Community Improvement (S80) IRS Verified DX Registered 990 on File

GATEWAY TO THE GREAT OUTDOORS

EIN: 81-5044989 · CHICAGO, IL 60613-3821 · United States · FY 2024 Data

3 out of 5 57 / 100 Based on 2+ years of filings

Financial strength (30%) 84/100

Reliability (20%) 45/100

Effectiveness (25%) 93/100

Impact (25%) No data yet

Financial data: FY 2024 · Scored 9/13/2026

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CharityAI™ Score

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Mission Statement

The Gateway to the Great Outdoors (GGO) program was developed to allow underserved students across the US equitable access to a comprehensive environmental education. By improving access to STEM instruction combined with outdoor learning, GGO enhances scientific literacy and environmental stewardship for students who would otherwise be excluded from this transformative experience. The mission of GGO is to empower underserved youth to access the natural environment through classroom and field-based environmental education and leadership development. This program allows students to experience the natural wonders of the outdoors while also providing them with mentorship and academic support.

Financial Overview — FY 2024

$257K

Total Revenue

$266K

Total Expenses

$189K

Net Assets

Employees

Revenue Sources

Expense Breakdown

Program Expense Ratio 87.2%

Fundraising Efficiency N/A

Operating Reserve 8.54x

Liability-to-Asset 4.2%

Revenue Diversification 99.5%

Executive Compensation $25K

Compared with Peers

FY 2024

Compared with 4,285 similar organizations (United States, Community Improvement, $100K–$1M in expenses), FY 2024.

This organization Middle half of peers (P25–P75) Peer median

Ratio	This org	Peer median	Position (P10 → P90)
Program expense ratio Program expenses / total expenses · higher is better	87.2%	83.7%	P10P90	Above median
Admin expense ratio Management and general / total expenses · lower is better	6.7%	13.2%	P10P90	Above median
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expenses / total expenses · lower is better	6.1%	0.0%	P10P90	Bottom quarter
Operating reserve Months of expenses covered by net assets · higher is better	8.5 mo	11.3 mo	P10P90	Below median
Liabilities to assets Total liabilities / total assets · lower is better	4.2%	3.1%	P10P90	Below median
Revenue concentration Share of revenue from the largest source · lower is better	99.5%	92.2%	P10P90	Below median
Revenue growth Year over year revenue growth	13.4%	7.1%	P10P90
Expense growth Year over year expense growth	60.0%	9.1%	P10P90
Surplus margin Surplus as a share of revenue	-3.3%	2.9%	P10P90

Financial History

Year	Revenue	Expenses	Net Assets	Program %	Staff
2024	$257K	$266K	$189K	87.2%	15
2023	$227K	$166K	$198K	83.3%	5
2022	$139K	$188K	$137K	88.6%	—
2021	$350K	$137K	N/A	—	1

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Organization Details

EIN: 81-5044989
State: IL
City: CHICAGO
ZIP: 60613-3821
Classification: S80
Category: Community Improvement
Rating: 3★
Coverage: A
Last Updated: Aug 2026
IRS Ruling Year: 2017
Foundation Code: 15
Form 990: On File

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CharityAI™ rates charities from 0 to 100 using public filings (IRS Form 990 and the equivalent registries outside the US) together with the information the charity itself provides on DonationX. Ratings are recalculated every quarter, without human bias, and shown as stars.

Four pillars

Financial strength30%

Program expense ratio, fundraising efficiency, operating reserves, liabilities and revenue diversification, compared with similar organizations.

Reliability20%

Standing with the registry, filing history, verification and how complete the profile is.

Effectiveness25%

How much goes to programs and how consistently the organization delivers them.

Impact25%

The outcomes the charity reports on DonationX: people served, cost per service and results.

Stars

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