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The State Agricultural & Mechanical Society of South Carolina

Columbia, SC · EIN 57-0254875 · 501(c)(3) · Publicly supported organization (509(a)(2))
Latest filing: Form 990 for calendar year 2025 (tax year 2025) · View the filing · Correct or respond

The State Agricultural & Mechanical Society of South Carolina reported $11.2 million in revenue and $7.1 million in expenses for calendar year 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $86.28 went to program services, $13.72 to management and general costs and $0.00 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was program service revenue such as fees, sales and contracts: 76.7% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $239,411 (SEC/TREAS &). 1 person received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 38% between 2019 and 2025. Source: Form 990, 2025.

Where $100 of spending went

Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $7.1M

For context, the median across 237 covered recreation & sports charities: $88.05 programs, $10.89 management, $1.06 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).

Where $100 of revenue came from

Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $11M

The 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades

2025 filing. Median across 237 covered charities in this category, from their latest filings.
Measure2025Median
Program services
Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A)
86.3%84.4%
Management & general
Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A)
13.7%10.4%
Fundraising
Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A)
0.0%1.0%
Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions
Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h
Not reported$0.05
Contributions & grants share of revenue
Part VIII 1h ÷ 12
0.8%25.2%
Government grants share of revenue
Part VIII 1e ÷ 12
0.0%0.0%
Program service revenue share
Part VIII 2g ÷ 12
76.7%61.0%
Highest reported compensation
Part VII-A, columns D–F
$239,411$365,322
Highest compensation as share of expenses
Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A)
3.39%2.14%
People paid over $100,000
Part VII, line 2
16
Net assets, in months of expenses
Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses
66.514.9
Independent voting board members
Part VI 1a–1b
10 of 10100.0%

A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.

What the money paid for, in its own words

2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expense
$6.1M expenses · 100.0% of program spending · grants $390K · revenue $8.6M

Expenses are paid for activities associated with the sc state fair, which was formed to promote the material, educational, agricultural, and industrial interests of the state of south carolina

Highest reported compensation

2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here
RoleFrom this orgFrom related orgsOtherTotal
SEC/TREAS &
Officer, 40.00 hrs/week
$218,327$0$21,084$239,411
PRESIDENT
Director/trustee, officer, 4.00 hrs/week
$10,000$0$0$10,000
VICE PRESIDE
Director/trustee, officer, 1.00 hrs/week
$8,000$0$0$8,000
EXECUTIVE CO
Director/trustee, officer, 1.00 hrs/week
$5,200$0$0$5,200
PAST PRESIDE
Director/trustee, officer, 1.00 hrs/week
$4,900$0$0$4,900
EXECUTIVE CO
Director/trustee, officer, 1.00 hrs/week
$4,400$0$0$4,400
EXECUTIVE CO
Director/trustee, officer, 1.00 hrs/week
$4,000$0$0$4,000
EXECUTIVE CO
Director/trustee, officer, 1.00 hrs/week
$3,900$0$0$3,900

1 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from The State Agricultural & Mechanical Society of South Carolina (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $265K (Part IX, line 5).

7 years of filings

Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linked
RevenueExpenses
$0$5.0M$10M$15M$20M2019202020212022202320242025$11M$7.1M
FilingRevenueExpensesProgramsNet assetsTop pay
2025 ⓘ$11M$7.1M86.3%$39M$239,411
2024 ⓘ$12M$7.1M86.8%$33M$240,768
2023 ⓘ$11M$6.1M85.5%$28M$228,870
2022 ⓘ$9.7M$5.7M85.1%$23M$197,409
2021 ⓘ$8.9M$4.8M86.0%$19M$175,201
2020 ⓘ$878K$2.4M80.9%$15M$168,501
2019 ⓘ$8.1M$6.0M85.0%$16M$190,360

Governance answers, as filed

2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means
  • Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b10 · 10 independent
  • Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
  • Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
  • Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
  • Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
  • Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
  • Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
  • Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2Yes
  • Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
  • Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
  • Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
  • Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4No
  • Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
  • Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
  • Employees Part I, line 5559

Largest outside contractors

2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only
FLOCK AND RALLY
Advertising
$358,335
LCK LLC
Project mgmt
$235,269
VENUESMART LLC
Cleaning @ fair
$195,869
MELLOWSHIP ENTERTAINMENT LLC
Circus @ fair
$190,000
ETIX INC
Ticket seller
$174,392

Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 8 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.

Correct a figure or respond

Every number above is copied from The State Agricultural & Mechanical Society of South Carolina's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for The State Agricultural & Mechanical Society of South Carolina, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.

Similar-sized charities in this cause

All recreation & sports charities · Largest charities in South Carolina

Questions people ask

How much of The State Agricultural & Mechanical Society of South Carolina's spending goes to programs?

In calendar year 2025, The State Agricultural & Mechanical Society of South Carolina reported that 86.3% of its $7.1 million in expenses went to program services, 13.7% to management and general and 0.0% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).

How much does The State Agricultural & Mechanical Society of South Carolina pay its top executive?

The largest total compensation The State Agricultural & Mechanical Society of South Carolina reported for one person in calendar year 2025 was $239,411, for the role of SEC/TREAS & (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).

Where does The State Agricultural & Mechanical Society of South Carolina get its money?

Of $11.2 million in revenue in calendar year 2025, 0.8% came from contributions and grants and 76.7% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).

Is The State Agricultural & Mechanical Society of South Carolina a registered charity?

The IRS lists EIN 57-0254875 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (509(a)(2))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.

Sources

  • 2025: Form 990 for calendar year 2025, object 202621259349301597 · read the filing · XML
  • 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202501149349300110 · read the filing
  • 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202411099349301401 · read the filing
  • 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202311109349300806 · read the filing
  • 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202230629349300003 · read the filing
  • 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202121269349301932 · read the filing
  • 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202030669349301113 · read the filing

All filings for EIN 57-0254875: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.