irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $483KTHROUGH BOOTS & PAWS, WE PROVIDE COMPANION DOGS THAT HELP GUARDIANS ESTABLISH ROUTINES, FEEL A SENSE OF PURPOSE, AND BUILD BONDS THAT ENHANCE EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING. EACH COMPANION DOG COMES WITH A CARE PACKAGE AND ONGOING SUPPORT TO ENSURE THE DOG INTEGRATES SMOOTHLY INTO THE GUARDIAN'S LIFE.
- #2 $376KGUARDIAN HOMEFRONT, OUR FAMILY-FOCUSED PROGRAM, SUPPORTS THE SPOUSES, PARTNERS, AND CHILDREN OF GUARDIANS BY OFFERING RESOURCES AND EVENTS THAT FOSTER RESILIENCE, WELLNESS, AND COMMUNITY. THIS PROGRAM ENSURES FAMILY MEMBERS FEEL CONNECTED AND SUPPORTED ON THEIR UNIQUE JOURNEYS ALONGSIDE THEIR GUARDIAN.
named programs · 6 · from sources
What they call their work
Another Summit
Therapeutic outdoor adventure program offering structured activities like hiking, backpacking, paddling, and fly tying in the Hudson Valley to support mental health and well-being.
Boots & Paws
Provides companion and service dogs to guardians, including veterans and first responders, with a care package, training, veterinary coverage, and pet insurance for up to one year.
Dwyer Vet2Vet
Peer support program connecting veterans with other veterans to share experiences, build camaraderie, and support mental health through structured interactions.
Encore
Music program that supports guardians in creating and releasing original music through professional resources, studio access, and creative freedom at no cost.
Guardian Homefront
Family-focused program offering resources and events to support spouses, partners, and children of guardians, fostering resilience, wellness, and community connection.
RISE
Peer services program offering mental health support, community engagement, and leadership development opportunities for guardians and their families.
activities · 9 groups
What they do
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Charity Event Organization 2 activities
- Fundraising through charity race participationSupports fundraising efforts by organizing charity runners for major marathons, including the Philadelphia Marathon and Marine Corps Marathon, where teams have raised over $170,000 collectively for military, veteran, and first responder mental health programs.
- Organizing community wellness events and challengesHosts annual events such as the One Mile Challenge in September, encouraging participants to walk, run, or roll one mile daily for 30 days to raise awareness and funds for mental health programs. Also organizes the Guardian Revival 5K Race and RISE events focused on resilience and wellness, available online and in-person in the Hudson Valley.
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Animal-Assisted Support Services 2 activities
- Operating facility dog visitation programsConducts contracted facility dog visitation events at corporate, educational, community, police department, and fire station settings to provide comfort and emotional support to first responders and the public. These visits are part of broader mental health support programming.
- Providing companion dogs to military and first respondersProvides free companion puppies and professionally trained service dogs to military personnel, veterans, and first responders, along with a comprehensive care package including 12 months of financial and expert support, reimbursement for supplies, veterinary care, pet insurance, training, and travel. The program supports emotional well-being and integration into daily life for guardians with physical, sensory, psychiatric, or mental disabilities.
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Guided Outdoor Expedition Programs 1 activity
- Delivering outdoor adventure programsOrganizes structured outdoor adventures—including single-day hikes and paddling trips, multi-day backpacking and car-camping excursions, and beginner-to-advanced level activities—primarily in New York’s Hudson Valley and Northeast regions. Programs are led by certified outdoor leaders and designed to reduce stress, build peer connections, and support psychological health among military members, veterans, first responders, and federal agents.
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Organization Website and Online Platform Management 1 activity
- Facilitating event access through digital platformsManages event registration and community engagement via a free online member portal, web-based calendar, and mobile app for iOS and Android, requiring all registrations to be completed through the system starting June 26.
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Peer-Led Mental Health Support Groups 1 activity
- Hosting peer support services and talk lineOperates peer-led support services including the PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Vet2Vet Program and First Line Program, offering support groups, social activities, benefit claim assistance, and a talk line (845.745.0088) staffed by trained specialists with military and first responder backgrounds to promote resilience and wellness.
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Professional Certification and Continuing Education 1 activity
- Offering wilderness education and leadership trainingProvides educational courses on fieldcraft survival, canoeing, flora and fauna identification, and other wilderness topics. Also launched an Introduction to Outdoor Leadership course in spring 2024 to certify frontcountry outdoor leaders, expanding capacity for guided outdoor programming.
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Recurring Craft and Fiber Arts Groups 1 activity
- Organizing creative and recreational workshopsHosts monthly Friday Night Fly Tying workshops through the Another Summit program, offering hands-on, low-pressure creative activities for guardians and their families.
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Music Education and Training Programs 1 activity
- Providing free music programming and recording supportOffers free online music lessons (guitar, bass, ukulele, piano, drums, songwriting, music theory, Logic Pro) and in-person jam sessions in Beacon, NY, for guardians of all skill levels. Facilitates professional songwriting, recording, and release of original music through Guardian Revival Records, including full production support for debut albums like Jordan Dasher’s “Another Gift.”
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Supporting families of military and first respondersProvides resources, events, and programming specifically for spouses, partners, children, and families of military members and first responders, including spouse-only, couple, and family-wide events under the Homefront program to promote resilience, wellness, and community connection.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$3.58M
Contributions & grants$3.37M94%
Program service revenue$148K4%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$67K
expenses
Total expenses$3.44M
Program expenses81%
Admin / overhead9%
Fundraising10%
Salaries & benefits$2.49M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$482K
Cash$348K
Investments$0
Liabilities$220K
Net assets$262K
Liquid reserves1.2 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +44.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALEX OTHMER | PRESIDENT | 5 | $61K |
board members · 13
- ANDREW TOTTA — DIRECTOR
- BRITNEY BEAR — DIRECTOR
- CHRIS RYDER — DIRECTOR
- CHRIS WATKINS — VICE PRESIDE
- DEAN DIOGUARDI — DIRECTOR
- DOUGLAS JEFFREYS — DIRECTOR
- EJ COLEMAN — SECRETARY
- KACI CLARK — DIRECTOR
- MICHAEL ALLEGRETTI — DIRECTOR
- MICHAEL CASLIN — DIRECTOR
- ROB SULLIVAN — DIRECTOR
- STEVEN SHOWALTER — DIRECTOR
- TERRY ROTH — TREASURER
relationships · 37
Who they work with
- ACCESS: Supports for Living Partner — Partnership established to support guardian mental health and well-being programming
- Another Summit Partner — Outdoor program offering fly tying workshops, birding outings, and wilderness adventures for guardians.
- Apple App Store Partner — Distributes the Guardian Revival mobile app for iOS users
- Bill Urban Partner — Senior Outdoor Leader of Another Summit
- Chabad of Putnam Partner — Religious partner providing spiritual leadership, such as Rabbi Avi Korer leading an invocation at the Veterans Appreciation Chow Down.
- Champions Partner — Athletes who compete under the Guardian Revival banner to break mental health stigmas and raise awareness.
- David Stagno Partner — Mixing and mastering engineer who contributed to the final production of Jordan Dasher's album "Another Gift" through Guardian Revival Records.
- Dutchess County Probation Partner — Participated as a team in the Guardian Revival 5K Race, winning top honors for fastest and largest department team.
- Elena Leonard Partner — Operations Manager of Another Summit
- Encore Partner — Music program providing professional resources and support for guardians to create original music.
- GORUCK Partner — Collaborates on Carry the Weight Week and co-brands challenge patches for the One Mile Challenge.
- GOVX Partner — Presenting partner for the One Mile Challenge
- Google Play Partner — Distributes the Guardian Revival mobile app for Android users
- Halpern Law Partner — Participated as a community team in the Guardian Revival 5K Race, recognized as the largest community team.
- Henri de la Vega Partner — Program Executive Director of Another Summit
- Hudson Valley fire stations Partner — Hosts facility dog visitation events to provide comfort and support to personnel.
- Hudson Valley police departments Partner — Hosts facility dog visitation events to provide comfort and support to personnel.
- Joseph Demarzo Partner — Event sponsor at the Lieutenant level for the Veterans Appreciation Chow Down.
- Lauren de la Vega Partner — Volunteer Senior Outdoor Leader of Another Summit
- Luc Aussavis Partner — Engineer and studio musician involved in the recording and production of "Another Gift" as part of Guardian Revival's Encore program.
- Marine Corps Marathon Partner — Official charity partner allowing Guardian Revival to offer charity bibs and fundraising opportunities.
- Matthew Sorena Partner — Producer and studio musician who collaborated on the production of Jordan Dasher's album "Another Gift" through the Encore program.
- Miami Marathon Partner — Partner event where Guardian Revival Champions participate and raise funds.
- Michael Bartolotti Partner — Event sponsor at the Corporal level for the Veterans Appreciation Chow Down.
- Philadelphia Marathon Partner — Partner event where Guardian Revival organizes charity runners to fundraise for mental health support.
- Putnam County Veterans Service Agency Partner — Collaborates with Guardian Revival to administer the PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Vet2Vet Program and co-host events such as the Veterans Appreciation Chow Down.
- Robert Tendy Partner — Event sponsor at the Lieutenant level for the Veterans Appreciation Chow Down.
- SUNY New Paltz Partner — Conducted a statewide survey on first responder mental health cited by Guardian Revival to inform advocacy and programming.
- ShopRite of Carmel Partner — Premier event sponsor of the Veterans Appreciation Chow Down.
- Spotify Partner — Distributes guardian artists' music through Spotify via DistroKid and Spotify for Artists pages.
+ 7 more
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Animal-Assisted Therapeutic Bondingmethodology: animal-assisted therapyBy integrating companion dogs into family and therapeutic settings, we strengthen emotional resilience and social connection because human-animal bonding reduces stress, increases routine, and fosters purposeful interaction.
- Creative Expression as Therapeutic Empowermentmethodology: creative-expression-for-wellnessBy supporting guardians in creating and publicly releasing original music through professional resources and creative freedom, we improve mental health because creative expression enables processing of trauma, builds self-efficacy, and fosters empowerment.
- Non-Clinical, Community-Connected Wellness Modelmethodology: complementary_healthcareBy offering accessible, non-clinical programs centered on community, physical movement, and creative engagement, we improve mental health outcomes because these activities build routine, connection, and personal accountability outside stigmatized clinical settings.
- Outdoor Therapy for Mental Well-beingmethodology: outdoor-therapyBy engaging military personnel, veterans, first responders, and their families in structured outdoor activities, we improve mental health and well-being because nature fosters mindfulness, reduces loneliness, and strengthens a sense of belonging.
- Peer-Led Mental Health Support Modelmethodology: peer_supportBy using peer-led, confidential programming and trusted relationships among those with shared experiences, we reduce stigma and increase access to mental health care because trust and mutual understanding foster openness and healing.