Common Ground Relief INC FY2020 filing

Tax-deductible

New Orleans, LA501(c)(3)Public Safety & DisasterEIN 06-1816720Revenue $162K in FY2020

On file with the IRScommongroundrelief.org1800 Deslonde St, 70117-4032 · New Orleans, LATax-exempt since Aug 2007Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

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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.
96¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$39K 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

FY2020 · 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
96%
of spending
Looks good: 96% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$39K
to officers and key staff · 24% of spending
Worth a look: pay to officers and key staff is 24% of spending; over 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
8 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 7.6 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
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
$129K
35% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 35% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
3
of 3 voting members
Looks good: 3 of 3 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$162K
Spent
$165K
To programs
96%
Net assets
$238K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$162K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$162K
FY2021$223K
FY2022$249K
FY2023$228K
FY2024$346K
Expenses
$165K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$165K
FY2021$187K
FY2022$231K
FY2023$285K
FY2024$375K
Net assets
$238K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$238K
FY2021$273K
FY2022$292K
FY2023$235K
FY2024$205K

From the FY2020 Form 990 · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2020 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2024) →

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

96 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 96% · $158K Management & general 2% · $4K Fundraising 2% · $3K

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

6 people listed on the 990; $39K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Interim Exec. Director- Resigned 11/16/20
$32,333Pt VII · Sec A
Executive Director
$6,667Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$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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1 program · $158K · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

During 2020, common ground relief planted over 4,500 bottomland hardwood trees planted over 22,000 plugs of grass, restoring 21 miles of shoreline , maintained 4,000 native seedlings for future use in wetlands restoration plantings.

$158Kprogram 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 FY2020 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$162K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$138K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$24K
Money outPt IX
$165K
Ln 25
Programscol B$158K
Managementcol C$4K
Fundraisingcol D$3K
Owns and owesPt X
$238K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$105K
Total assetsLn 16$366K
LiabilitiesLn 26$129K
PeoplePt VI, VII
6
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a3
IndependentVI 1b3
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$138K
Government grantsLn 1e$8K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$24K
Total revenueLn 12$162K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$89K
SavingsLn 2$17K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$105K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$251K
Other assetsLn 15$50
Total assetsLn 16$366K
LiabilitiesLn 26$129K
Net assetsLn 32$238K
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 FY20End FY20
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$100K$105K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$270K$251K
Total assetsLn 16$379K$366K
LiabilitiesLn 26$138K$129K
Net assetsLn 32$241K$238K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$39K$39K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$1K$1K
Payroll taxesLn 10$3K$3K
Accounting feesLn 11c$2K$2K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$10K$9K$1K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$747$523$187$37
Office expensesLn 13$1K$947$206$61
OccupancyLn 16$5K$4K$484$242
InterestLn 20$9K$8K$86
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$18K$18K
InsuranceLn 23$12K$10K$1K$594
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$57K$56K$903
All other expensesLn 24e$7K$7K
Total functional expensesLn 25$165K$158K$4K$3K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest $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 Viewing $162K$165K−$3K$238K 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 FY2020 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $161,875 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $38,500$137,592
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $90,719$24,283
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $0$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $129,219$161,875
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 $43,060$43,383
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $123,395$121,891
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $166,455$165,274
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$37,236−$3,399
Part VI · Governance 3 of 3 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body3
VI-1b Independent voting members3
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 $161,875 across 5 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$8,400
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$129,192
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$137,592
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $24,283$24,283
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $24,283 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$161,875
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $165,274 across 13 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $39,000$39,000
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $1,300$1,300
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $3,083$3,083
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $2,019$2,019
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $8,990 · Fundraising $1,343$10,333
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $523 · Management $187 · Fundraising $37$747
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $947 · Management $206 · Fundraising $61$1,214
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $4,115 · Management $484 · Fundraising $242$4,841
IX-20 InterestPrograms $8,471 · Management $86$8,557
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $18,457$18,457
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $10,217 · Management $1,069 · Fundraising $594$11,880
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $55,951 · Fundraising $903$56,854
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $6,989$6,989
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $158,043 · Management $4,051 · Fundraising $3,180$165,274
Part X · Balance sheet $366,319 assets, 11 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $99,562$88,509
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investments$16,667
X-8 Inventories for sale or useStart of year $10,000$10,000
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $269,550$251,093
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $50$50
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $379,162$366,319
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $138,145$128,701
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $209,234$221,780
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $31,783$15,838
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $241,017$237,618
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $379,162$366,319
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $237,618 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$161,875
XI-2 Total expenses$165,274
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$3,399
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$241,017
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$237,618

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2020 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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