State Fair of Texas
State Fair of Texas reported $81.1 million in revenue and $74.2 million in expenses for calendar year 2024. Of every $100 it spent, $84.26 went to program services, $10.48 to management and general costs and $5.26 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was program service revenue such as fees, sales and contracts: 86.5% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $923,003 (President). 25 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 29% between 2019 and 2024. Source: Form 990, 2024.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2024 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $74MFor 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 2024 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $81M- Contributions & grants (non-government)$6.42 $5.2M
- Program service revenue$86.40 $70M
- Investment income$7.18 $5.8M
Other revenue was negative: −$120K. The bar shows the positive sources only.
The 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2024 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 84.3% | 84.4% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 10.5% | 10.4% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 5.3% | 1.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.75 | $0.05 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 6.4% | 25.2% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 86.5% | 61.0% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $923,003 | $365,322 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.24% | 2.14% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 25 | 6 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 17.9 | 14.9 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 19 of 19 | 100.0% |
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
2024 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseSince its inception in 1886, the State Fair of Texas has celebrated all things Texan by promoting agriculture, education, and community involvement through quality entertainment in a family-friendly environment. The 2024 State Fair of Texas welcomed nearly 2.4 million fairgoers through the gates. The State Fair of Texas offers a variety of interactive exhibits focusing on agriculture and livestock - implementing hands-on activities that are both enjoyable and informative. Activities range from feeding furry friends at the petting zoo to learning about different livestock species during daily…
Highest reported compensation
2024 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| President Officer, 45.0 hrs/week | $857,875 | $0 | $65,128 | $923,003 |
| COO Officer, 45.0 hrs/week | $500,160 | $0 | $66,228 | $566,388 |
| CFO Officer, 45.0 hrs/week | $378,105 | $0 | $34,481 | $412,586 |
| SVP - Livestock Highest compensated employee, 45.0 hrs/week | $342,886 | $0 | $47,516 | $390,402 |
| SVP - Marketing Key employee, 45.0 hrs/week | $343,035 | $0 | $40,801 | $383,836 |
| SVP - Operations Key employee, 45.0 hrs/week | $328,138 | $0 | $40,222 | $368,360 |
| SVP - Public Relations Highest compensated employee, 45.0 hrs/week | $320,831 | $0 | $41,904 | $362,735 |
| SVP - Food and Beverage Key employee, 45.0 hrs/week | $279,892 | $0 | $39,393 | $319,285 |
25 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from State Fair of Texas (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $3.5M (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
2024 · 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–1b19 · 19 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 2No
- 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 4Yes
- 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 52,559
- Volunteers Part I, line 61,667
Private foundation grants it received
8 private foundations reported grants to State Fair of Texas totaling $150K on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from State Fair of Texas's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for State Fair of Texas, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 State Fair of Texas spent in 2024, $84.26 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Masters Tournament CharitiesAugusta, GA · revenue $77M · programs 99.9% · 2024
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- New York EdgeWoodside, NY · revenue $69M · programs 83.8% · FY2025
- American Youth Soccer OrganizationTorrance, CA · revenue $84M · programs 95.5% · FY2025
- Goodwill Industries InternationalRockville, MD · revenue $67M · programs 86.9% · 2025
All recreation & sports charities · Largest charities in Texas
Questions people ask
How much of State Fair of Texas's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2024, State Fair of Texas reported that 84.3% of its $74.2 million in expenses went to program services, 10.5% to management and general and 5.3% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does State Fair of Texas pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation State Fair of Texas reported for one person in calendar year 2024 was $923,003, for the role of President (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does State Fair of Texas get its money?
Of $81.1 million in revenue in calendar year 2024, 6.4% came from contributions and grants and 86.5% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is State Fair of Texas a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 75-6002511 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. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202533089349303138 · read the filing · XML
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202443199349318344 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202323179349311852 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202243199349315139 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202143199349319294 · read the filing
- 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202033219349310778 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 75-6002511: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.