The United States Pony Clubs Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
611352306
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-N 2022
Location
Lexington, KY, USA
Phone
8592547669
Rating
74
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Amateur Sports Competitions

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$3,239,967
Expenses
$3,148,458
Assets
$8,361,619
Liabilities
$898,143

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

Leadership & pay

26 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DEBORAH SUE KIRSCH (FIRST VICE PRESIDENT)
  • SARAH ALANE ANDRES (VICE PRESIDENT OF INSTRUCTION)
  • RAE ANNE BIRR (VICE PRESIDENT OF REGIONAL ADMINISTRATION)
  • JANET THERESA WHITEHOUSE (VICE PRESIDENT OF ACTIVITIES)
  • TERESA D WOODS (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • TERESA D WOODS (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $140,743 total reported compensation
  • SEHERZADA FABER (FINANCE DIRECTOR): $65,674 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The united states pony clubs, inc., develops character, leadership, confidence and a sense of community in youth through a program that teaches the care of horses and ponies, riding and mounted sports.

What it reported doing in 2025

Activities - includes sponsoring competitions and other activities (such as annual meeting, insurance, and member services etc.) which involve children who participate in equestrian events and to develop their skills and appreciation of riding.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 75% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 68
  • Transparency & Controls: 75
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 48
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 91.1%; rating input score 91
  • Program expense ratio: 53.1%; rating input score 53
  • Fundraising efficiency: $0.98 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 2; 2nd 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: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 2.8%; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.66; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.11; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 6.6%; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -0.2% per year; rating input score 0; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 0.3% per year; rating input score 100; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3.5% per year; rating input score 100; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 91.1% of revenue deployed · 53.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 24 of 24 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $1.7M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $141K · 26 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 4 contractors listed · $913K reported
  • Consistency: 35 of 35 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and grants
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2011 to 2025
  • 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.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 53/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 2/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 36/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 47/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 47/100.