Friends of the Big Fresno Fair

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
770441647
IRS 990 coverage
2016–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Fresno, CA, USA
Phone
5594491040
Rating
83
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Arts, Cultural Organizations - Multipurpose

Reported finances

Revenue
$426,654
Expenses
$765,005
Assets
$2,489,324
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MIKE KLUDJIAN (PRESIDENT)
  • BRAD STEVENS (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • BRIAN I TATARIAN (CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • BRIAN I TATARIAN (CEO): $58,906 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To raise funds for the purchase and installation of agricultural and youth related educational programs and exhibits at the state of California's 21st district agricultural association's "big fresno fair"

What it reported doing in 2025

To provide support for the agricultural and youth related educational programs and exhibits at the state of California's 21st district agricultual association's "big fresno fair and to support other activities of the "big fresno fair"the friends of the big fresno fair solicits funds from the public and its sponsors through its "champions club", to provide financial incentives to fresno county school children (mostly 4-h and ffa club members) to show their livestock projects at the big fresno fair. These incentives take the form of auction augmentation payments and direct payments to the winners of various classes.the friends of the big fresno fair hosts a marching band review for the fresno county high schools during the big fresno fair. Cash prizes are provided to the schools.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 94% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 85% 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. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 94
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 69
  • Sustainability: 34
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 83.9%; rating input score 84
  • Fundraising efficiency: $601.82 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 96; 96th 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 81st 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: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • 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: -79.3%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.25; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 7.7%; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.9% per year; rating input score 100; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -8.2% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -3.3% per year; rating input score 0; 12th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 83.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 2 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $642K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $59K · 10 people listed
  • Consistency: 28 of 28 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 10 filing years from 2016 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.

  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 2/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 29/100.