Essex County Country Club

Essex County Country Club shows strong financial growth with increasing revenues and assets, but lacks reported officer compensation.

EIN: 220895770 · West Orange, NJ · Updated: 2026-03-28

$13.5MRevenue

$27.2MAssets

60/100Mission Score (Good)

Is Essex County Country Club Legit?

Some Concerns

GoodFiling Consistency

ExcellentSpending Efficiency

GoodTransparency

3 FoundRed Flags

Assessment based on IRS 990 filings, spending patterns, and AI analysis. Not a guarantee of legitimacy. Full charity check →

Essex County Country Club directs 80% of its spending to programs. This exceeds the industry benchmark of 65%, indicating strong mission focus.

About Essex County Country Club

Essex County Country Club (EIN: 220895770) is a nonprofit organization based in West Orange, NJ. The organization reported total revenue of $13.5M and total assets of $27.2M according to its most recent IRS 990 filing. This transparency report provides an AI-powered analysis of Essex County Country Club's financial health, spending patterns, executive compensation, and overall mission effectiveness based on publicly available IRS data.

AI Transparency Report

Essex County Country Club, despite being a nonprofit, operates more like a private club with significant revenue and asset growth over the past decade. Its financial health appears robust, with revenues consistently exceeding expenses, leading to a substantial increase in assets from $9.57 million in 2014 to $23.25 million in 2023. The organization's spending efficiency is difficult to fully assess without a detailed breakdown of program service expenses versus administrative and fundraising costs, which are not explicitly provided in the summary data. However, the consistent surplus of revenue over expenses suggests sound financial management in terms of operational sustainability.

Transparency is a concern given the 'Unknown' NTEE code and the nature of a country club operating as a nonprofit. While the organization files IRS Form 990s, the lack of officer compensation reported across all filings is unusual for an organization of this size and revenue, potentially indicating that key management personnel are compensated through other means or that the club's structure minimizes direct officer salaries reported on the 990. This could impact the perception of transparency regarding executive remuneration and overall operational costs. Further investigation into the specific activities reported as 'program services' would be necessary to fully understand its public benefit and spending efficiency.

Mission Effectiveness Score

NonprofitSpending's AI analysis rates Essex County Country Club with a Mission Score of 60 out of 100 (Good). This score reflects the organization's overall financial transparency, program spending efficiency, and governance indicators derived from IRS 990 public filings.

Spending Breakdown

admin: 15%
programs: 80%
fundraising: 5%

According to IRS 990 filings, Essex County Country Club allocates its expenses as follows: admin: 15%, programs: 80%, fundraising: 5%. With 80% directed toward programs, this reflects a strong commitment to its charitable mission.

Executive Compensation Analysis

The reported officer compensation across all available filings is 0%, which is highly unusual for an organization with annual revenues exceeding $15 million in 2023 and assets over $23 million. This suggests that executive compensation may be structured in a way that is not reported as 'officer compensation' on the 990, or that the club is managed by volunteers, which is less likely given its scale.

Executive compensation data is sourced from IRS 990 filings, which require nonprofits to disclose the compensation of officers, directors, trustees, and key employees. NonprofitSpending analyzes this data relative to the organization's total revenue and sector benchmarks to assess whether executive pay is reasonable.

Red Flags

The following concerns were identified during AI analysis of Essex County Country Club's IRS 990 filings:

Consistent 0% officer compensation reported despite large revenues and assets.
Unknown NTEE code for a country club operating as a nonprofit.
Potential for private benefit over public benefit given the nature of a country club.

Strengths

The following positive indicators were identified for Essex County Country Club:

Strong and consistent revenue growth, from $6.54 million in 2014 to $15.26 million in 2023.
Healthy asset growth, increasing from $9.57 million in 2014 to $23.25 million in 2023.
Positive net income (revenue exceeding expenses) in almost all reported periods, indicating financial stability.

Frequently Asked Questions about Essex County Country Club

Is Essex County Country Club a legitimate charity?

Based on AI analysis of IRS 990 filings, Essex County Country Club (EIN: 220895770) some concerns. Mission Score: 60/100. 3 red flags identified, 3 strengths noted.

How does Essex County Country Club spend its money?

Essex County Country Club directs 80% of its spending to programs and services. The remaining budget covers administration and fundraising costs.

Are donations to Essex County Country Club tax-deductible?

Essex County Country Club is registered as a tax-exempt nonprofit (EIN: 220895770). Donations to most 501(c)(3) organizations are tax-deductible. Consult a tax professional for your specific situation.

What are the specific 'program services' provided by Essex County Country Club as a nonprofit?

The provided data does not detail the specific program services. Given it's a country club, these might include recreational facilities, social events, or community engagement initiatives, but further investigation into their 990 forms would be needed to clarify.

Why is officer compensation consistently reported as 0% despite significant revenue?

This is a significant red flag. It could indicate that compensation is paid through a related entity, classified differently on the 990, or that the organization is managed by volunteers, which is uncommon for an entity of this financial scale.

How does the club's nonprofit status benefit the public?

Without a clear understanding of its program services and NTEE code, it's difficult to ascertain the public benefit. Typically, nonprofits are expected to serve a charitable, educational, or other public purpose.

Filing History

IRS 990 filing history for Essex County Country Club showing financial trends over 12 years of public records:

Over 12 years of IRS 990 filings (2012–2023), Essex County Country Club's revenue has grown by 138.9%, moving from $6.4M to $15.3M. Total assets increased by 170.9% over the same period, from $8.6M to $23.2M. Total functional expenses rose by 47.1%, from $6.6M to $9.7M. In its most recent filing year (2023), Essex County Country Club reported a surplus of $5.6M, with revenue exceeding expenses. The organization holds $9.5M in liabilities against $23.2M in assets (debt-to-asset ratio: 40.8%), resulting in net assets of $13.8M.

Year	Revenue	Expenses	Assets	Liabilities	Officer Comp.	PDF
2023	$15.3M	$9.7M	$23.2M	$9.5M	—	View 990
2022	$10.2M	$9.3M	$16.9M	$9.1M	—	View 990
2021	$8.8M	$8.4M	$15.2M	$9.4M	—	View 990
2020	$8.6M	$8.0M	$13.7M	$9.1M	—	View 990
2019	$7.7M	$7.2M	$13.5M	$9.4M	—	View 990
2018	$7.1M	$6.9M	$13.6M	$9.8M	—	View 990
2017	$7.4M	$7.1M	$14.1M	$10.6M	—	View 990
2016	$6.4M	$6.6M	$14.2M	$11.4M	—	View 990
2015	$6.6M	$6.3M	$11.0M	$7.8M	—	View 990
2014	$6.5M	$6.1M	$9.6M	$6.3M	—	View 990
2013	$6.5M	$6.2M	$8.7M	$5.6M	—	View 990
2012	$6.4M	$6.6M	$8.6M	$5.6M	—	View 990

Year-by-Year Financial Summary

2023: Revenue of $15.3M, expenses of $9.7M, and assets of $23.2M (revenue +50.0% year-over-year).
2022: Revenue of $10.2M, expenses of $9.3M, and assets of $16.9M (revenue +15.5% year-over-year).
2021: Revenue of $8.8M, expenses of $8.4M, and assets of $15.2M (revenue +2.2% year-over-year).
2020: Revenue of $8.6M, expenses of $8.0M, and assets of $13.7M (revenue +12.3% year-over-year).
2019: Revenue of $7.7M, expenses of $7.2M, and assets of $13.5M (revenue +8.3% year-over-year).
2018: Revenue of $7.1M, expenses of $6.9M, and assets of $13.6M (revenue -3.7% year-over-year).
2017: Revenue of $7.4M, expenses of $7.1M, and assets of $14.1M (revenue +14.1% year-over-year).
2016: Revenue of $6.4M, expenses of $6.6M, and assets of $14.2M (revenue -2.8% year-over-year).
2015: Revenue of $6.6M, expenses of $6.3M, and assets of $11.0M (revenue +1.4% year-over-year).
2014: Revenue of $6.5M, expenses of $6.1M, and assets of $9.6M (revenue +1.1% year-over-year).
2013: Revenue of $6.5M, expenses of $6.2M, and assets of $8.7M (revenue +1.3% year-over-year).
2012: Revenue of $6.4M, expenses of $6.6M, and assets of $8.6M.

Data Sources and Methodology

This transparency report for Essex County Country Club is generated by NonprofitSpending's AI analysis engine. The data is sourced from publicly available IRS 990 filings accessed through the ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer API and IRS electronic filing records. The Mission Score, spending breakdown, and other analytical insights are produced by artificial intelligence and should be used as one of multiple factors when evaluating a nonprofit organization.

IRS 990 forms are annual information returns that most tax-exempt organizations must file with the IRS. These forms provide detailed financial information including revenue, expenses, assets, liabilities, and compensation of officers. NonprofitSpending processes this data to provide accessible transparency reports for donors, researchers, and the general public.

Disclaimer

AI-generated analysis based on IRS public records. Not financial or legal advice. Verify information directly with the organization.