Is it real?
Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in May 2002.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File
Where the money goes
75 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.
Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.
Something off? Claim to add context
Who runs it and what they're paid
7 people listed on the 990; $82K paid to officers and key staff (Part VII, Section A).
Sara Heffern’s $47K as Executive Di is at the 8th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1137 $1–10M animals nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.
Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 3 named individuals · Part VII
| Name | FY2024 | FY2023 | FY2022 | FY2021 | FY2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sara Heffern | $47,320 | $57,278 | $52,777 | $46,336 | $48,875 |
| Sophia Diclemente | $38,700 | $28,344 | $34,387 | $30,000 | $32,877 |
| Jennifer Geiger | $11,500 | — | — | — | — |
Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.
See Watermelon Mountain Ranch INC executive salaries →Questions the 990 asks
The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.
- Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
- Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Programs and updates
Finds homes for homeless animals, provides education, and offers community service.
Questions for Watermelon Mountain Ranch INC
Your first name shows with your question. Watermelon Mountain Ranch INC answers here, for everyone.
The primary objective of watermelon mountain ranch is animal rescue which is accomplished via: 1) adoption and foster care which places 100% of the animals surrendered or brought in as rescues to the facility into loving homes each year.
Form 990 Part III, line 4, FY2020. The organization’s own words, as filed with the IRS. Find it at the IRS (EIN 85-0480585) · Dispute this lineFunders
Who pays for it.
From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.
Grants
By the numbers
The FY2020 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | Start FY20 | End FY20 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $539K | $563K |
| Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c | $617K | $678K |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $1.3M | $1.4M |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $281K | $342K |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $1.1M | $1.1M |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay of officers and key staff (Part IX, line 5)Ln 5 | $82K | $68K | $14K | |
| Other salaries and wagesLn 7 | $260K | $216K | $44K | |
| Payroll taxesLn 10 | $51K | $43K | $9K | |
| Accounting feesLn 11c | $26K | $16K | $8K | $2K |
| Other fees for servicesLn 11g | $13K | $8K | $4K | $796 |
| Advertising and promotionLn 12 | $38K | $34K | $2K | $2K |
| Office expensesLn 13 | $24K | $4K | $4K | $15K |
| Information technologyLn 14 | $20K | $4K | $15K | $199 |
| OccupancyLn 16 | $77K | $69K | $848 | $6K |
| TravelLn 17 | $201 | $65 | $124 | $12 |
| InterestLn 20 | $13K | $13K | ||
| Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22 | $21K | $21K | ||
| InsuranceLn 23 | $39K | $39K | ||
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $138K | $121K | $16K | $799 |
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $802K | $604K | $171K | $27K |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024 LatestFiled with the IRS Nov 17, 2025 | $1.2M | $1.4M | −$152K | $2.5M | 990 PDF |
| FY2023Filed with the IRS Nov 15, 2024 | $1.3M | $1.5M | −$227K | $2.2M | 990 PDF |
| FY2022Filed with the IRS Nov 15, 2023 | $1.3M | $1.3M | −$18K | $1.5M | 990 PDF |
| FY2021Filed with the IRS Nov 15, 2022 | $1.8M | $1.3M | $438K | $1.5M | 990 PDF |
| FY2020 ViewingFiled with the IRS Nov 11, 2021 | $830K | $802K | $28K | $1.1M | 990 PDF |
Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2020 990
Part I · Summary $829,818 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 6 of 8 board members independent, 2 to look at
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $829,818 across 6 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $801,986 across 14 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $1,430,082 assets, 16 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $1,088,281 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2020 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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