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Vital Communities INC FY2021 filing

Tax-deductible

White Riv Jct, VT501(c)(3)Since 1998Community DevelopmentEIN 03-0355283Revenue $3.0M in FY2021

On file with the IRSvitalcommunities.org195 N Main St, 05001-7044 · White Riv Jct, VTTax-exempt since Jul 1998Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

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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.
89¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$88K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2021 · 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
89%
of spending
Looks good: 89% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$88K
to officers and key staff · 4% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 4% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
6 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 5.8 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
$174K
10% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 10% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
17
of 17 voting members
Looks good: 17 of 17 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$3.0M
Spent
$2.5M
To programs
89%
Net assets
$1.5M
By yearFY2021–FY2025
Revenue
$3.0M
FY2021
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
FY2021
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
$1.5M
FY2021
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 FY2021 Form 990 (year ending June 2021) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2021 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

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

89 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 89% · $2.2M Management & general 6% · $161K Fundraising 5% · $121K

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

22 people listed on the 990; $88K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2020); the FY2021 filing did not itemize Part VII
Tom Roberts
Executive Director Thru 6/20
$71,089Pt VII · Sec A
Sarah Jackson
Executive Director Beg. 10/20
$16,557Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Sally Kraft
Member Thru 5/21
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Nancy Merrill
Secretary Thru 5/21, Then Member
$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.

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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.

Questions for Vital Communities INC

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $1.8M · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

Valley food & farm- fosters relationships that make local agriculture a vibrant part of daily community life. Includes upper valley everyone eats. Upper valley everyone eats is the local hub of vermont everyone eats, the statewide coronavirus relief program that pays vermont restaurants $10/MEAL to prepare free, nutritious meals to…

$1.4Mprogram expense
02

Outreach

Performing outreach activities in the local community to promote the programs carried out by vital communities.

$200Kprogram expense
03

Energy

Works with citizens, municipalities, and partners to create an energy-independent upper valley.

$159Kprogram 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
Doctorbird FoundationFY2025$300K
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$300K
Grants paid · 14 grants · $498K · 2021–2024
Winter Center for Indigenous TraditionsNH · FY2024$241,188
Organization for Refugee and Immigrant SuccessNH · FY2024$15,000
Green Mountain Economic Development CorpVT · FY2024$15,000
Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Foundation INCVT · FY2024$10,000
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
Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund INCVT · FY2021$10,000
Unitemized GrantFY2021$1,200
Unitemized GrantFY2021$300

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

Download 990
from philanthropy.org
1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$3.0M
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$1.6M
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.4M
Investment incomeLn 3$3K
Money outPt IX
$2.5M
Ln 25
Programscol B$2.2M
Managementcol C$161K
Fundraisingcol D$121K
Owns and owesPt X
$1.5M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$1.2M
Total assetsLn 16$1.7M
LiabilitiesLn 26$174K
PeoplePt VI, VII
22
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a17
IndependentVI 1b17
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.4M
Government grantsLn 1e$219K
Noncash giftsLn 1g$14K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$1.6M
Investment incomeLn 3$3K
Other incomeLn 4–11$974
Total revenueLn 12$3.0M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$59K
SavingsLn 2$1.1M
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$1.2M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$86K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$9K
Other assetsLn 15$88K
Total assetsLn 16$1.7M
LiabilitiesLn 26$174K
Net assetsLn 32$1.5M
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 FY21End FY21
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$933K$1.2M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$42K$86K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$11K$9K
Total assetsLn 16$1.2M$1.7M
LiabilitiesLn 26$226K$174K
Net assetsLn 32$998K$1.5M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$11K$11K
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$2K$2K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$85K$53K$8K$23K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$684K$532K$105K$47K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$16K$13K$2K$995
Other employee benefitsLn 9$90K$75K$7K$8K
Payroll taxesLn 10$55K$42K$8K$5K
Legal feesLn 11b$2K$2K$397$185
Accounting feesLn 11c$21K$16K$3K$2K
Professional fundraising feesLn 11e$10K$10K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$138K$129K$9K
OccupancyLn 16$47K$36K$7K$3K
TravelLn 17$14K$14K$3
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$5K$4K$843$393
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$1.3M$1.3M$2K$17K
All other expensesLn 24e$29K$17K$7K$5K
Total functional expensesLn 25$2.5M$2.2M$161K$121K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $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 Viewing $3.0M$2.5M$455K$1.5M 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
See the full FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $2,954,150 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $1,296,477$1,369,200
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $133,202$1,581,066
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $2,441$2,910
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $2,732$974
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $1,434,852$2,954,150
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $14,450$13,100
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $876,447$929,759
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $13,725$9,799
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $342,645$1,546,431
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $1,247,267$2,499,089
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $187,585$455,061
Part VI · Governance 17 of 17 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body17
VI-1b Independent voting members17
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 $2,954,150 across 8 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$218,678
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$1,150,522
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$13,898
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,369,200
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $1,581,066$1,581,066
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $2,910$2,910
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $974$974
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $1,582,040 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $2,910$2,954,150
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $2,499,089 across 16 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $10,900$10,900
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $2,200$2,200
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $52,825 · Management $8,452 · Fundraising $23,243$84,520
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $532,277 · Management $105,243 · Fundraising $46,759$684,279
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $12,745 · Management $2,360 · Fundraising $995$16,100
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $74,835 · Management $7,031 · Fundraising $7,698$89,564
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $42,030 · Management $8,154 · Fundraising $5,112$55,296
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $1,898 · Management $397 · Fundraising $185$2,480
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $15,945 · Management $3,337 · Fundraising $1,555$20,837
IX-11e Professional fundraising feesFundraising $9,799$9,799
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $128,885 · Management $9,223$138,108
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $36,035 · Management $7,325 · Fundraising $3,416$46,776
IX-17 TravelPrograms $13,620 · Management $3$13,623
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $3,857 · Management $843 · Fundraising $393$5,093
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $1,272,161 · Management $1,585 · Fundraising $17,138$1,290,884
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $16,744 · Management $6,885 · Fundraising $5,001$28,630
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $2,216,957 · Management $160,838 · Fundraising $121,294$2,499,089
Part X · Balance sheet $1,663,364 assets, 18 lines filed
Asset lines not itemized here account for $25,150; see the IRS return.
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $89,860$59,201
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $843,199$1,141,340
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $11,692$29,567
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $122,905$204,655
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $9,806$20,558
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $11,495$8,967
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $42,174$59,721
X-12 Other securities$25,994
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $68,328$88,211
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $1,224,459$1,663,364
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $86,576$136,521
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $815$34,500
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $4,063$2,787
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $226,454$173,808
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $554,956$911,302
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $443,049$578,254
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $998,005$1,489,556
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $1,224,459$1,663,364
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $1,489,556 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$2,954,150
XI-2 Total expenses$2,499,089
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$455,061
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$998,005
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$36,490
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$1,489,556

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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