTIVITIES FORM A COHERENT, MISSION-DRIVEN PROGRAM THAT IMPROVES SAFETY OUTCOMES ACROSS THE MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY AT LARGE.

Source: Form 990EZ 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 April 2024.

    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.

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.