Pennon Organization

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
231629016
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Harrisburg, PA, USA
Phone
7177043000
Rating
66
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Media, Communications Organizations

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$21,792,720
Expenses
$16,394,376
Assets
$56,152,520
Liabilities
$20,583,105

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

Leadership & pay

33 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • RONALD HETRICK III (PRESIDENT AND CEO)
  • DEBRA ZARECKY NONVOTING (ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT)
  • JESSICA KING NONVOTING (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • RONALD HETRICK III (PRESIDENT AND CEO): $460,101 total reported compensation
  • RONALD KAIN JR NONVOTING (SVP/CHIEF BUSINESS OFFICER(TIL 2/25)): $264,379 total reported compensation
  • CASSIE FARRELLY NONVOTING (SVP/CHIEF IMPACT OFFICER): $230,691 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To inspire lifelong learning by connecting people and communities of Pennsylvania through trusted journalism, thoughtful discussion, and educational experiences.

What it reported doing in 2024

Educational services: number of educational workshops held in fy25: 122number of educators impacted: 8,700explore in the classroom - kindergarten classroom visits: 538number of school districts impacted: 5number of students impacted: 3,686number of children and community engagement events (ages 3-14): 41number of children affected: 3,017hosted 4 field trips for students to explore stem related areers in the innovation studio and the digital creator studio at witf.secured a contract for a stem summer camp for eld students in the harrisburg school district.secured a contract with the school district of the city of york to extend "explore in the classroom" program visits to three additional grades (k, 2, 3rd) and teacher professional development on new pa science standards (steels).dr. Andrea kolb presented professional development and eld training to teachers in 321 school districts in 45 Pennsylvania counties.dr. Andrea kolb presented at state and national conferences incuding pa department of education, national council for the social studies, and wida.expanded "explore in the classroom" programs to include secondary offerings focused on critical analysis and digital creation.launched the news literacy teacher learning program for Pennsylvania secondary social studies teachers.

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 99% 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 - Most voting board members are independent and program spending has grown recently. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 55
  • Transparency & Controls: 56
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 69
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 58%; rating input score 58
  • Program expense ratio: 62.3%; rating input score 62
  • Fundraising efficiency: $4.47 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 95%; rating input score 95; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 92.3%; rating input score 92; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 24.8%; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.43; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.37; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 12.5%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 2.8% per year; rating input score 100; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3.8% per year; rating input score 100; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 2.8% per year; rating input score 100; 22nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 58% of revenue deployed · 62.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 12 of 13 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $10.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $460K · 33 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $532K reported
  • Consistency: 42 of 43 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 10 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 10 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 3 filed related-organization links
  • 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: Mission deployment rate scored 58/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 18/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 13/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 40/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.