Bens Ranch Foundation Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
OUR MISSION IS TO IMPROVE THE LIVES AND FUTURES OF YOUNG PEOPLE STRUGGLING WITH MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES, BY CONNECTING THEM TO EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND OTHER WORK-BASED LEARNING EXPERIENCES ON FARMS, RANCHES, STABLES, AND THERAPEUTIC RIDING FACILITIES.
- Income
- $509,079
- Spending
- $438,413
- Spent on programs
- 78%
- Reserves
- 2.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 59%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 50
- Highest pay
- $67,000, chairman/exe director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 75 out of 100. Higher than 57% of charities in its peer group (mental health, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 2.1 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 3% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 14% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 52% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1578% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 7 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 76 out of 100. Higher than 56% of charities in its peer group (mental health, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 2512 of 13 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
6 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (4)
- $326,349 spent. OUR SMALL GROUP PROGRAMS CONTINUED TO GROW IN 2025. ELIGIBLE YOUTH AGES 13-18 PARTICIPATE IN WORK ON A FARM OR AT A STABLE, NURSERY OR OTHER AGRICULTURAL FACILITY, TYPICALLY FOR THREE HOURS PER WEEK OR SIX WEEKS. OUR CONTENT INCLUDES A BROAD RANGE OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND EXPERIENCES. THE PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING AND EMPLOYABILITY CONCEPTS AS WELL AS A VARIETY OF SOFT SKILLS ARE INTEGRATED INTO EACH SESSION. PARTICIPATING YOUTH LEARN TO WORK WITH NEW ADULTS AND THEIR PEERS, SOLVE PROBLEMS, IMPROVE COMMUNICATION AND GAIN SKILLS WHICH RAISE SELF-CONFIDENCE AND STIMULATE CURIOSITY. IN 2025 THE PROGRAM SERVED 38 NEW YOUTH IN THE 6-WEEK PROGRAM. IN ADDITION, DURING 2025 THE FOUNDATION CONTINUED A PILOT PROGRAM WITH A LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, IN WHICH A GROUP OF STUDENTS FITTING OUR REQUIREMENTS WERE SELECTED BY THE SCHOOL AND WERE TRANSPORTED ONCE PER WEEK TO ONE OF OUR LOCATIONS TO PERFORM WORK PROJECTS, LEARN ABOUT ANIMALS AND LOCAL AGRIBUSINESSES AND ABOUT CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN AGRICULTURAL, OUTDOOR AND NATURAL RESOURCES INDUSTRIES.PARTICIPANTS PAY $300 TO PARTICIPATE IN A SMALL GROUP PROGRAM. AND, WHEN NEEDED, THE FOUNDATION DISCOUNTS OR WAIVES THIS FEE FOR LOW-INCOME FAMILIES, BASED ON HOUSEHOLD INCOME.
- ANOTHER SMALL GROUP PROGRAM IS THE "BOOTCAMP" WHICH GIVES YOUTH AND THEIR CAREGIVERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK ON A FARM FOR SEVERAL HOURS ON ONE DATE. DURING THE BOOTCAMP, YOUTH TYPICALLY COMPLETE ONE OR MORE PROJECTS WHICH CAN RANGE FROM CARPENTRY TO GARDENING, TO PAINTING AND HANDLING LIVESTOCK. THE EXPERIENCE PROVIDES OUR FOUNDATION AND PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS INSIGHT INTO HOW EACH YOUNG PERSON WOULD RESPOND TO OUR 6-WEEK PROGRAM OR A PAID INTERNSHIP. IN 2025 OUR BOOTCAMPS ATTRACTED 45 NEW PARTICIPANTS, MANY OF WHOM PARTICIPATED IN OUR SMALL 6-WEEK PROGRAM AFTER A BOOTCAMP.IN A POST-PROGRAM SURVEY, 100 PERCENT OF CAREGIVERS AND PARENTS REPORTED THAT THEY WOULD RECOMMEND THE PROGRAMS TO OTHER PARENTS AND 87 PERCENT REPORTED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THE MENTAL HEALTH OF THEIR TEENS.THERE IS NO CHARGE FOR PARTICIPATION IN A BOOTCAMP.
- $9,990 spent. OUR PAID INTERNSHIPS CONTINUE TO BE A KEY PROGRAM. ELIGIBLE YOUTH AGES 14-18 ARE PLACED INTO A PART-TIME PAID JOB AT A FARM, STABLE OR RANCH ENGAGED AND SCREENED BY THE FOUNDATION, WHERE THEY EARN WAGES AND JOB EXPERIENCE AND DO CHORES AND PROJECTS AS EMPLOYEES OF THE HOST FARM. THE FOUNDATION OFFERS TO REIMBURSE HOST EMPLOYERS FOR UP TO SIX MONTHS, AND NO LESS THAN THREE, PROVIDING AN INCENTIVE FOR THOSE HOSTS TO EMPLOY ONE OF OUR TEENS. MANY OF OUR INTERNS CONTINUE THEIR JOBS AFTER THEIR GRADUATION, OR SIX MONTHS OF EMPLOYMENT. IN 2025 WE PLACED SEVEN NEW INTERNS INTO SUCH JOBS AT ONE OF THE 13 HOST SITES WE HAVE ARRANGED.TYPICALLY, MOST INTERNS HAVE COMPLETED OUR SMALL GROUP PROGRAM PRIOR TO TAKING AN INTERNSHIP JOB, PROVIDING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR TRAINING AND EVALUATION OF THEIR QUALIFICATIONS AND READINESS TO MOVE INTO A PAID JOB, OFTEN THEIR FIRST.THERE IS NO COST FOR PARTICIPATION IN A PAID INTERNSHIP ARRANGED BY THE FOUNDATION, SO THERE IS NO REVENUE. THE DIRECT COSTS FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF WAGES TO HOST EMPLOYERS TOTALED $9990.00 IN 2025.
- $3,626 spent. THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HAMILTON COUNTY PARKS DEPARTMENT, WE ALSO PROVIDED FIRST-TIME-HORSE EXPERIENCES TO 179 HAMILTON COUNTY YOUTH DURING THE SUMMER. WE ALSO WORKED WITH THE AREA YOUTH ASSISTANT PROGRAMS TO PROVIDE A SUMMER CAMP PROGRAM DESIGNED TO GIVE AT-RISK YOUTH WORK EXPERIENCE AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT. WE ALSO LAUNCHED OUR FIRST PREVENTATIVE WELLNESS CAMP FOR YOUTH 11-13. THIS WAS SUCCESSFUL AND WE WILL EXPAND TO TWO IN THE SUMMER OF 2026. IN ADDITION, WE GREW RELATIONSHIPS WITH LOCAL AGRIBUSINESSES, WHICH GIVES OUR TEENS VALUABLE EXPOSURE TO LOCAL CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AND INSIGHT INTO VARIOUS FIELDS OF AGRICULTURE.IN TOTAL, WE SERVED YOUTH FROM SEVEN AREA COUNTIES REPRESENTING 23 SCHOOLS. OUR YOUTH COME FROM DIVERSE RACIAL, DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS. USING PRE- AND POST-EXPERIENCE SURVEYS DEVELOPED WITH ASSISTANCE FROM PURDUE UNIVERSITY, WE GATHERED IMPORTANT OUTCOMES DATA THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. THIS DATA, TOGETHER WITH DATA COLLECTED OVER MANY YEARS, WILL BE REVIEWED IN 2026 BY PURDUE RESEARCHERS TOWARD THE GOAL OF A PEER-REVIEWED REVIEW ON THE IMPACT OUR PROGRAMS HAVE ON THE YOUTH WE SERVE.APART FROM PARTICIPATION FEE INCOME, THE FOUNDATION WAS COMPENSATED FOR ITS SERVICES BY SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONS AND PARTNERS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since December 2016.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
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