Misty Meadows Equine Learning Center Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
810774854
IRS 990 coverage
2016–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-N 2015
Location
Vineyard Haven, MA, USA
Phone
5083387198
Rating
73
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Professional Societies, Associations

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$11,585,980
Expenses
$1,106,197
Assets
$10,812,847
Liabilities
$57,457

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

Leadership & pay

14 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ROBERT E EGERTON JR (PRESIDENT)
  • SARAH MCKAY (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • SARAH MCKAY (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $106,077 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 provide a nurturing environment where horses and humans work together to transform lives.

What it reported doing in 2025

Misty meadows equine learning center aspires to be a leading resource in the island community and beyond, that connects individuals of all ages and abilities to horses and the natural environment through unique, innovative and inclusive programming that is affordable for all. We are dedicated to providing programs that stimulate an interest in horses and empower individuals through connection with them, helping students better understand their own emotional and physical needs and how horses can enhance and improve their health and wellness. Programs are available year-round and open to both youth and adults.see schedule o for additional information2025 accomplishments: began a pilot equine facilitated psychotherapy program creating access to direct service mental health care in a new and uniquely effective way.streamlined organizational structure and efficiency to ensure sustainability of our impactful programs into the future. Strengthened our collaborative partnerships, signing memorandums of understanding with three key year-round partners: boys and girls club, kinship heals and martha's vineyard community services.for the fourth year in a row, earned equus foundation guardian status. Guardians are equine charities on the equine welfare network that demonstrate a commitment to public transparency by their willingness to make comprehensive data about their programs, horse care practices, and governance available for public scrutiny. Misty meadows equine learning center is one of just 17 farms in all of new england to have earned this designation.2025 by the numbers:1,442 individual lessons167 one-time experiences612 group classes650 enrolled students1,704 served via direct service programs3,540 served via community education and outreach activitiesgrand total: 5,244 individuals impacted100 active volunteers giving a total of 3,250 hours 27 hours given per week in the off season84 hours given per week in the summer season75 hours of instructor mentorship towards ma instructor license and professional association of therapeutic horsemanship international instructor certification.ages of those impacted:1 - 12 = 36%13 - 21 = 30%22 - 98 = 34%

Operating model

Revenue model
Affiliate-supported. 92% of the money available for current operations came from contributions from related organizations.
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

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. 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: 38
  • Transparency & Controls: 97
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 85
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 7.3%; rating input score 7
  • Program expense ratio: 73.1%; rating input score 73
  • Fundraising efficiency: $104.03 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 94.7%; rating input score 95; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • 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: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 90.5%; rating input score 98; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 9.77; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 9.6%; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 11.8% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 33.6% per year; rating input score 100; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 40.1% per year; rating input score 100; 97th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 7.3% of revenue deployed · 73.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 12 of 12 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $809K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $106K · 14 people listed
  • Consistency: 35 of 36 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 8 filing years from 2016 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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 — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 7/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: CEO compensation review process not reported.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 27/100.