Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center

Conclusion

Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Purpose

Stated Purpose:
BOEC is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization established in 1976 in Breckenridge, Colorado whose mission is to expand the potential of people with disabilities and special needs through meaningful, educational, and inspiring outdoor experiences. BOEC offers custom-designed, high-quality outdoor recreational opportunities led by well-trained professional staff and supported by over 300 volunteers. People from all over the U.S. and internationally come to participate in BOEC’s Adaptive Ski and Snowboard Program, Wilderness Program, and Internship Program.

Year, State Incorporated:
1976, CO

Programs

BOEC offers three different programs, the Adaptive Ski & Snowboard Program, Adaptive Wilderness Program and Internship Program. The following describes each of these three programs.

The Adaptive Ski and Ride Program makes alpine and cross-country (Nordic) skiing and snowboarding available to people with physical and mental disabilities or other special needs on an individual or a group basis. Participants are provided adaptive equipment, instruction and ski buddies. The Center provides adaptive skiing for all disabilities including four-track, three-track, mono-skiing, bi-skiing, and sit skis. The majority of instruction and skiing occurs at the Breckenridge Ski Resort where the Center has access to all parts of the ski area. Lessons are also offered at the Keystone Resort, Copper Mountain and the Breckenridge and Frisco Nordic Centers. The Breckenridge and Keystone Resorts, owned by Vail Resorts, are major supporters of the Adaptive Ski Program, making a significant contribution to the program by providing complementary tickets, as well as supporting the program in countless other ways. 

The Adaptive Wilderness Program includes accessible whitewater rafting, canoeing, camping, backpacking, snowshoeing, ropes course, climbing wall and team initiatives. Courses are based out of our 39-acre Breckenridge program site and also travel to scenic outdoor areas in Colorado and Utah. BOEC's Wilderness Program includes both campus-based and wilderness-based activities. BOEC has a unique accessible "wilderness" campus with ADA accessible trails, a lake with an accessible fishing pier and wetlands observation deck and accessible ropes courses, climbing walls and team initiatives. This campus is a hidden gem, located on the edge of Breckenridge between Peaks 8 and 9 of the Breckenridge Ski Resort, thus giving participants a backcountry feel, yet with easy access to amenities and medical care. The Wilderness Program enrolls youth through schools, agencies, hospitals and rehabilitation centers. Agencies recruit or choose their clients who will attend BOEC's programs. Individuals not affiliated with a group can enroll in an "open enrollment" program with others in a similar age group and ability level. Wilderness Programs range from 1-14 days and are conducted at our Breckenridge campus and in U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management natural areas. Core offerings in the summer include accessible whitewater rafting, canoeing, rock climbing, sea kayaking, camping, backpacking, ropes course, climbing wall and team initiatives.

The BOEC Internship Program is one of the best training programs in the world for young professionals learning to work with special need populations. BOEC feels that the most effective way to help people with special needs is to train the people who work with them. This unique program allows interns to develop skills in adaptive recreation and experiential education, while they get hands-on experience staffing BOEC programs. As a result, interns share these lessons with other programs and persons throughout the world. At the same time, it gives BOEC program staff a labor pool with specific training with a replacement value of approximately $150,000 annually for a true cash cost of just over $52,000 a year. In over 40 years, BOEC has trained over 650 volunteer intern-instructors in a unique, semester long-experiential format. Twice a year, in the winter and summer season, an intern group of 12 educators lives at BOEC campus while receiving training needed to working with special populations. An Internship Coordinator oversees this program full-time, year-round. Many of BOEC's interns are completing college degrees in the fields of Therapeutic Recreation, Parks and Recreation Management and Experiential Education, while others may be offering back the experiences of their more seasoned lives. BOEC Interns receive instruction and hands-on experience in working with special populations beginning with an intensive, three-week training at the start of each Internship residency. Continuing education throughout the season was recently added to the Internship experience, in order to supplement and diversify their skill base beyond their on-the-job activities. 

For the year ended September 30, 2023, Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center's program expenses were:

Governance & Staff

Chief Executive
Sonya Norris, Executive Director

Chair of the Board
Leslee Baltan, Attorney

Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation
Ciancio Ciancio Brown, P.C.

Board Size
16

Paid Staff Size
22

Fundraising

Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Invitations to fund raising events, Print advertisements (newspapers, magazines, etc.), Grant proposals, Internet, Planned giving arrangements, Appeals via Social Media (Facebook, etc.)

Tax Status

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.

Financial

The following information is based on Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center's audited financial statements for the year ended September 30, 2023.

Source of Funds

Programs: 84% Fundraising: 8% Administrative: 8%