Southwest Open School

Analysis

Southwest Open School is a registered charity in United States, based in Cortez, CO. It received its IRS tax-exemption ruling in December 2025. Its declared purposes cover education, which this site groups under education and training. The IRS classifies it as a school under section 501(c)(3), and contributions to it are listed as tax-deductible.

In the financial year ending June 2021, Southwest Open School reported income of $1.8m and spending of $1.1m, leaving 42% of income unspent that year. Across the 2 years on record, from June 2020 to June 2021, income grew from $1.7m to $1.8m (+10%), an average of +10% a year. Over the whole period it spent 62% of the income it received.

Among 66,972 United States charities whose main cause is education and training and that reported income, Southwest Open School sits at the 81st percentile: it is larger than about 81% of them. Against every charity in United States with reported income it ranks in the 85th percentile, and in the 85th percentile within CO. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Preserve Community Foundation ($1.8m), South Carolina Governors School for Sci & Math Foundation Inc ($1.8m) and Expertise School of Beauty ($1.8m).

On its Form 990 for the period ending June 2021, revenue came from contributions and grants 42% and program service revenue 58% of the total. Other salaries and wages came to $679k. At year end it held assets of $2.9m against liabilities of $3.3m, net assets of -$457k. It reported 26 employees.