Fort Wilderness Ministries 
The information on this page was last updated 8/21/2026. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]
Summary
We are a big family that utilizes the camp setting to share our love and God's love.
Contact information
Mailing address:
Fort Wilderness Ministries
P.O. Box 715
McNaughton, WI 54543
Website: fortwilderness.com
Phone: (715) 277-2587
Email: [email protected]
Organization details
EIN: 362781629
CEO/President: Todd Leyden
Chairman: Dan Farm
Board size: 9
Founder:
Ruling year: 1963
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 11/30
Member of ECFA: No
Member of ECFA since:
Purpose
Facilitating life transformation through Christ
Mission statement
Fort Wilderness exists to influence lives for eternity through God's Word, Adventure Programs, the Wilderness, and warm Christian Fellowship. (Psalm 19:1-4, Romans 1:20, 1 Corinthians 9:22-23, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 1 John 1:3).
Statement of faith
https://fortwilderness.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Statement-of-Faith-and-Values.pdf
Donor confidence score
Show donor confidence score details
To understand our donor confidence score, click here.
Transparency grade
D
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Camps/Conference Centers
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 1290 of 1472 | 37 of 38 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 1372 of 1472 | 36 of 38 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 1292 of 1472 | 35 of 38 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 597 of 1473 | 17 of 38 |
To understand our financial efficiency ratings, click here.
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 8% | 19% | 18% | 15% | 12% | 12% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 3% | 10% | 10% | 10% | 9% | 8% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 34% | 52% | 56% | 63% | 71% | 69% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 3% | 10% | 11% | 12% | 14% | 12% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 66% | 48% | 44% | 37% | 29% | 31% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 81% | 72% | 70% | 68% | 66% | 67% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 94% | 102% | 96% | 79% | 64% | 65% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 76% | 73% | 67% | 54% | 42% | 44% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 6% | -2% | 4% | 21% | 36% | 35% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 3% | -1% | 1% | 11% | 22% | 24% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 15% | 18% | 20% | 19% | 20% | 20% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 0.39 | 0.41 | 0.38 | 0.37 | 0.36 | 0.41 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 4.00 | 5.77 | 3.64 | 2.49 | 2.01 | 2.25 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 1.61 | 2.35 | 1.40 | 0.91 | 0.73 | 0.92 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 5.36 | 4.66 | 7.72 | 5.59 | 12.76 | 9.28 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.19 | 0.21 | 0.13 | 0.18 | 0.08 | 0.11 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 4.32 | 4.01 | 7.46 | 10.81 | 15.21 | 11.64 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 7% | 4% | 4% | 7% | 4% | 6% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 249% | 236% | 251% | 253% | 266% | 231% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Cash | $1,521,116 | $2,432,457 | $3,623,964 | $3,883,079 | $3,015,744 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $520,984 | $995,136 | $1,674,625 | $1,792,591 | $1,219,758 |
| Short-term investments | $275,665 | $278,291 | $248,578 | $253,329 | $0 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $2,317,765 | $3,705,884 | $5,547,167 | $5,928,999 | $4,235,502 |
| Long-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed assets | $10,804,063 | $9,521,949 | $7,974,919 | $5,966,104 | $5,300,555 |
| Other long-term assets | $262,864 | $264,266 | $272,680 | $19,030 | $800 |
| Total long-term assets | $11,066,927 | $9,786,215 | $8,247,599 | $5,985,134 | $5,301,355 |
| Total assets | $13,384,692 | $13,492,099 | $13,794,766 | $11,914,133 | $9,536,857 |
| Liabilities | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $159,253 | $203,477 | $645,789 | $107,667 | $139,900 |
| Other current liabilities | $338,548 | $276,262 | $345,829 | $357,158 | $316,496 |
| Total current liabilities | $497,801 | $479,739 | $991,618 | $464,825 | $456,396 |
| Debt | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $74,783 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $74,783 |
| Total liabilities | $497,801 | $479,739 | $991,618 | $464,825 | $531,179 |
| Net assets | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Without donor restrictions | $11,006,768 | $9,943,588 | $7,756,450 | $6,928,450 | $6,429,422 |
| With donor restrictions | $1,880,123 | $3,068,772 | $5,046,698 | $4,520,858 | $2,576,256 |
| Net assets | $12,886,891 | $13,012,360 | $12,803,148 | $11,449,308 | $9,005,678 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Total contributions | $2,779,834 | $3,011,661 | $4,045,963 | $4,799,793 | $4,156,784 |
| Program service revenue | $2,346,326 | $2,086,482 | $2,173,358 | $1,884,581 | $1,802,314 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $86,306 | $64,316 | $102,909 | $21,927 | ($4,136) |
| Other revenue | $127,885 | $220,581 | $102,798 | $71,492 | $77,320 |
| Total other revenue | $2,560,517 | $2,371,379 | $2,379,065 | $1,978,000 | $1,875,498 |
| Total revenue | $5,340,351 | $5,383,040 | $6,425,028 | $6,777,793 | $6,032,282 |
| Expenses | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Program services | $3,923,536 | $3,618,234 | $3,460,680 | $2,861,765 | $2,627,146 |
| Management and general | $1,007,425 | $1,021,865 | $977,544 | $858,122 | $789,571 |
| Fundraising | $521,082 | $552,797 | $619,095 | $590,508 | $478,380 |
| Total expenses | $5,452,043 | $5,192,896 | $5,057,319 | $4,310,395 | $3,895,097 |
| Change in net assets | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Surplus (deficit) | ($111,692) | $190,144 | $1,367,709 | $2,467,398 | $2,137,185 |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | ($111,692) | $190,144 | $1,367,709 | $2,467,398 | $2,137,185 |
Compensation
| Name | Title | Compensation |
| Todd Leyden | Executive Di | $177,047 |
| Thomas Shaw | Advancement | $133,630 |
Compensation data as of: 11/30/2025
Response from ministry
No response has been provided by this ministry.
The information below was provided to MinistryWatch by the ministry itself. It was last updated 8/21/2026. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]
History
Fort Wilderness is a beloved camp in the Northwoods of Wisconsin-15 miles north of Rhinelander in the small town of McNaughton. Campers who often travel hundreds of miles to Fort consider it a sacred or a "thin space" where they hear and sense the Lord in ways they do not experience back home. Countless families and individuals share how their lives are changed forever while at Fort-through the sharing of God's Word by gifted teachers, experiencing His creation with fun activities and programs, and connecting meaningfully with fellow campers, staff, and volunteers. We call this the "sticky substance" that brings Fort to life.
Fort began in 1956 with a pastor's great passion for loving people and vision to share the gospel in fun and creative ways through Christian camping. His dream was for a place where young and old could hear of Jesus' love and free gift, in a wilderness setting away from normal daily life. Truman Robertson-along with his wife Jan and their children Nancy, Ron, Tom, Paul, and Steve-would see the Lord bring to life Fort's ministry in improbable ways, including an initial $4,000 gift by Al and Ressa Seibert to purchase eighty acres of land on Spider Lake where our main camp still sits today. In the early years, a spirit of volunteerism was fostered through partnerships with local churches that allowed camp to do far more than possible with limited resources. God has always provided what is needed just at the right time.