Apple Ridge Farm Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
541409250
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-T 2025
Location
Roanoke, VA, USA
Phone
5409821322
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$439,755
Expenses
$541,421
Assets
$2,025,733
Liabilities
$151,383

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

14 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • JOSH THOEMKE (EXECUTIVE DI): $77,805 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Apple ridge farm transforms the lives of our community's underserved children and their families through engagement in unparalleled educational, cultural and outdoor experiences.

What it reported doing in 2025

The aspire mindsets program is an in-school and after school pilot program designed to combat behavioral issues in young men. This pilot program is taking place at fairview elementary school and consists of 5th grade boys who are experiencing extreme behavioral issues in the classroom. With a combination of character building exercises and mentorship this program seeks to decrease the frequency and severity of behavioral issues in our youth and increase their potential for future success. Get outside is a single day program for any youth serving organization, church, school, or any of our current partnerships to be able to come and experience apple ridge farm for a half day or full day adventure free of charge. This program focuses on the "whole child experience- and incorporates environmental education, physical wellness, mindfulness, as well as adventure in our high and low ropes courses. The program runs throughout the year with the exception of during our academic summer camp.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 76% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 85
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 32
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 98.7%; rating input score 99
  • Program expense ratio: 80.1%; rating input score 80
  • Fundraising efficiency: $7.58 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -23.1%; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.74; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.07; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 14.4%; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -1.6% per year; rating input score 0; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -0.6% per year; rating input score 0; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 1.6% per year; rating input score 100; 29th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 98.7% of revenue deployed · 80.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 13 of 13 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $434K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $78K · 14 people listed
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 30/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 10/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 24/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 23/100.