Mount Holly Farmers Market

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
260464156
IRS 990 coverage
2022–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2020, Form 990-N 2015
Location
Mount Holly, NC, USA
Phone
7049514066
Rating
78
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Food, Agriculture, and Nutrition N.E.C.

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$135,498
Expenses
$139,100
Assets
$425,030
Liabilities
$372

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

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

People named in this filing

  • LEIGH BRINKLEY (CHAIRMAN)
  • RALPH MILLER (MARKET MANAG)
  • DR PAIGE SIGMON (VICE CHAIRMA)

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 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The mount holly farmers market was started in 2006 as a source for fresh, locally grown food and harvested vegetables, fruits, and sustainably raised beef, pork, and poultry for the citizens of mount holly and beyond. As part if the mount holly community development foundation, the market became independent in 2008. Our mission is to support local, small farms, enhance the economic vitality of mount holly and surrounding communities, and educate the community about the importance of fresh, locally-sourced foods. The mount holly farmers market is in its 21st season. In the full season we have 40 + vendors. Many of our vendors have been at this market for 15 years, one for the entire 21 seasons the budget has also grown from an inital annual budget of 6,800 to the current at 100,000. We servce a three-county area: gaston, mecklenburg, and licoln. We serve a 54 mile radius and about half of the total number of zip codes in gaston county (8 out of 18 zipcodes). Mhfm supports over 100 jobs,

What it reported doing in 2025

Food access programs - snap/ebt: simply visit the market's info booth to swipe your card in exchange for market tokens to spend on eligible foods. Double bucks: double bucks program matches your snap spending dollar-for- dollar (up to a certain limit, often up to 15) to give you extra buying power for fruits and vegetables. Wic farmers' market: nutrition program (fmnp) eligible wic participants receive special vouchers during the summer months to purchase fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs directly from certified farmers. Senior fmnp (sfmnp): seniors (usually 60+) in gaston county can receive an annual voucher booklet to spend on fresh, locally grown produce and raw honey. Program numbers: 1. Supporting 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th generational farms 2. 23 kids weekly for our pop program/established in 2014 3. 82,500 lbs of food provided for farmshare fresh food boxes/established in 2020 4. 19 new community partners 5. 39,000 raised for partnership with robin's ride since 2023 market numbers: 1. 1642 acres of farmland 2. 100 jobs supported at mount holly farmers market 3. 19 communities represented local music - the mount holly farmers market showcases a variety of local musicians, in addition to its regular market offerings.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
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

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 66
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 83
  • Sustainability: 48
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 70.8%; rating input score 71
  • Program expense ratio: 61.2%; rating input score 61
  • Fundraising efficiency: $20.55 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 56; 56th 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: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 90.9%; rating input score 91; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • 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: -2.7%; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.06; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 42.9% per year; rating input score 100; 94th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 7.2% per year; rating input score 100; 58th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 18.1% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 70.8% of revenue deployed · 61.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 10 of 11 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $85K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 5 people listed
  • Consistency: 23 of 23 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2022 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 56/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 29/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 51/100.