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CHARITY REVIEW
Issued: July 2025 Expires: July 2027

Louisville Regional Science and Engineering Fair

Accredited Charity
Accredited Charity

Meets Standards
Accreditation seal
PO Box 8184
Louisville, KY, 40257-8184
https://lrsef.org/
📄 Full Report 🖨️ Print 📋 BBB Charity Standards

Standards For Charity Accountability

Governance

  1. Board Oversight
  2. Board Size
  3. Board Meetings
  4. Board Compensation
  5. Conflict of Interest

Measuring Effectiveness

  1. Effectiveness Policy
  2. Effectiveness Report

Finances

  1. Program Expenses
  2. Fundraising Expenses
  3. Accumulating Funds
  4. Audit Report
  5. Detailed Expense Breakdown
  6. Accurate Expense Reporting
  7. Budget Plan

Fundraising & Info

  1. Truthful Materials
  2. Annual Report
  3. Website Disclosures
  4. Donor Privacy
  5. Cause Marketing Disclosures
  6. Complaints

Louisville Regional Science and Engineering Fair meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Stated Purpose:
The mission of Louisville Regional Science & Engineering Fair is to engage, encourage, and empower the students in the region by providing them with opportunities to showcase their STEM research, compete for awards, and form meaningful connections with mentors and peers. 

The vision of Louisville Regional Science & Engineering Fair is to attract, support, and inspire diverse and talented students, to foster a culture of scientific inquiry and excellence in the region, and to expand STEM engagement of the community comprising students, parents, mentors, teachers, judges, community members, and sponsors.

Year, State Incorporated:
1982, KY

The Louisville Regional Science and Engineering Fair (LRSEF) is a 100% volunteer organization of community leaders who host an annual regional science fair for students in the 6th-12th grades from 59 counties in Kentucky. Any student in public, private, or home school is welcome to submit a project to one of 22 categories at the fair. As part of an international organization, Society for Science and the Public, LRSEF sends winning projects to the Kentucky State Science & Engineering Fair and to the International Science & Engineering Fair. LRSEF 2026 will be the 62nd consecutive year that this fair has been sponsored in the region. 

The Board of LRSEF raises funds each year to award students cash prizes and ribbons, incentives such as backpacks, lanyards, and T-shirts, as well as free breakfast and lunch on fair day. Over 200 community volunteers from the scientific and engineering fields donate their services as Judges on fair day. LRSEF offers outreach support to teachers, parents, and schools with project development. Also offered are scholarships and supply grants for students from underrepresented minorities and/or those who qualified for free and reduced lunch. This support is provided to approximately 19% of the students participating each year.

LRSEF offers travel grants to students with the five winning high school projects to attend the International Science Fair each year, a prestigious event hosting about 2,000 students from around the globe.

For the year ended June 30, 2024, Louisville Regional Science and Engineering Fair's program expenses were:

Local Fair $35,826
International Fair $16,620
Total Program Expenses $52,446

Chair of the Board
Mr. Carson Garrett Jr.

Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation
Site Quality Manager, American Synthetic Rubber Company

Board Size
26

Paid Staff Size
1

Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Grant proposals, Internet

% of Related Contributions on Fundraising: 0.77%

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.

The following information is based on Louisville Regional Science and Engineering Fair's IRS Form 990-EZ for the year ended June 30, 2024.

Source of Funds
Contributions, gifts, grants $53,700
Program service revenue $5,355
Investment income $4,240
Total Income $63,295

Programs: 87% Fundraising: 1% Administrative: 12%

Total Income $63,295
Total expenses: $60,300
  Program expenses $52,446
  Fundraising expenses $413
  Administrative expenses $7,476
  Other expenses $-35
Income in Excess of Expenses $2,995
Beginning Net Assets $98,116
Other Changes In Net Assets $0
Ending Net Assets $101,111
Total Liabilities $19,034
Total Assets $120,145
The above financial breakdown of expenses is from Louisville Regional Science and Engineering Fair's internal financial documents.

An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgment. If the report is about a charity and states the charity meets or does not meet the Standards for Charity Accountability, it reflects the results of an evaluation of information and materials provided voluntarily by the charity. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus.

This report is not to be used for fundraising or promotional purposes.

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Report completed by:
BBB serving Greater Kentucky and South Central Indiana