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CHARITY REVIEW
Issued: April 2026 Expires: April 2028

Golden Willow Retreat

Standards Not Met
Standards Not Met
2 6 7 13 14 16 17 18
(575) 776-2024
Post Office Box 569
Arroyo Hondo, NM, 87513
https://goldenwillowretreat.org
📄 Full Report 🖨️ Print 📋 BBB Charity Standards

Standards For Charity Accountability

Governance

  1. Board Oversight
  2. Board Size
  3. Board Meetings
  4. Board Compensation
  5. Conflict of Interest

Measuring Effectiveness

  1. Effectiveness Policy
  2. Effectiveness Report

Finances

  1. Program Expenses
  2. Fundraising Expenses
  3. Accumulating Funds
  4. Audit Report
  5. Detailed Expense Breakdown
  6. Accurate Expense Reporting
  7. Budget Plan

Fundraising & Info

  1. Truthful Materials
  2. Annual Report
  3. Website Disclosures
  4. Donor Privacy
  5. Cause Marketing Disclosures
  6. Complaints

Golden Willow Retreat does not meet the following 8 Standards for Charity Accountability:

Standard 2 (Number of Board Members)
Soliciting organizations shall have a board of directors with a minimum of five voting members.

GWR does not meet this Standard because:

  • The organization has four voting members of the board.

Standard 6 (Board Policy on Effectiveness)
Have a board policy of assessing, no less than every two years, the organization's performance and effectiveness and of determining future actions required to achieve its mission.

GWR does not meet this Standard because:

  • The board of directors does not have a written policy stating that, at least Every 2 Years, an appraisal be done assessing the organization’s performance and effectiveness and determining future actions required to achieve its mission.

Standard 7 (Board Approval of Written Report on Effectiveness)
Submit to the organization's governing body, for its approval, a written report that outlines the results of the aforementioned performance and effectiveness assessment and recommendations for future actions.

GWR does not meet this Standard because:

  • The organization has not completed an effectiveness assessment in the last two years.

Standard 13 (Accuracy of Expenses in Financial Statements)
Accurately report the charity's expenses, including any joint cost allocations, in its financial statements. For example, audited or unaudited statements which inaccurately claim zero fund raising expenses or otherwise understate the amount a charity spends on fund raising, and/or overstate the amount it spends on programs will not meet this standard.

GWR does not meet this Standard because, although the organization’s 2024 IRS Form 990 indicated it received $236,534 in contributions, GWR reported zero fundraising expenses.

Standard 14 (Budget)
Have a board-approved annual budget for its current fiscal year, outlining projected expenses for major program activities, fund raising, and administration.

GWR does not meet this Standard because:

  • The organization did not produce a budget for the fiscal year 2026.

Standard 16 (Annual Report)
Have an annual report available to all, on request, that includes: (a) the organization's mission statement, (b) a summary of the past year's program service accomplishments, (c) a roster of the officers and members of the board of directors, (d) financial information that includes (i) total income in the past fiscal year, (ii) expenses in the same program, fund raising and administrative categories as in the financial statements, and (iii) ending net assets.

GWR does not meet this Standard because:

  • The organization states it does not have an annual report covering activities conducted in 2024.

Standard 17 (Web Site Disclosures)
Include on any charity websites that solicit contributions, the same information that is recommended for annual reports, as well as the mailing address of the charity and electronic access to its most recent IRS Form 990.

GWR does not meet this Standard because the organization’s website, https://goldenwillowretreat.org, does not include all of the recommended information for those charity websites that solicit for donations. Specifically, it does not include:

  • Electronic access to the organization’s 2024 IRS Form 990.
  • A summary of 2025 program service accomplishments.

Standard 18 (Privacy for Written Appeals & Internet Privacy)
Address privacy concerns of donors by (a) providing in written appeals, at least annually, a means (e.g., such as a check off box) for both new and continuing donors to inform the charity if they do not want their name and address shared outside the organization, (b) providing a clear, prominent and easily accessible privacy policy on any of its websites that tells visitors (i) what information, if any, is being collected about them by the charity and how this information will be used, (ii) how to contact the charity to review personal information collected and request corrections, (iii) how to inform the charity (e.g., a check off box) that the visitor does not wish his/her personal information to be shared outside the organization, and (iv) what security measures the charity has in place to protect personal information.

GWR does not meet this Standard because the privacy policy on the organization's website, https://goldenwillowretreat.org, does not indicate:

  • What specific security measures are in place to protect personal information that is collected.

The BBB Wise Giving Alliance requested but did not receive complete information from the organization and is unable to verify the organization's compliance with the following Standard(s) for Charity Accountability: 11

Golden Willow Retreat meets the remaining 11 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Stated Purpose:
"to promote healthy grieving by empowering people impacted by all forms of loss through therapeutic programming and professional development."

Year, State Incorporated:
2001, NM

Golden Willow Retreat (GWR) reports to promote healthy grieving by providing retreats that are designed to address the emotional distress and pain of loss through insight, education, and tools to help healing. The organization states that it hosts weekend workshops focusing on deepening healing, strengthening connections, and inspire personal growth, in addition to providing grief support groups online.

For the year ended December 31, 2024, Golden Willow Retreat's program expenses were:

Program services $200,603
Total Program Expenses $200,603

Chief Executive
Ted Wiard, Executive Direcctor

Compensation*
$57,648

Chair of the Board
Adrienne Schatz

Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation
Consultant

Board Size
4

Paid Staff Size
3

*2024 compensation, as reported by the organization, includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.

Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Invitations to fund raising events, Radio, Grant proposals, Internet

Since the BBB Wise Giving Alliance disagrees with GWR's allocation of fundraising expenses, we are unable to verify the ratio of fundraising expenses to related contributions. See the Conclusions section of this report for more information.

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.

The following information is based on Golden Willow Retreat's IRS Form 990 for the year ended December 31, 2024.

Source of Funds
Contributions $236,534
Program services $94,574
Investment income, net $13,532
Other income $550
Total Income $343,082

Programs: 52% Fundraising: 0% Administrative: 48%

Total Income $343,082
Total expenses: $384,559
  Program expenses $200,603
  Fundraising expenses $0
  Administrative expenses $183,956
  Other expenses $0
Income in Excess of Expenses $-41,477
Beginning Net Assets $1,472,190
Other Changes In Net Assets $4,583
Ending Net Assets $1,435,296
Total Liabilities $6,249
Total Assets $1,441,545

Note 1: As noted in the financial section above, "other changes in assets" refers to unrealized gains on investments ($4,583).

 

Note 2: Since the BBB Wise Giving Alliance disagrees with GWR's allocation of fundraising expenses, we are unable to verify the ratio of fundraising expenses to related contributions. See the Conclusions section of this report for more information.

An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgment. If the report is about a charity and states the charity meets or does not meet the Standards for Charity Accountability, it reflects the results of an evaluation of information and materials provided voluntarily by the charity. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus.

This report is not to be used for fundraising or promotional purposes.

RELATED CONTENT

Report completed by:
BBB Wise Giving Alliance