Hearts Therapeutic Equestrian Center

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
770460907
IRS 990 coverage
2014–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Santa Barbara, CA, USA
Phone
8059641519
Rating
75
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Developmentally Disabled Centers

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,171,622
Expenses
$596,414
Assets
$1,657,304
Liabilities
$139,987

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

People named in this filing

  • THOM BATEMAN (BOARD CHAIRMAN)
  • BOB MANNING (BOARD VICE CHAIRMAN)
  • SANDY LOVETT (BOARD MEMBER)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Since 1985, hearts therapeutic equestrian center has worked with individuals with physical, intellectual, and emotional disabilities in santa barbara by utilizing horses to inspire, empower, and strengthen people of all ages.

What it reported doing in 2024

A: therapeutic riding for all ages: hearts serves all ages (from 4 to 90+ years of age) in santa barbara with riding instruction to alleviate symptoms of stress and other factors due to disabilities, disease, or illness. Disabilities incllude cerbral palsy, seizures, autism, down syndrome, ms, alzheimer's, cancer, blindness, anxiety, mobility impairment, and physical abuse. Each participant is assessed by a path (professional association of therapeutic horsemanship) certified instructor, and an unique curriculum is designed in support of the participant's physical and life goals. Every semester the instructor provides a progress assessment and revists the goals of the participant. B: equine facilitated phsychotherapy (efp): psychotherapists and social workers use the equine to work one-on-one with clients as an active part of the clients' therapy activities. In conjuction with an equine specialist, the client learns about horses, their communication, herd behavior, and how behavior impacts others.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 86% 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

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of total spending goes to programs. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 61
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 70
  • Sustainability: 80
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 43.3%; rating input score 43
  • Program expense ratio: 81.2%; rating input score 81
  • Fundraising efficiency: $109.48 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 87; 87th 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 2 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 29
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • 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: 49.1%; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.78; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.08; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.1% per year; rating input score 100; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 4.8% per year; rating input score 100; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 15% per year; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 43.3% of revenue deployed · 81.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 6 board members independent · 2 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $484K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 6 people listed
  • Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 10 filing years from 2014 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • 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: Mission deployment rate scored 43/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 6 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 45/100.