Kern Energy Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
472747194
IRS 990-EZ coverage
2015–2025
Forms available
Form 990-EZ 2025
Location
Bakersfield, CA, USA
Phone
6613932004
Rating
88
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Public, Society Benefit N.E.C.

Reported finances

Revenue
$50,300
Expenses
$47,145
Assets
$52,307

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

Leadership & pay

3 people listed

People named in this filing

  • CHAD HATHAWAY (DIR./PRES.)
  • RYAN NIELSEN (TREASURER/DIR.)
  • WILLIE RIVERA (DIR./V.P.)

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

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

Overview

Mission

The primary objectives and purposes of kern energy foundation is to promote community welfare for charitable, educational, or recreational purposes through an annual festival to celebrate kern county's rich ties to the energy industry and educate the public on the many ways energy impact our lives.

What it reported doing in 2025

The Kern Oil & Gas Awards substantially further the organization's exempt purpose by recognizing excellence, innovation, and community impact within Central California's oil and gas industry. Through this programmatic event, the organization highlights outstanding achievements of individuals, companies, and initiatives that have advanced the industry over the prior two years, promoted professional standards, and encouraged continued leadership and innovation. The awards program serves as a forum to celebrate accomplishments that drive industry progress, strengthen engagement among participants in the regional oil and gas community, and reinforce the organization's mission of supporting and advancing the industry. Sponsor support enables the organization to carry out this exempt-purpose activity by making possible an event that honors achievement, fosters industry visibility, and promotes the continued development of the sector.

Operating model

Revenue model
Cannot be determined from the filing. The filing does not provide enough consistent revenue detail to tell how this nonprofit funds its work.
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: 89
  • Transparency & Controls: 100
  • Sustainability: 47
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 86.8%; rating input score 87
  • Program expense ratio: 92.6%; rating input score 93

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 6.3%; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.11; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -10.6% per year; rating input score 0; 28th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -12.2% per year; rating input score 0; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 9.1% per year; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 86.8% of revenue deployed · 92.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: Filed governance answers
  • Accomplishments: 2 filed program accomplishments · $44K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 3 people listed
  • Consistency: 6 of 6 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 2 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 11 filing years from 2015 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • 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.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 55/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 50/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 56/100.