The Berry Center Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
800721644
IRS 990 coverage
2018–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
New Castle, KY, USA
Phone
5028459200
Rating
69
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Libraries

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,425,458
Expenses
$1,322,658
Assets
$4,655,852
Liabilities
$26,556

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

Leadership & pay

11 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MARY BERRY (PRESIDENT/EXECUTIVE DIRECT)

Highest reported compensation

  • MARY BERRY (PRESIDENT/EXECUTIVE DIRECT): $49,490 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The berry center was launched to preserve the legacy of wendell berry's work and writings and the exceptional agricultural contributions of his father john berry, sr., and his brother john berry, jr. The core of our work is to advocate for (see schedule o) farmers, land conserving communities, and healthy regional economies.our work seeks to provide solutions to essential issues that are rarely in public disclosure and certainly not reflected in agricultural policies. "what will it take for farmers to be able to afford to farm well? And "how do we become a culture that supports good farming and land use?" we believe that the answers - while firmly rooted in local work - are central to solving some of the world's most pressing problems including the devastation of natural resources and biodiversity; rapid onset of climate change; economic and social inequities; and the collapse of healthy farming and rural communities.

What it reported doing in 2024

To advocate for farmers, land conserving communities, and healthy regional economies through our archive at the berry center, agrarian culture center and bookstore, home place meats - a local beef initiative, and the berry farming program. The archive of the berry center collects and preserves distinct books, articles, and works of art, photographs, oral histories and manuscripts that offer completing insights into good farming and land use and the rich culture of rural communities over the last century. The agrarian culture center and bookstore carries all of wendell berry's publications, and inspirations from his home library and other works that have influenced his life. The home place meats - a local beef initiative establishes a cooperative for local livestock farmers to sell to (see schedule o) local markets. The berry farming program provides future farmers with an education in agrarian thought and practice that is holistic and place-based.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 94% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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 most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 51
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 64
  • Sustainability: 64
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 49.5%; rating input score 49
  • Program expense ratio: 55.3%; rating input score 55
  • Fundraising efficiency: $13.25 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 47; 47th 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: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 81.8%; rating input score 82; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 7.2%; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.52; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 3.7%; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 8.4% per year; rating input score 100; 57th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5.2% per year; rating input score 100; 44th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 17.6% per year; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 49.5% of revenue deployed · 55.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 11 board members independent · 3 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $732K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $49K · 11 people listed
  • Consistency: 25 of 25 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 6 filing years from 2018 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 49/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 55/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 7 not reported.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 47/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 55/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 56/100.