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PeerBasis
Compensation Comparability Determination

Outdoor Association For True Heroes Inc

Executive Director / CEO

EIN 464625678
TX · NTEE W30
FY ending 2024-12-31
June 9, 2026

This analysis benchmarks the total compensation of Gary J Bartels Jr, Executive Director / CEO ($96,000) against every comparable organization that fit the selection criteria — 81 in total — drawn systematically from IRS Form 990 filings, not a hand-picked subset.

Compensation sits at approximately the 91st percentile of comparable organizationsabove the 90th percentile — board review recommended

Benchmarked executive: Gary J Bartels Jr — reported title “FOUNDER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTO”, a direct title match to the Executive Director / CEO role.

How comparable organizations were selected

81 organizations qualified on sector, size, and geography 81 within the band form the benchmarked peer set.

Distribution of comparable compensation

$867 total compensation of comparable organizations → $602,363 $96,000
$9,01910th
$19,89525th
$48,600Median
$73,23375th
$88,29090th
$96,000This org · 91st
p10$9,019
p25$19,895
p50$48,600
p75$73,233
p90$88,290
$96,000

Comparable organizations

Each figure is Form 990 Part VII columns D + F (reportable pay plus other compensation and benefits; column F may include amounts from related organizations), normalized to TX cost of living (BEA RPP, 2023) and to its filing year (CPI-U); the reported amount is on each linked 990.

OrganizationStateRevenueMatched titleComp
(reported)
Comp
(adjusted)
FY
Honoring Our Fallen CA$390,886 Ceo\founder $78,667 $67,908 2024
Lake Belton Vfw 10377 TX$384,655 Quartermaster $14,400 $14,029 2025
Independence For Veterans Inc NJ$383,925 President $73,517 $67,556 2023
Hesperus AZ$381,890 Executive Director $86,154 $82,831 2024
Newby-ginnings Of North Idaho Inc ID$401,878 Executive Director $52,000 $56,933 2023
Department Of Sc Vfw Of United States SC$404,075 Service Officer $56,000 $56,899 2025
American Freedom Foundation FL$378,457 President $132,509 $128,119 2023
Advocate DC$377,801 Officer $441,381 $387,204 2024
Veterans Ride For Free CT$376,888 Secretary $18,200 $17,059 2024
Vetgroup Inc NJ$376,568 Executive Dir. $51,491 $47,316 2023
Veteran Community Initiatives Inc PA$375,086 President $66,575 $66,370 2024
Heroes Linked CA$373,514 Ceo $154,418 $133,299 2024
It's About The Warriors Foundation PA$415,009 Executive Director/president/secretary $85,980 $85,715 2024
Special Ops Xcursions TN$366,586 President $55,000 $57,795 2024
Friends Of Fisher House - Illinois Inc IL$419,182 President $45,000 $44,226 2024
Sinking Spring Veterans Home Association PA$362,972 Treasurer $24,850 $25,505 2023
Mckinney-montgomery Post 141 OK$358,425 Finance Officer $24,788 $27,286 2024
The Mandatum Foundation VA$355,534 Lead Coach $14,500 $13,996 2024
Leroy O Buck Post No 7863 Vfw Inc PA$354,076 Employee $46,717 $45,373 2025
American Legion Walter Graham Post 332 IL$432,360 Manager $43,428 $42,682 2024
Working Dogs For Vets TN$349,383 President $32,513 $33,284 2025
Returning Veterans Project OR$435,384 Executive Dir. $109,882 $102,011 2024
Idaho Veterans Network Corporation ID$347,789 Director $14,400 $14,919 2025
National Memorial Of Military IL$436,890 Secretary $10,800 $10,614 2024
Hunting With Heroes Inc WY$344,305 Sec-tres-director $18,000 $19,269 2024

Comp (reported) is the figure on each organization's Form 990 (columns D + F); Comp (adjusted) normalizes it to TX cost of living and 2024 dollars. Click any organization to verify the figure on ProPublica.

Methodology

Comparable organizations were drawn from electronically filed IRS Form 990 returns and matched on sector (NTEE code), budget (a size-adaptive revenue band that tightens as the organization grows), and geography (same-state first, broadening only when too few peers qualify); every organization within the band forms the peer set. To compare fairly across regions and years, peer compensation is normalized to TX cost of living (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2023) and to the subject's filing year (CPI-U). The figure benchmarked is Form 990 Part VII, Section A, columns D + F — reportable pay plus other compensation, benefits, and deferred amounts (column F may include amounts from related organizations) — with the chief executive matched by role. Related-organization amounts (column E) and institutional trustees are excluded. Full methodology: peerbasis.org/methodology.

Sample, role match & sensitivity

Sensitivity — the subject's percentile under alternative compensation definitions:

BasisSubject percentile
Total compensation (D + F), cost-of-living + inflation adjusted — the PeerBasis default91st
Total compensation (D + F), as reported (no adjustments)90th
Reportable pay only (column D), adjusted93rd
All sources (D + E + F), adjusted89th

If the percentile moves materially across these definitions, the result is sensitive to methodology choices, and the board should weigh which basis best fits its facts.

Rebuttable presumption of reasonableness · 26 CFR 53.4958-6

Compensation paid by a tax-exempt organization is presumed reasonable — shifting the burden to the IRS — when three requirements are met. This report supplies the comparability data for the second. The board should record the following in its minutes concurrently with its decision:

Draft board minutes — executive compensation

  1. The compensation of the Executive Director / CEO (Gary J Bartels Jr) was approved in advance by [the Board / Compensation Committee], composed of members with no conflict of interest with respect to the arrangement.
  2. Prior to its determination, the authorized body obtained and relied upon appropriate comparability data, namely the PeerBasis Compensation Comparability Determination dated June 9, 2026, comparing compensation against 81 similarly situated organizations (Same NTEE sector (W30), nationwide + budget 0.67–1.5× revenue).
  3. The authorized body determined that total compensation of $96,000 is reasonable (approximately the 91st percentile of comparable organizations) and documented the basis for this determination concurrently, on [date], by a vote of [__ for / __ against].

Sources: IRS Form 990 e-file data (apps.irs.gov); IRS Business Master File (NTEE classification). Every figure traces to an original public filing — click any organization above to verify it on ProPublica. PeerBasis is a service of Prismind Analytics; its methodology is published, was commissioned for independent adversarial review, and discloses its own limitations. This report is comparability data to support a board's good-faith determination under IRC 4958; it is not legal or tax advice. Generated by PeerBasis on June 9, 2026.