Hickory Cove Bible Camp

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
566061049
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Taylorsville, NC, USA
Phone
8286322987
Rating
81
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$435,459
Expenses
$419,447
Assets
$1,492,796
Liabilities
$130,251

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

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • MICAH CHIN (EXECUTIVE DI): $70,243 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Tohelpequipchildrenandteenstobelifelongfollowersofjesusthrough campministries.

What it reported doing in 2025

The organization offers a number of camp programs throughout the year. A summer camp hickory cove operates week-long overnight summer camps for rising 2nd through 9th graders, with separate boys, girls, and co-ed sessions hosted on lake hickory in the foothills of North Carolina's brushy mountains. This christ centered experience emphasizes spiritual formation, character development, and joyful fellowship. Campers engage in daily worship, bible teaching, and guided mentorship, all alongside exciting outdoor activities such as tubing, paintball, archery, and zip lining. By combining adventure with faith-based programming, hickory cove creates a nurturing environment that empowers youth to grow in their relationship with god and community. B family camp hickory cove's family camp programs are designed to equip and encourage parents in their biblical role of leading their children to follow jesus. These retreats provide intentional time for families to step away from daily routines and focus on spiritual growth and togetherness. Programming includes christ-centered teaching, worship, and engaging family activities that strengthen both faith and relationships. In addition to traditional weekend retreats, hickory cove offers specialized events such as mother- daughter day, which fosters meaningful connection between moms and daughters through shared experiences, and lumberjack weekend, which is tailored for fathers and sons to build lasting bonds while growing in godly leadership. Set in a scenic and peaceful environment, the family camp experience helps parents gain tools and encouragement to disciple their children with clarity, purpose, and faith. C teen leadership program for older youth, hickory cove offers a teen leadership program designed for teens ages 14-17. This hands on experience invites participants to gain firsthand insight into summer camp operations while growing in servant leadership. Teens learn to model jesus like servant heartedness, to value putting others before themselves, and to serve in meaningful ways. Additionally, this program equips teens with constructive, resume building experiences-helping them develop responsibility, teamwork, and leadership qualities. Through service and practical learning, teen leadership participants are encouraged to step into maturity as reflective, capable leaders prepared to serve in christian community. Approximately 300 campers were served during the year.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 69% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
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. Program spending has declined or grown slowly and revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 79
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 47
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 87.9%; rating input score 88
  • Program expense ratio: 91.3%; rating input score 91
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

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: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 3.7%; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.56; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.09; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 16.7%; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -0.3% per year; rating input score 0; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -0.4% per year; rating input score 0; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 5.2% per year; rating input score 100; 45th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 87.9% of revenue deployed · 91.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $383K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $70K · 8 people listed
  • Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2013 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.

  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 44/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 21/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 23/100.