To create resilient gulf coast communities that are environmentally sustainable, financially viable and personally cohesive. Common Ground Relief remains committed to its grassroots, volunteer-based approach to community transformation and sustainability. Achieves its mission by focusing on restoring and preserving louisiana's disappearing coastal wetlands. The organization grows plant material in its lower ninth ward nursery, educates about wetland eco-systems and horticulture, and partners with government entities, non-government organizations and individuals to re-plant threatened wetlands using volunteer labor.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
83¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 500 volunteers and 4 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2024 · 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
FY2024
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
2 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $7K a year · 3% of revenue · last 5 filings
Concern: a surplus in 2 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
83%
of spending
Looks good: 83% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
3 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 2.6 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
7
named funders · $200K
Looks good: 7 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$88K
30% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 30% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
10
of 10 voting members
Looks good: 10 of 10 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$346K
+52% vs prior year
Spent
$375K
To programs
83%
Net assets
$205K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$346K
FY2024▲ +52%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$162K
FY2021$223K
FY2022$249K
FY2023$228K
FY2024$346K
Expenses
$375K
FY2024▲ +32%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$165K
FY2021$187K
FY2022$231K
FY2023$285K
FY2024$375K
Net assets
$205K
FY2024▼ -13%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$238K
FY2021$273K
FY2022$292K
FY2023$235K
FY2024$205K

From the FY2024 Form 990 · see the original

Give Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Aug 2007.

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

Where the money goes

83 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 83% · $312K Management & general 13% · $48K Fundraising 4% · $15K

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

12 people listed on the 990.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Joshua Benitez’s $45K as Co Director is at the 70th percentile of top reported officer pay among 826 $100K–1M public safety & disaster 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 · 4 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Joshua Benitez$45,000$40,000——
Charlotte Clarke$31,640$40,000$36,000$6,667
Britt Aliperti———$32,333
Christina Lehew$13,265———

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 Common Ground Relief 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 15aNo

Programs and updates

Restores and preserves coastal wetlands through volunteer-led planting and education.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $312K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Restored dozens of linear miles of coastland throughout southeastern louisiana by planting 6,126 native trees, 28,527 plugs of marsh grass, and 5,000 native irises.

$125Kprogram expense
02

Hosted, guided,and educated 1,600 volunteers between the wetlands restoration and free pantry programs.

$125Kprogram expense
03

Maintained operations despite increased demand of the free pantry,which served an average of 75 families per week in 2024.

$62Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

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

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2024
See all 7 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$346K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$314K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$32K
Money outPt IX
$375K
Ln 25
Programscol B$312K
Managementcol C$48K
Fundraisingcol D$15K
Owns and owesPt X
$205K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$82K
Total assetsLn 16$293K
LiabilitiesLn 26$88K
PeoplePt VI, VII
12
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a10
IndependentVI 1b10
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$314K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$32K
Total revenueLn 12$346K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$82K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$82K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$197K
Other assetsLn 15$50
Total assetsLn 16$293K
LiabilitiesLn 26$88K
Net assetsLn 32$205K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 54
VolunteersI 6500
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
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 FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$111K$82K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$212K$197K
Total assetsLn 16$333K$293K
LiabilitiesLn 26$99K$88K
Net assetsLn 32$235K$205K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$106K$85K$21K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$2K$2K
Payroll taxesLn 10$13K$11K$3K
Accounting feesLn 11c$4K$4K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$23K$9K$2K$12K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$5K$4K$1K
Office expensesLn 13$7K$5K$2K
OccupancyLn 16$14K$11K$3K
InterestLn 20$10K$8K$2K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$18K$18K
InsuranceLn 23$18K$15K$3K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$117K$117K
All other expensesLn 24e$38K$29K$6K$3K
Total functional expensesLn 25$375K$312K$48K$15K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest Viewing $346K$375K−$30K$205K 990 PDF
FY2023 $228K$285K−$57K$235K 990 PDF
FY2022 $249K$231K$18K$292K 990 PDF
FY2021 $223K$187K$36K$273K 990 PDF
FY2020 $162K$165K−$3K$238K 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 FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $345,742 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $184,726$314,126
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $43,469$31,616
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $0$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $228,195$345,742
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $104,787$121,619
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $1,000$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $179,534$253,872
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $285,321$375,491
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$57,126−$29,749
Part VI · Governance 10 of 10 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body10
VI-1b Independent voting members10
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
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
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $345,742 across 4 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$314,126
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$314,126
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $31,616$31,616
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $31,616 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$345,742
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $375,491 across 13 lines filed
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $85,162 · Management $21,291$106,453
IX-9 Other employee benefitsManagement $1,715$1,715
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $10,761 · Management $2,690$13,451
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $4,187$4,187
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $8,749 · Management $2,125 · Fundraising $12,000$22,874
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $4,043 · Management $1,011$5,054
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $4,773 · Management $1,815$6,588
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $11,133 · Management $2,783$13,916
IX-20 InterestPrograms $8,351 · Management $2,088$10,439
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $17,522$17,522
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $15,381 · Management $2,620$18,001
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $117,200$117,200
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $29,173 · Management $5,768 · Fundraising $3,150$38,091
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $312,248 · Management $48,093 · Fundraising $15,150$375,491
Part X · Balance sheet $292,570 assets, 10 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $110,765$81,697
X-8 Inventories for sale or useStart of year $10,000$14,035
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $212,310$196,788
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $50$50
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $333,125$292,570
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $98,543$87,737
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $234,582$171,233
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictions$33,600
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $234,582$204,833
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $333,125$292,570
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $204,833 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$345,742
XI-2 Total expenses$375,491
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$29,749
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$234,582
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$204,833

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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