LifeStriders, Inc.
Nature Based * Integrative * Therapies
LifeStriders, Inc.
EIN: 47-0955137
Mission
LifeStriders is a non-profit organization that provides nature-based , physical and psychological therapies and educational services to individuals with special needs and their families.
Notes from the nonprofit
At LifeStriders part of our mission is to make therapeutic and life-enhancing services accessible to families with special needs and everyone committed attaining to their vision of wellness. We serve families with special needs who experience more in a single day than most people could imagine in a life-time. We understand the day-in and day-out, 24-7 needs that our families face and the heart-ache that comes when your child or loved one is diagnosed with a condition that has no cure- yet. Yet, is the key word we often use to remind our clients that there is hope. At LifeStriders, we meet clients where they are and want to help them achieve their individual and family goals, in a way that supports and empowers them to see themselves as part of a greater whole...the community in which they live. LifeStriders understands that it isn't just about education and raising awareness and providing opportunities for mainstreaming and inclusion, it also requires making your own life-strides.
Ruling year
2006
Chief Executive Officer
Veronica Sosa MS, LPC
Co-founder and Vice President
Robert Q. Conley MSPT
Main address
S11W29667 Summit Ave. (Hwy 18)
Waukesha, WI 53188 USA
EIN
47-0955137
Health
Rehabilitation
Human services
Youth organizing
Population served
Children and youth
Adults
Young adults
Seniors
Families
NTEE code
Human Services - Multipurpose and Other N.E.C. (P99)
Youth Development Programs (O50)
Rehabilitative Medical Services (E50)
IRS subsection
501(c)(3) Public Charity
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
Tax forms
Communication
Programs and results
Reports and documents
Download annual reports Download other documentsWhat we aim to solve
LifeStriders’ Vision is to provide nature based, integrative therapeutic programs and support services to families with special needs in a variety of innovative ways, to meet the needs of diverse populations and to increase accessibility and inclusion. Families caring for a loved one with special needs, wish you knew what it's like to be on their side of the fence. Their hands are full with the challenges of raising, caring for, and protecting and advocating for their loved one. The amount of time, research, planning and execution of every day tasks takes a toll physically, emotionally, socially, spiritually, and financially. LifeStriders understands that these unique stressors can impact the entire family and that finding the right combination of therapeutic medical, psychological, educational and social interventions can be daunting, expensive and difficult to orchestrate. LifeStriders centralizes access to the many services families need at low cost or no cost.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
LifeStriders Therapeutic Riding Program
Through Equine-Assisted Therapy, children and adults and seniors can experience the beneficial physical and mental benefits achieved through the human-horse connection. By combining elements of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Cognitive Behavior Therapy, LifeStriders is able to tailor therapeutic modalities to best fit the needs of each client in a fun, nature based setting, that feels like an adventure and retreat.
LifeStriders Social Skills Program
These fun and interactive groups are designed
for children, teens and young adults with challenges in the area of social‑communication that affect the quality of their interpersonal relationships. Focusing on bullying/violence prevention, assertive communication, establishing healthy interpersonal boundaries, self care and managing social media, participants learn to increase social awareness, understand other peoples’ perspectives, and the impact of their own behavior has on building interpersonal relationships. It is a fun, nature based class for kids to learn the skills they need in building social connections. LifeStriders social skills classes are held in small group settings with individualized activities.
LifeStriders Youth Program
Aimed at youths ages 12-21, this program provides
opportunities for community service, character building, drop-out prevention and violence prevention to at-risk youths in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties. Those involved in the Youth Program also develop interpersonal and occupational skills, as well as receiving educational support, counseling and adult mentoring as needed.
LifeStriders Heroes-Veteran Program
LifeStriders Heroes Program offers integrative nature based therapies for veterans and military families. We provide comprehensive counseling, OT, PT and therapeutic riding for veterans with disabilities at no cost.
LifeStriders Mentors- Alzheimer's Intervention and Prevention Program
Therapeutic activities designed around the pillars of treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's and dementia that focus on physical exercise, purposeful engaged activities and inter-generational social connections.
LifeStriders Counseling and Life-Coaching Program
LifeStriders offers low cost or no cost mental health services for children, teens, couples and families. Cognitive behavior therapy and dialectical behavior therapy approaches are offered in the offices, strolling along trails and pastures or online.
LifeStriders Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy
Physical and Occupational therapies for children and adults that incorporate traditional therapeutic methods with nature-based and animal assisted therapies to help stimulate, motivate and increase clients' accessibility to nature.
Online Counseling and Support Groups
Online Counseling and Life/Wellness Coaching (Individual, Couples and Family)
Online Social Skills and Support Groups
Online Wellness Sessions
Online Caregiver and Educational Workshops
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
North American Riding for the Handicapped Association 2005
American Counseling Association 2002
EAGALA 2015
American Hippotherapy Association 2015
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsNumber of children who have the ability to use eye-hand coordination, strength, and motor control to use age-appropriate tools and utensils effectively
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, People with disabilities
Related Program
LifeStriders Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Ongoing goal for most clients in PT/OT programs
Number of children with disabilities receiving early intervention services
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, People with disabilities
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Individuals participating across LifeStriders Programs per year
Number of adults with disabilities receiving sufficient social and emotional support
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Veterans
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Includes at risk youth over the age of 18, Veterans and seniors participating in Therapeutic Riding Program, Counseling, Social Skills, At-risk Youth Program or Alzheimer's Intervention and Prevention
Number of youth receiving services (e.g., groups, skills and job training, etc.) with youths living in their community
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adolescents, Young adults, At-risk youth
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Youth and At-risk youth program, volunteering/mentoring, social skills groups and counseling and life coaching.Across various programs
Number of youth who report less likelihood to engage in criminal activity
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adolescents, At-risk youth, Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
LifeStriders Youth Program
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Tracking in 2018
Number of youth and families for whom the treatment and support plan is implemented as specified by the therapist
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Young adults, People with psychosocial disabilities
Related Program
LifeStriders Youth Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Counseling/ LifeCoaching Program, Youth Program, Social Skills Programs. Will also include PT/OT programs in 2018
Number of youth who volunteer/participate in community service
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adolescents, At-risk youth, People with psychosocial disabilities
Related Program
LifeStriders Youth Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Mentoring and Life Coaching provided
Number of youth who are established in employment/career within five years of graduating from high school
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adolescents, Young adults
Related Program
LifeStriders Youth Program
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of veterans who report a decrease in depression
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Military personnel, Veterans
Related Program
LifeStriders Heroes-Veteran Program
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Decreasing
Context Notes
As noted by the PHQ-9 Depression Screener
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn 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?
1. LifeStriders will maintain a strong leadership role within the field of nature-based and Equine Assisted Activities and Therapies (EAAT), psychotherapy, physical and occupational therapy through the continued evolution and innovation of program services, providing high quality, individualized programming.
2. LifeStriders will continue to examine current programs services and design new offerings to optimize existing resources while providing participants with enhanced experiences.
3. LifeStriders will continue to understand the needs of our staff to ensure a rewarding, professional environment that fosters growth and fulfillment. LifeStriders is governed by a Board of Directors that is actively engaged, works towards sustainability and supports a professional staff of highly trained therapists, therapeutic riding instructors and equine specialists.
4. LifeStriders will ensure that human and equine resources are positioned to support its programs and safety into the future.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
1. LifeStriders will continue to provide ongoing needs assessments, evaluations of clients and staff by providing enhanced clinical supervision, in-service cross-training and continuing education opportunities for equine specialists, staff and therapists tailored to their needs and based on caregiver feedback.
2.Examine current programs and design new offerings to optimize existing resources by performing needs assessments and surveys.
3. To ensure a rewarding professional environment that fosters growth and fulfillment, we will continue to engage with staff, therapists, parents, volunteers to design our next strategic plan (2019-2024). We will on-board and train the most qualified personnel to perform critical business and therapeutic functions. We will continue to foster relationship based models of care and supervision for our clients and staff respectively.
4. Create a robust financial model which will support program growth and innovation: new donors, endowment fund, investments.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
LifeStriders is uniquely positioned to meet and exceed the goals of our Strategic Plan due to our exceptional team of of staff, therapists and highly trained volunteers, having an engaged and diverse Board of Directors, sound financial outlook (zero debt and sustainable programming), innovative fundraising strategies, community and donor support. With years of experience, countless 5- star client, volunteer and donor ratings and have established ourselves as the leader in comprehensive, integrative, nature-based health services in the Midwest.
We are honored to serve families with special needs, children, at-risk youth, veterans, and seniors through our various programs and are committed to being great stewards of the time, energy, love and resources that are gifted to LifeStriders. When people see our passion for the LifeStriders mission, they want to join and support us!
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
LifeStriders offers services to over 250 children, at risk youth, adults, veterans and seniors with special needs per week through our various innovative therapeutic programs and community based programs.
LifeStriders has zero debt, 100% owns the property it is housed on and strives to create sustainable programming. implement ways to increase efficiency and increase potential savings. We have created an exceptional team of of staff, therapists and highly trained volunteers, an engaged and diverse Board of Directors, sound financial outlook , innovative fundraising strategies, community and donor support. With years of experience, countless 5- star client, volunteer and donor ratings and have established ourselves as the leader in comprehensive, integrative, nature-based health services in the Midwest.
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 identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
Financial documents
Download audited financialsRevenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2021 info
0.00
Months of cash in 2021 info
31.8
Fringe rate in 2021 info
24%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
LifeStriders, Inc.
Revenue & expensesFiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
SOURCE: IRS Form 990
LifeStriders, Inc.
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
SOURCE: IRS Form 990
The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.
Fiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
SOURCE: IRS Form 990
This snapshot of LifeStriders, Inc.’s financial trends applies Nonprofit Finance Fund® analysis to data hosted by GuideStar. While it highlights the data that matter most, remember that context is key – numbers only tell part of any story.
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Business model indicators
| Profitability info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | $121,868 | $272,072 | $232,744 | $413,093 | $2,754,094 |
| As % of expenses | 22.1% | 46.8% | 41.0% | 67.9% | 376.6% |
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | $99,667 | $247,656 | $209,175 | $386,373 | $2,723,714 |
| As % of expenses | 17.3% | 40.9% | 35.3% | 60.9% | 357.6% |
| Revenue composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $528,394 | $740,978 | $790,751 | $818,587 | $1,356,085 |
| Total revenue, % change over prior year | -10.1% | 40.2% | 6.7% | 3.5% | 65.7% |
| Program services revenue | 56.5% | 49.9% | 58.5% | 53.1% | 41.4% |
| Membership dues | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Investment income | 0.0% | 0.6% | 1.2% | 1.4% | 0.8% |
| Government grants | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 16.7% | 14.5% |
| All other grants and contributions | 43.5% | 49.5% | 40.6% | 40.6% | 40.5% |
| Other revenue | 0.0% | 0.0% | -0.3% | -11.8% | 2.9% |
| Expense composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses before depreciation | $552,620 | $580,958 | $568,165 | $608,133 | $731,316 |
| Total expenses, % change over prior year | 26.9% | 5.1% | -2.2% | 7.0% | 20.3% |
| Personnel | 49.4% | 50.2% | 51.9% | 55.1% | 45.9% |
| Professional fees | 19.9% | 22.9% | 24.1% | 18.7% | 29.6% |
| Occupancy | 16.8% | 16.3% | 16.2% | 16.6% | 15.0% |
| Interest | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.5% | 0.2% |
| Pass-through | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| All other expenses | 13.9% | 10.6% | 7.8% | 9.2% | 9.3% |
| Full cost components (estimated) info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses (after depreciation) | $574,821 | $605,374 | $591,734 | $634,853 | $761,696 |
| One month of savings | $46,052 | $48,413 | $47,347 | $50,678 | $60,943 |
| Debt principal payment | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed asset additions | $107,214 | $0 | $0 | $156,225 | $54,794 |
| Total full costs (estimated) | $728,087 | $653,787 | $639,081 | $841,756 | $877,433 |
Capital structure indicators
| Liquidity info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Months of cash | 12.2 | 16.8 | 22.3 | 31.1 | 31.8 |
| Months of cash and investments | 12.2 | 16.8 | 22.3 | 31.1 | 31.8 |
| Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | 12.0 | 17.1 | 21.9 | 28.5 | 32.4 |
| Balance sheet composition info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | $561,207 | $811,753 | $1,054,104 | $1,576,275 | $1,936,060 |
| Investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Receivables | $117,753 | $30,841 | $58,120 | $42,068 | $139,649 |
| Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $958,930 | $956,430 | $979,630 | $1,127,976 | $1,182,770 |
| Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 11.4% | 14.0% | 16.1% | 15.7% | 17.5% |
| Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 2.2% | 1.9% | 1.5% | 11.0% | 0.0% |
| Unrestricted net assets | $1,403,873 | $1,651,529 | $1,860,704 | $2,247,077 | $2,948,421 |
| Temporarily restricted net assets | $107,900 | $2,000 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Permanently restricted net assets | $0 | $0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Total restricted net assets | $107,900 | $2,000 | $53,436 | $48,000 | $0 |
| Total net assets | $1,511,773 | $1,653,529 | $1,914,140 | $2,295,077 | $3,006,546 |
Key data checks
| Key data checks info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material data errors | No | No | No | No | Yes |
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
Chief Executive Officer
Veronica Sosa MS, LPC
Veronica Sosa, MS, LPC is a licensed educational psychologist/counselor with a master’s degree in school psychology specializing in neuropsychology. She is also certified by the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association(NARHA) as a therapeutic riding instructor. Since 2001 she has worked in the inner cities of Los Angeles in a variety of community mental health and educational settings.
Co-founder and Vice President
Robert Conley
Robert Conley, MSPT, is an business owner and has a Master of Science in Physical Therapy and is certified as Therapeutic Riding Instructor since 2004. Co-founding LifeStriders was the natural evolution of his background in physical therapy combined with his love of nature, horses and the community in which he grew up. He served as Board President and Chair since 2004 and remains involved as an adviser to the Board and as part of the Endowment Committee at LifeStriders. He enjoys volunteering at LifeStriders and introducing others to the wonderful mission being carried out on the farm.
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
LifeStriders, Inc.
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.
LifeStriders, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 04/19/2023
Board of directors data
Kim Kindschi
No Affiliation
Term: 2016 -
Kim Kindschi
Board President
Diedre Erwin
Secretary
Shellagh Roell
Board Member
Linda Campbell
Board Member
Jack Rakowski
Board Member
Maria Trainor
Board Member
Matt Arndt
Treasurer
Maria Trainor
Board Member
James Boling
Board Member
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 ? 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
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:
The organization's co-leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 06/28/2022GuideStar 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 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.
- 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.
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- Financial statements for 2021, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016
- Letter of Determination
- Form 1023 / 1024
- Officer and/or Employee data for 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017
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