Dressage 4 Kids Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 061600087
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2012–2025
- Forms available
- Form 990 2025
- Location
- Cheshire, CT, USA
- Phone
- 2036054744
- Rating
- 83
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Youth Centers, Clubs
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $1,598,472
- Expenses
- $1,859,029
- Assets
- $3,508,551
- Liabilities
- $25,681
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
10 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- LENDON GRAY (PRESIDENT)
Highest reported compensation
- LENDON GRAY (PRESIDENT): $192,985 total reported compensation
- MARY HERBST LIVERNOIS (EXECUTIVE DI): $61,798 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Dressage 4 kids, inc. Is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization incorporated for the express purpose of providing educational and competitive opportunities for youth riders and the adults who support them. To encourage riders under 21 to become true horsemen; to offer scholarships; to develop good sportsmanship; to support programs for adults who in turn educate youth; and to have fun.
What it reported doing in 2025
Educational and classromm programs includes the d4k unmounted programs (up); the d4k training4teaching program (t4t); and the d4k business assist program (ba). These programs provide educational opportunities that extend beyond riding, equipping participants with the knowledge, teaching skills, and professional tools needed to succeed in the equestrian industry. Volunteer programs include the d4k advocacy, community, team program (act). D4k act inspires young people to develop leadership and civic engagement through volunteer experiences that strengthen their communities and the equestrian industry. D4k scholarship programs expand access to opportunities by providing financial support that helps participants pursue their goals and continue their development.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 84% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- Distribution model
- Direct operator. The filing allocates 98% 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. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and expenses are high relative to revenue.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 88
- Transparency & Controls: 83
- Accountability: 82
- Sustainability: 33
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 80.7%; rating input score 81
- Program expense ratio: 96%; rating input score 96
- Fundraising efficiency: $633.4 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
- Compensation committee: Pass
- Independent consultant: Missing
- Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
- Written employment contract: Missing
- Compensation survey or study: Pass
- Board or committee approval: Pass
- Foreign activity oversight: Limited
- Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
- 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: 5 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 56
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Fail
- Document-retention policy: Fail
- CEO compensation review process: Fail
- Other executive compensation review process: Fail
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Pass
- Independent financial-statement audit: Pass
Sustainability
- Operating margin: -16.3%; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.89; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 13.7%; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 7.7% per year; rating input score 100; 49th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 7.9% per year; rating input score 100; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 7.9% per year; rating input score 100; 48th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 80.7% of revenue deployed · 96% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 10 of 10 board members independent · 5 of 9 filing controls reported
- Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $1.8M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $193K · 10 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Consistency: 28 of 28 current checks pass
- Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
- Filing history: 14 filing years from 2012 to 2025
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
- 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.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 9 not reported.
- High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 8/100.
- High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 27/100.