Pennsylvania State Association of Bedford County Agricultural Society

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
230394757
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Bedford, PA, USA
Phone
8146239011
Rating
89
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Chambers of Commerce & Business Leagues

Reported finances

Revenue
$816,505
Expenses
$878,483
Assets
$1,878,248
Liabilities
$3,030

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

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • WILLIAM HOOVER (PRESIDENT DI)

Highest reported compensation

  • MARGARET ZEMBOWER (DIRECTOR MAN): $20,592 total reported compensation
  • BARBARA MEARKLE (SECRETARY TR): $20,351 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Primary mission is to encourage and improve the community in the science of agriculture, horticulture and the management of domestic and household arts and to improve the public on agricultural matters conducting annual public fairs and exhibitions of livestock, poultry, ect. For the encouragement and mutual improvement of the community in the science of agriculture.

What it reported doing in 2024

Annually the society holds an agricultural, horticultural and domestic and household arts exhibits for one week, known as the bedford county fair. The fair was held the last week of july 2025. Normaly approximately 53,000 people attend the fair the number in attendance for 2025 was a decrease of 4445 for a total attendance of approximately 48,550. Agricultural, horticultural, domestic and househod art exhibits were at a less than the previously year. The results of the attendance and the exhibits provided a very successful fair. In addition the facilities are available throughout the year for agriculture, horticulture and domestic and household arts and exhibits and are used accordingly.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 79% 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. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 97
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 79
  • Sustainability: 45
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 94.5%; rating input score 95
  • Fundraising efficiency: $140.99 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 89; 89th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -7.6%; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.14; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 4.7%; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 4% per year; rating input score 100; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3.3% per year; rating input score 100; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 2.3% per year; rating input score 100; 27th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 94.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 10 of 10 board members independent · 4 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $830K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $21K · 10 people listed
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • 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.

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 20/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 54/100.