Sky Ranches Inc

The information on this page was last updated 4/25/2023. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]


Summary

At Sky Ranch we create experiences for youth and families in engaging camp environments. For over 65 years we've been helping parents and leaders inspire, challenge, and encourage. You can expect to have crazy out-of-the ordinary fun while being served by exceptional staff who celebrate a culture of safety.


Contact information

Mailing address:
Sky Ranches Inc
24657 County Road 448
Van, TX 75790

Website: skyranch.org

Phone: 800-962-2267

Email: [email protected]


Organization details

EIN: 756004483

CEO/President: Linda S. Paulk

Chairman: Clyde Jackson

Board size: 5

Founder: Mel and Winkie Brewer

Ruling year: 1956

Tax deductible: Yes

Fiscal year end: 08/31

Member of ECFA: Yes

Member of ECFA since: 1987


Purpose

Sky Ranch is a camping organization with its head office near Van, in East Texas. Its primary activities encompass three types of events:

  • Summer camp primarily for children ages 7-15
  • Outdoor education programs primarily for elementary students from public and private schools
  • Retreat facilities for church, civic and private groups
Sky Ranch operates facilities in Texas, Oklahoma and Colorado. When speaking of "Sky Ranch" in a generic sense, it is made up of at least five organizations; however, the financial profile below only includes financial data of Sky Ranches, Inc. (EIN: 75-6004483). The five known organizations are the following:

  1. Sky Ranches, Inc. (EIN: 75-6004483) (Internal Revenue Code section (IRC) 501(C)(3), Public Charity)
  2. Sky Ranch Foundation (EIN: 75-2147444) (IRC 501(C)(3), Supporting Organization)
  3. Sky Ranch at UTE Trails, Inc. (EIN: 20-2579906) (501(C)(3), Public Charity)
  4. Sky Ranch at Cave Springs, Inc. (EIN: 20-1147040) (IRC 501(C)(3), Public Charity)
  5. Sky Ranch Cave Springs Holdings, Inc. (EIN: 20-1147298) (IRC 501(C)(2) Holding title to property and collecting income from it.)
Sky Ranch youth camp is an accredited member of the American Camping Association, Christian Camping International/USA Member, Camp Horsemanship Association, and Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA). They are also licensed by the Texas Department of Health. Sky Ranch maintains memberships in the Texas Association for Environmental Education, Texas Outdoor Education Association and is a member of Tyler, Van, and Mineola Chambers of Commerce.

Mission statement

Our mission is to lead youth and families to know and follow Christ.


Statement of faith

- That the Godhead eternally exists in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit; and these are one in nature, attributes and perfection.

- That man was originally created in the image of God; but that he fell from this sinless state through sin and therefore possesses a nature of sin.

- That God has established marriage as a lifelong, exclusive relationship between one man and one woman and that all intimate sexual activity outside the marriage relationship, whether heterosexual, homosexual, or otherwise, is immoral and therefore sin. We believe that God created the human race, male and female, and that all conduct with the intent to adopt a gender other than one's birth gender is immoral and therefore sin.

- That, as promised in the Old Testament, the eternal Son of God came into the world to show God to men and become the redeemer of a lost world. To this end He was born of a virgin and received a human body and a sinless nature.

- We also believe that He was perfect, suffering life's temptations and trials yet He was sinless. He retained His absolute deity, while He was completely man.

- We believe that He voluntarily became the sacrifice for the sin of the world by His death on the cross and that He arose the third day and reigns now in Heaven interceding for us.

- We believe that, due to sin, no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he has personally believed in and trusted himself to Jesus Christ as his Savior.

- We believe that our redemption has been accomplished solely by the blood of Jesus Christ through our acceptance of His gift.

- We believe that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God," by which we understand that Holy Men of God were moved by the Holy Spirit to write the Holy Bible, which is without error in its original state.

- We believe that, as Christians, we are to walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. We realize that we still possess an old sin nature, but, that in Christ, we also possess a divine new nature; and that a constant warfare exists within our lives. We know that as we supply the old nature with fleshly interests it grows and becomes dominant and, conversely, as we supply the new nature with spiritual interests it becomes dominant and also grows.

- We will, to the best of our abilities and understanding, seek an honest involvement with Jesus Christ and with others.

- We will strive for balance in our lives in order to enjoy fellowship with God and to promote sharing this experience with others.

- We believe that Christ will return to receive to Himself all those who are His. We also believe that this is the blessed hope set forth in Scripture and that we are to be constantly looking for and desirous of this, the rapture.

Donor confidence score

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Transparency grade

A

To understand our transparency grade, click here.


Financial efficiency ratings

Sector: Camps/Conference Centers

CategoryRatingOverall rankSector rank
Overall efficiency rating348 of 110113 of 36
Fund acquisition rating946 of 110230 of 37
Resource allocation rating332 of 110218 of 37
Asset utilization rating32 of 11013 of 36

Financial ratios

Funding ratiosSector median20222021202020192018
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts =
Fundraising expense /
Total contributions
6%16%14%29%27%27%
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio =
Fundraising expense /
Total revenue
2%3%4%6%3%3%
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance =
Total contributions /
Total revenue
36%18%28%20%12%12%
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio =
Fundraising expense /
Total expenses
2%3%4%4%3%3%
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance =
Total other revenue /
Total revenue
64%82%72%80%88%88%
 
Operating ratiosSector median20222021202020192018
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio =
Program services /
Total expenses
84%82%73%77%76%76%
Spending ratio Spending ratio =
Total expenses /
Total revenue
89%116%90%136%93%99%
Program output ratio Program output ratio =
Program services /
Total revenue
70%95%66%105%70%75%
Savings ratio Savings ratio =
Surplus (deficit) /
Total revenue
11%-16%10%-36%7%1%
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate =
Surplus (deficit) /
Net assets
5%-35%12%-35%8%2%
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio =
Management and general expense /
Total expenses
13%15%22%19%21%20%
 
Investing ratiosSector median20222021202020192018
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover =
Total expenses /
Total assets
0.351.870.750.950.920.99
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment =
Total assets /
Total current assets
3.704.156.4831.027.5711.20
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover =
Total expenses /
Total current assets
1.487.764.8429.366.9911.12
 
Liquidity ratiosSector median20222021202020192018
Current ratio Current ratio =
Total current assets /
Total current liabilities
6.510.920.880.191.030.60
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio =
Total current liabilities /
Total current assets
0.151.081.145.320.971.66
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level =
(Total current assets -
Total current liabilities) /
(Total expenses / 12)
5.90-0.13-0.35-1.770.05-0.72
 
Solvency ratiosSector median20222021202020192018
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio =
Total liabilities /
Total assets
9%26%30%29%13%15%
Debt ratio Debt ratio =
Debt /
Total assets
0%0%0%0%0%0%
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio =
Net assets /
Total expenses
221%39%94%76%94%86%

Financials

Balance sheet
 
Assets20222021202020192018
Cash$2,388,809$2,136,423$129,482$1,701,863$892,179
Receivables, inventories, prepaids$346,276$355,174$321,066$345,342$405,740
Short-term investments$0$0$0$0$0
Other current assets$0$0$0$0$0
Total current assets$2,735,085$2,491,597$450,548$2,047,205$1,297,919
Long-term investments$0$0$0$0$0
Fixed assets$6,932,044$12,079,434$13,002,733$12,645,755$12,525,363
Other long-term assets$1,685,185$1,567,508$522,315$804,687$715,995
Total long-term assets$8,617,229$13,646,942$13,525,048$13,450,442$13,241,358
Total assets$11,352,314$16,138,539$13,975,596$15,497,647$14,539,277
 
Liabilities20222021202020192018
Payables and accrued expenses$1,290,486$1,200,793$605,262$950,773$998,624
Other current liabilities$1,674,615$1,644,705$1,790,952$1,038,981$1,161,481
Total current liabilities$2,965,101$2,845,498$2,396,214$1,989,754$2,160,105
Debt$0$0$0$0$0
Due to (from) affiliates$0$0$0$0$0
Other long-term liabilities$3,346$2,002,718$1,590,100$31,816$6,627
Total long-term liabilities$3,346$2,002,718$1,590,100$31,816$6,627
Total liabilities$2,968,447$4,848,216$3,986,314$2,021,570$2,166,732
 
Net assets20222021202020192018
Without donor restrictions$8,175,833$10,442,345$9,167,433$12,533,527$11,746,718
With donor restrictions$208,034$847,978$821,849$942,550$625,827
Net assets$8,383,867$11,290,323$9,989,282$13,476,077$12,372,545
 
Revenues and expenses
 
Revenue20222021202020192018
Total contributions$3,350,731$3,687,386$1,976,560$1,779,711$1,745,353
Program service revenue$14,019,369$8,366,395$7,290,596$12,702,661$12,058,764
Membership dues$0$0$0$0$0
Investment income$25,749$11,220$12,800$49,860$4,625
Other revenue$930,566$1,290,169$459,178$888,019$838,451
Total other revenue$14,975,684$9,667,784$7,762,574$13,640,540$12,901,840
Total revenue$18,326,415$13,355,170$9,739,134$15,420,251$14,647,193
 
Expenses20222021202020192018
Program services$17,450,418$8,856,531$10,179,900$10,834,044$11,025,053
Management and general$3,235,017$2,694,896$2,479,574$3,001,969$2,944,759
Fundraising$547,436$502,702$566,455$480,706$467,912
Total expenses$21,232,871$12,054,129$13,225,929$14,316,719$14,437,724
 
Change in net assets20222021202020192018
Surplus (deficit)($2,906,456)$1,301,041($3,486,795)$1,103,532$209,469
Other changes in net assets$0$0$0$0$0
Total change in net assets($2,906,456)$1,301,041($3,486,795)$1,103,532$209,469

Compensation

NameTitleCompensation
Melinda S PaulkCEO & President$329,937
Jeff SingerForm VP Fin/Adm$253,116
Tamora LawsonSecretary$90,021

Compensation data as of: 8/31/2022


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 4/25/2023. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]


History

Mel & Winkie Brewer
During World War II, God laid the foundation of Sky Ranch on the hearts of Mel and Winkie Brewer. Mel was serving the U.S. overseas when he felt the calling to start a children's camp for ministry and encouragement. At the same time, his wife Winkie independently felt herself being called in the same direction. Both Mel and Winkie wrote each other a letter describing their newfound vision. The letters crossed in the mail, and once they reached their destinations, the Brewers knew that Sky Ranch was a mission established by God.

First Years and Van
In 1955, Sky Ranch opened its gates for the first time to let campers come and experience our signature program of fun, fellowship and discipleship. Starting with only 66 campers, Sky Ranch had already begun to fulfill the Brewers' dream of becoming a haven for kids to grow and learn separated from the worries of everyday life. As summers passed, the Sky Ranch program continued to influence the lives of children and soon became a tradition for families across Texas. In 1975, to better accommodate demand, Sky Ranch moved from its original location in Denton, TX, to its current location in Van, TX.

Oklahoma and Colorado
In 2004, Sky Ranch began operating programs at Cave Springs, outside of Quapaw, Oklahoma, and Ute Trail, near Powderhorn, Colorado. As our leadership and family camp programs continued to grow, the need for additional capacity was fulfilled by the addition of Horn Creek, located in Westcliffe, Colorado in 2015.

Continuing the Legacy
To this day, Sky Ranch continues the legacy of Mel and Winkie Brewer by providing programs that enrich lives and build solid Christian character. With facilities in three states - Texas, Colorado and Oklahoma, Sky Ranch serves over 70,000 individuals every year! In following our foundation of excellence, Sky Ranch strives to provide ministry opportunities for the whole family. From children's summer programs, SkyMoms ministry, family camps, school programs, retreat services, and more, Sky Ranch desires to be instrumental in the development of your family and the body of Christ as a whole. Although Mel and Winkie have gone to be with Jesus, their God given vision lives on in the hearts of many and continues to impact lives for eternity. Mel continued to "tell the story" to all counselors during summer staff training each year until he went home to be with the Lord at 91 years old.


Program accomplishments

Sky Ranch has had the privilege of enriching over 30,000 lives each year in their three areas of service.


Needs