Vital Communities engages upper valley people, organizations, and Communities to create equitable solutions to our region's challenges, with a focus on those disproportionately impacted by them.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
57¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 160 volunteers and 25 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

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FY2025 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
3 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $59K a year · 2% of revenue · last 5 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
57%
of spending
Worth a look: 57% of spending went to programs; under 65%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$146K
to officers and key staff · 6% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 6% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
4 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 3.8 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $300K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$345K
28% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 28% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
14
of 14 voting members
Looks good: 14 of 14 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$1.6M
-17% vs prior year
Spent
$2.5M
To programs
57%
Net assets
$907K
By yearFY2021–FY2025
Revenue
$1.6M
FY2025▼ -17%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$3.0M
FY2022$2.9M
FY2023$3.0M
FY2024$1.9M
FY2025$1.6M
Expenses
$2.5M
FY2025▲ +9%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021$2.5M
FY2022$2.3M
FY2023$3.0M
FY2024$2.3M
FY2025$2.5M
Net assets
$907K
FY2025▼ -50%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$1.5M
FY2022$2.2M
FY2023$2.2M
FY2024$1.8M
FY2025$907K

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending June 2025) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Jul 1998.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

57 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 57% · $1.4M Management & general 36% · $892K Fundraising 8% · $192K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

16 people listed on the 990; $146K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
Executive Director
$146,025Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary as of Jan 2025
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Sarah Jackson’s $146K as Executive Director is at the 44th percentile of top reported officer pay among 2832 $1–10M community development 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 · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021
Sarah Jackson$146,025$122,269$102,496$87,629$16,557
Tom Roberts————$71,089

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 Vital Communities INC executive salaries →

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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

Boosts the Upper Valley's civic, environmental, and economic health.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $885K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Food & Farm

During FY25 we managed projects that support farm viability, access to locally grown food, food system resilience, education, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. Our projects included farm to school, farm to early childhood education, climate farmer stories, and the upper valley resilience network.

$457Kprogram expense
02

Housing

During FY25, we supported upper valley planners, developers, employers, municipal leaders, property owners, and community groups so that they can work together to create more places to live.

$272Kprogram expense
03

Transportation

During FY25 we supported upper valley communities' efforts to create a safe, reliable and multimodal transportation system that is affordable, increases community resilience, and minimizes climate impact.

$156Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$300K
Grants paid · 14 grants · $498K · 2021–2024
Moon and Stars CorpNH · FY2024$9,092
Kearsarge Food HubNH · FY2024$7,777
Feeding the Valley AllianceVT · FY2024$7,285
Ottauquechee Natural Resources Conservation DistrictFY2024$5,900
Sullivan County Conservation DistrictFY2024$5,235
Sustainable Woodstock INCVT · FY2023$6,536
Global Village FoodsFY2022$163,400
Unitemized GrantFY2021$1,200
Unitemized GrantFY2021$300

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$1.6M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.4M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$140K
Other incomeLn 4–11$1K
Money outPt IX
$2.5M
Ln 25
Programscol B$1.4M
Managementcol C$892K
Fundraisingcol D$192K
Owns and owesPt X
$907K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$782K
Total assetsLn 16$1.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$345K
PeoplePt VI, VII
16
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a14
IndependentVI 1b14
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.4M
Government grantsLn 1e$275K
Noncash giftsLn 1g$2K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$140K
Investment incomeLn 3$365
Other incomeLn 4–11$1K
Total revenueLn 12$1.6M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$121K
SavingsLn 2$661K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$782K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$14K
Other assetsLn 15$123K
Total assetsLn 16$1.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$345K
Net assetsLn 32$907K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 525
VolunteersI 6160
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$1.3M$782K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$20K$14K
Total assetsLn 16$2.1M$1.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$299K$345K
Net assetsLn 32$1.8M$907K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$346K$346K
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$2K$2K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$144K$91K$14K$39K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$1.2M$635K$463K$98K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$31K$4K$26K$936
Other employee benefitsLn 9$158K$120K$35K$3K
Payroll taxesLn 10$111K$27K$77K$6K
Legal feesLn 11b$5K$5K
Accounting feesLn 11c$80K$80K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$174K$63K$81K$29K
OccupancyLn 16$58K$18K$40K
TravelLn 17$12K$12K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$6K$6K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$129K$72K$50K$6K
All other expensesLn 24e$48K$25K$15K$9K
Total functional expensesLn 25$2.5M$1.4M$892K$192K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $1.6M$2.5M−$921K$907K 990 PDF
FY2024 $1.9M$2.3M−$389K$1.8M 990 PDF
FY2023 $3.0M$3.0M$22K$2.2M 990 PDF
FY2022 $2.9M$2.3M$538K$2.2M 990 PDF
FY2021 $3.0M$2.5M$455K$1.5M 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $1,577,902 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $1,797,887$1,435,816
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $102,965$140,431
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $4,734$365
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $5,334$1,290
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $1,910,920$1,577,902
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $75,359$347,248
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $1,596,195$1,640,409
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $628,797$511,174
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $2,300,351$2,498,831
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$389,431−$920,929
Part VI · Governance 14 of 14 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body14
VI-1b Independent voting members14
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $1,577,902 across 8 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$274,711
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$1,161,105
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$2,238
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,435,816
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $140,431$140,431
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $365$365
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Excluded from tax $1,290$1,290
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $140,431 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $1,655$1,577,902
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $2,498,831 across 15 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $345,501$345,501
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $1,747$1,747
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $90,883 · Management $14,426 · Fundraising $38,950$144,259
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $635,225 · Management $462,714 · Fundraising $98,164$1,196,103
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $4,192 · Management $26,251 · Fundraising $936$31,379
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $119,901 · Management $35,036 · Fundraising $2,729$157,666
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $27,449 · Management $77,167 · Fundraising $6,386$111,002
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $5,048$5,048
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $79,776$79,776
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $63,274 · Management $81,426 · Fundraising $29,255$173,955
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $18,255 · Management $39,753$58,008
IX-17 TravelPrograms $11,541$11,541
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationManagement $5,588$5,588
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $72,283 · Management $50,462 · Fundraising $6,492$129,237
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $24,547 · Management $14,791 · Fundraising $8,683$48,021
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $1,414,798 · Management $892,438 · Fundraising $191,595$2,498,831
Part X · Balance sheet $1,251,777 assets, 16 lines filed
Asset lines not itemized here account for $15,453; see the IRS return.
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $72,525$121,075
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $1,239,708$660,608
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $570,264$256,909
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $9,943$34,939
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $11,418$25,997
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $19,629$14,041
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $179,298$122,755
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $2,118,238$1,251,777
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $157,818$241,156
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $45,406$40,000
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $95,937$63,677
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $299,161$344,833
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $515,715$466,829
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $1,303,362$440,115
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $1,819,077$906,944
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $2,118,238$1,251,777
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $906,944 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,577,902
XI-2 Total expenses$2,498,831
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$920,929
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$1,819,077
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$8,796
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$906,944

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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