Central Kentucky Riding for Hope Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
311024505
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-T 2025
Location
Lexington, KY, USA
Phone
8592317066
Rating
81
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$951,286
Expenses
$1,042,909
Assets
$5,591,458
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

22 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • PAT KLINE (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CEO)
  • PETER MORRESEY (PRESIDENT)
  • MARTHA JANE MULHOLLAND (1ST VICE PRESIDENT)
  • STANLEY MARCINEK JR (2ND VICE PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • PAT KLINE (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CEO): $113,393 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Central Kentucky riding for hope is dedicated to enriching the community by improving the quality of life and the health of children and adults with special physical, cognitive, emotional, and social needs through therapeutic activities with the horse.

What it reported doing in 2025

In 2025, 340 participants received direct ckrh client services through the equine assisted activities & therapies (eaat), an umbrella term which includes the range of equine activities/therapies designed for people with disabilities or diverse needs. Ckrh provided 1,168 direct client service hours through equine assisted activities and therapy sessions. They include: therapeutic riding (tr), mounted traditional riding disciplines or adaptive riding activities conducted by a certified instructor in private or group lessons. Activities are designed to meet each participant's needs and may focus on fine/gross motor skills development, balance, strength or coordination. An alternative for individuals unable to ride (due to contraindications) is therapeutic driving.hippotherapy (hpot), mounted physical/occupational/speech therapies that utilize equine movement. Services are provided by a licensed therapist or speech/language pathologist in partnership with cardinal hill rehabilitation hospital. Equine facilitated mental health (efmh), non-mounted equine assisted activities and therapies with a focus on mental health issues. Led by a licensed/credentialed mental health professional in conjunction with a credentialed equine professional, examples include psychotherapy, marriage/family counseling and bereavement therapy. Ckrh partners with the bluegrass rape crisis center to provide psycho-educational services to adult survivors of sexual trauma; st. James place to provide psycho-educational services to military veterans and hospice of the bluegrass with the healing hooves bereavement retreat. Equine facilitated learning (efl), non-mounted equine activities which incorporate equine/human interaction to promote emotional growth and develop life/social skills. We partner with many public and private schools to provide these services. Ckrh is home to a full time fayette county public school, the stables. The stables is a community collaboration that focuses on career readiness for middle and high school children. Ckrh partners with the Kentucky national guard to teach skills in resiliency to soldiers. Therapeutic horsemanship (th), mounted and non-mounted equine activities which develop skills in horse care, handling or riding. Participants' equine skills progress while improving cognitive, emotional, social and behavioral abilities. Activities include horse-master lessons, us pony club curriculum and occasional horse show competitions.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 88% 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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

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: 76
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 46
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 86.1%; rating input score 86
  • Program expense ratio: 76.5%; rating input score 77
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.79 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -9.6%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 5.36; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 10.9%; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.8% per year; rating input score 100; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -0.5% per year; rating input score 0; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 1.1% per year; rating input score 100; 19th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 86.1% of revenue deployed · 76.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 21 of 21 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $798K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $113K · 22 people listed
  • Consistency: 28 of 28 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 10 filing years from 2015 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 23/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 13/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 35/100.