SOUL SURVIVOR OUTDOOR
Soul Survivor Outdoor (SSO) - Serving active duty military through Christ-centered outdoor adventure.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
There are currently more than 1M personnel serving on active duty within the U.S. military. And, though there are more than 45,000 veteran focused nonprofits in the U.S. there are relatively few focused on active duty military service members. Soul Survivor Outdoor is focused on the resiliency and spiritual fitness of the active duty military in order to help prepare service members for the challenges they face on and off the battlefield and to reduce the negative effects of military service which may include but is not limited to: Anxiety, depression and suicide Sexual assault Sexual abuse and misconduct Alcohol abuse Divorce and other marital and family issues Substance abuse (prescription and illegal drug use) Commission of violent acts Misconduct on the battlefield
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Outdoor Adventure
Soul Survivor Outdoor (SSO) is a national, faith-based nonprofit that provides a free resiliency and spiritual readiness program for active duty service members and has supported over 13,000 service members since 2014. SSO works directly with military commanders and chaplains to facilitate day-long events that combine outdoor adventure such as rock climbing, skydiving, white water rafting, and more with a faith discussion centered on identity and having a firm life foundation to help our nation's warriors be as physically, mentally, and spiritually fit as possible. Active duty military service members attend SSO events at no cost to them or the government.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Total number of free admissions
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Military personnel
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Active duty military service member that has attended an SSO outdoor adventure, spiritual fitness or resiliency discussion, suicide awareness talk, outreach, or concert.
Number of free participants on field trips
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Military personnel
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Number of active duty military that have participated in a free SSO event.
Maximum number of participants allowed on field trips
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Military personnel
Related Program
Outdoor Adventure
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Maximum number of active duty military participants in any single event, outdoor adventure (rock-climbing, tandem skydiving, sailing, wake-boarding, etc.).
Number of groups/individuals benefiting from tools/resources/education materials provided
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Military personnel
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Active duty military service member that has benefited from free literature, books, etc.
Number of mentors recruited
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Military personnel
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Volunteers and/or mentors that participate in our programs.
Number of active church partnerships
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Military personnel
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Number of churches and/or para-church organizations that partner with SSO during outdoor adventure events, outreach, or concerts.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
REACHING service members with the gospel of Christ where they are.
CONNECTING service members with other Christian service members.
BUILDING a Christ-centered foundation for living.
DEPLOYING on short-term missions locally and abroad outside the military context.
SUSTAINING Christ-centered relationships through small-group Bible study and mentor relationship.
IMPACTING the World for Christ both to and through the U.S. Military.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
How Soul Survivor Outdoor establishes a “beach head" to build and strengthen the work of ministry within the United States Military
Wilderness Events (Outdoor Adventure Activities)
The centerpiece of our organization
Active Duty Military Partners (Empower Leaders withing Ranks of Military)
One on one mentorship with service members
Command Engagement (Military Leadership)
Engage with commanders who support our mission
Church Partnerships (Work/Partner with Military Chaplaincy and Churches in Conducting Outreach)
Military Chaplaincy
Partner with military chaplains and local churches adjacent to military bases and stations
Para-Church Partnerships (Work/Partner with Existing Ministries on/off Base to Engage Service Members)
Partner with existing military and campus ministries
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
We are actively engaged conducting outdoor events, working with active duty military service members, engaging with commanders within military units (entry level leaders though general officer level engagement), coming along side military commanders and chaplains to help address the resiliency and spiritual fitness needs of service members.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
IMPACT
Over 10,000 active duty military service members have attended Soul Survivor Outdoor spiritual fitness events since our founding in 2014.
INCORPORATION AND NONPROFIT STATUS
10/2/2014 - Incorporate with State of California – Religious Corporation
10/2/2014 - Est. Board of Directors
3/27/2015 - Granted IRS 501(c)(3) Status
5/13/2016 - Granted Tax Exempt Status by State of California
WEB PRESENCE
Webpage www.soulsurvivoroutdoor.org
Facebook www.facebook.com/soulsurvivoroutdoor
Twitter www.twitter.com/sso_outdoor
Instagram www.instagram.com/sso_outdoor
LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/company/soul-survivor-outdoor
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, 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
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild 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.
SOUL SURVIVOR OUTDOOR
Board of directorsas of 01/18/2024
LtCol USMC Retired Richard Wolf
Soul Survivor Outdoor
Term: 2014 -
MGySgt Hank Rimkus
United States Marine Corps
Brian Darisay
James Washburn
Hank Rimkus
Kim Wolf
Ryan Lamb
Foster Ferguson
Rob Broyles
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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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 ? Not applicable -
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? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
No data
The organization's co-leader identifies as:
No data
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 02/02/2022GuideStar 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
- 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.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- 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.