GOLD2023

Epic Experience

Beyond Cancer

aka Epic Experience   |   Arvada, CO   |  www.epicexperience.org

Mission

Epic Experience empowers adult cancer thrivers and survivors to live beyond cancer.

Notes from the nonprofit

In 8 years we have hosted over 2000 adult cancer thrivers through our camps, virtual programs and one day events.

Ruling year info

2012

Executive Director

Colin Ferro

Main address

PO Box 753

Arvada, CO 80001 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

45-5423074

NTEE code info

Alliance/Advocacy Organizations (E01)

Alliance/Advocacy Organizations (N01)

Alliance/Advocacy Organizations (E01)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

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Communication

Blog

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Epic Experience seeks to offer hope and community to adult cancer survivors. A cancer diagnosis brings many challenges besides the physical effects. Isolation, depression and anxiety are just a few of the long list of effects. Our participants put it best what happens at camp. "Once I arrived to Denver and met the other campers and volunteers, I felt at ease. My worries and concerns began drifting away as I shared cancer stories with my fellow survivors and discovered we shared common issues and fears. No matter the race, age, socioeconomic status, or sexual orientation, we were able to relate to one common thing—cancer. No matter how long we’d been out of treatment, cancer still was a part of who we are. I believe most of us still think about it daily, and having a group where we could express our emotions was very cathartic. I loved when we would break into groups in the mornings and discuss our theme, word, and quote for the day, and I enjoyed playing Rummikub at night."

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Epic Experience

Cancer is different for everyone. For some, it's a battle; for others, it's a long journey. But for many, it’s neither -- cancer is simply life, raised to the nth power.

We hope that during this trying time of the COVID-19 pandemic you join us for our virtual programs. We will continue to live beyond cancer with Epic Experience Family

Epic Experience helps cancer patients and survivors live an empowered life through week-long outdoor adventures in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Our not-for-profit camps for cancer patients allow attendees to participate in activities, such as whitewater adventures in the summer and cross-country skiing in the winter. These camps for adults with cancer provide more than adventure therapy – they give hope that those who have been diagnosed with the illness can live a positive post-cancer life.

Population(s) Served
Adults

Cancer Survivorship is more than follow-up appointments, blood tests, and scans; it's about living life to the fullest beyond cancer. Epic Experience empowers adult cancer survivors to do just that through free week-long adventures in the Colorado Rockies.

Throughout the week, as participants challenge themselves physically, find community with other survivors, and talk through fears and worries, they gain hope and return home with insights to help them live and thrive beyond cancer.

Population(s) Served
Adults
Caregivers

We offer free workouts twice a week for cancer thrivers and caregivers online.
https://www.epicexperience.org/exercise-programs/

Population(s) Served
Adults
Terminally ill people

Epic Experience welcomes you to Campfires of Hope Campfire Chat - its like a book club, but we'll be discussing podcasts. During each chat, we will come together as members of the adult cancer community to to discuss one of the Campfires of Hope episodes and to share our thoughts and feelings about living beyond cancer.

Population(s) Served

Epic Experience’s regional meetups bring together cancer survivors, thrivers, and caregivers for a day of outdoor activities such as hiking, kayaking, and stand up paddle boarding. These events are held in cities across the country and provide a place to share, laugh, support, and be supported among others who have been touched by cancer. See below for upcoming dates, times, and locations.

Population(s) Served

Campfires of Hope:Living. Beyond Cancer aims to empower the adult cancer community through storytelling and education. Epic Experience is a Colorado-based nonprofit that is passionate about ensuring noone goes through a cancer journey alone. Our podcast is hosted by Epic Experience alum Gail Fay, a.k.a. Sunshine. Sunshine is a ghostwriter, editor and ovarian cancer thriver.

Population(s) Served
Caregivers
Chronically ill people
Caregivers
Chronically ill people
Caregivers
Chronically ill people
Caregivers
Chronically ill people

Where we work

Awards

Non Profit of the Year 2021

Arvada Chamber of Commerce

Videos

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

Epic Experience is committed to offering a new challenge to adult cancer survivors.
With the onset of Covid we quickly pivoted and have offered over new programs. Our programs previously reached around 2500 thriver per year. In 2021 we reached over 13,000 adult cancer thrivers and caregivers.
Our next goals is to offer more programs to caregivers of survivors. Caregivers are often not acknowledged for their personal struggles with dealing with a loved one that has cancer.

Epic Experience has a growing list of partnerships that support our efforts to offer hope to adult cancer survivors. Through expanding partnerships with corporations and other non profits we are expanding our reach. We are expanding our grant writing and expanding to find new partnerships.
We have a growing list of donors that are committing to a monthly donation.

We have an amazing team in place for a great camp experience for adult cancer survivors. We bring survivors together to push beyond cancer through outdoor activities and community building.

In 2021 we hired a third team mate to help us form more partnerships to support our mission to reach as many survivors as possible. In 2022 we are hiring a 4th team mate to reach even more thrivers and caregivers.

We have served over 13,000 cancer thrivers and caregivers from across the country and Canada. We have a growing list of applicants and are expanding our programs to single day events such as horse back riding, mindfulness classes, hiking and golf. Bringing survivors together in a unique environment lets them know that there is life beyond cancer.
The majority of our volunteers are previous campers that want to come back to help others experience what they did at Epic Experience.
We will continue with many of the virtual programs. A positive outcome of covid is we are reaching people in the hospital that would be unable to attend our in person programs while in treatment.
We have started a Podcast, Campfires of Hope through storytelling and discussion. Along with the Podcast we offer Interactive Campfire Chats for people to come together to discuss the podcasts.
We have also started a YouTube Channel, How To Cancer Series where we offer short videos on topics such as how to tell a loved one you have cancer, what to wear to a treatment appointment and how to be your own advocate.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We demonstrated a willingness to learn more by reviewing resources about feedback practice.
done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback

Financials

Epic Experience
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

Epic Experience

Board of directors
as of 01/27/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

David Cohen

Doc Wayne

Term: 2021 - 2024

Karl White

Kaiser Permanente

Colin Ferro

Epic Experience

Sabine Schwab Phd

Retired

Jolynn Lenz

Mercer

Jacob Morse

RSM

David Cohen

Doc Wayne

Julie Upsal

PENN Medical

Ruth Tesar

Northern CA Pet Imaging

Jim Nottingham

HP

Cory Sly

McKesson

David Thomas

Consigli

Amanda Blackburn

United States Air Force

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 1/27/2023
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Male
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

No data

 

No data

Sexual orientation

Disability

We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.

Equity strategies

Last updated: 01/27/2023

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
  • We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
  • We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
  • We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
  • We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
  • We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
Policies and processes
  • We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
  • We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.