Biodynamic Association INC

Tax-deductible

Albany, NY501(c)(3)Food & AgricultureEIN 14-1377504

The biodynamic association (bda) awakens and enlivens co-creative relationships between humans and the earth, transforming the practice and culture of agriculture to renew the vitality of the earth, the integrity of our food, and the health and wholeness of our communities.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
53¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 75 volunteers and 13 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

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 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $3K a year · under 1% of revenue · last 6 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
53%
of spending
Worth a look: 53% of spending went to programs; under 65%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Cash reserves
2 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 1.7 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
2
named funders · $20K
Fine: 2 funders name it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$97K
15% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 15% 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
$666K
+21% vs prior year
Spent
$419K
To programs
53%
Net assets
$530K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$666K
FY2025▲ +21%
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$870K
FY2021$1.1M
FY2022$435K
FY2023$682K
FY2024$552K
FY2025$666K
Expenses
$419K
FY2025▼ -53%
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$837K
FY2021$773K
FY2022$600K
FY2023$759K
FY2024$882K
FY2025$419K
Net assets
$530K
FY2025▲ +87%
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$548K
FY2021$856K
FY2022$690K
FY2023$613K
FY2024$283K
FY2025$530K

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending March 2025) · see the original

Give Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Jun 1947.

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

Where the money goes

53 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 53% · $224K Management & general 37% · $154K Fundraising 10% · $41K

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

Who runs it and what they're paid

10 people listed on the 990.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Sheila Foster’s $139K as Executive Director Through December 2023 is at the 97th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1172 $100K–1M food & agriculture 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

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Sheila Foster$138,723$108,345———
Thea Maria Carlson——$17,892$56,691$55,875

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 Biodynamic Association 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

Transforms agriculture to renew Earth's vitality, food integrity, and community health.

Provided by the organization

This section is blank until Biodynamic Association INC claims this page.

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1 program service account for $224K of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

Foundations Training

The biodynamic association offers hands-on, holistic, and innovative farmer training through the biodynamic foundations training program. The program combines hands-on, practical work supported by integrated learning elements and a cohort-based classroom component with a variety of readings, exercises, presentations, and conversation…

$224Kprogram expense

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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 · FY2021
Total grants receivedfrom 2 funders$20K
Grants paid · 4 grants · $37K · 2019–2021
Unitemized GrantFY2021$1,600
Unitemized GrantFY2020$1,525
Unitemized GrantFY2019$32,187
Unitemized GrantFY2019$2,150

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$666K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$603K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$42K
Other incomeLn 4–11$21K
Money outPt IX
$419K
Ln 25
Programscol B$224K
Managementcol C$154K
Fundraisingcol D$41K
Owns and owesPt X
$530K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$59K
Total assetsLn 16$627K
LiabilitiesLn 26$97K
PeoplePt VI, VII
10
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a10
IndependentVI 1b10
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$603K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$42K
Investment incomeLn 3$566
Other incomeLn 4–11$21K
Total revenueLn 12$666K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$59K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$59K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$26K
Total assetsLn 16$627K
LiabilitiesLn 26$97K
Net assetsLn 32$530K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 513
VolunteersI 675
Fiscal year endsHeaderMarch
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$180K$59K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$25K$26K
Total assetsLn 16$349K$627K
LiabilitiesLn 26$66K$97K
Net assetsLn 32$283K$530K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$210K$140K$39K$31K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$19K$12K$5K$3K
Payroll taxesLn 10$22K$15K$4K$3K
Accounting feesLn 11c$52K$52K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$35K$29K$4K$2K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$2K$2K
Office expensesLn 13$9K$6K$515$2K
Information technologyLn 14$8K$6K$2K$601
OccupancyLn 16$5K$2K$3K$231
TravelLn 17$7K$6K$735
InsuranceLn 23$8K$8K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$38K$5K$32K$24
All other expensesLn 24e$5K$2K$3K$148
Total functional expensesLn 25$419K$224K$154K$41K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $666K$419K$247K$530K 990 PDF
FY2024 $552K$882K−$330K$283K 990 PDF
FY2023 $682K$759K−$77K$613K 990 PDF
FY2022 $435K$600K−$165K$690K 990 PDF
FY2021 $1.1M$773K$308K$856K 990 PDF
FY2020 $870K$837K$33K$548K 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 FY2025 990 (4 parts)
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $665,929 across 7 lines filed
VIII-1b Membership dues$10,918
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$591,871
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$602,789
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $41,504$41,504
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $566$566
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $21,070$21,070
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $62,574 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $566$665,929
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $419,098 across 13 lines filed
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $140,344 · Management $39,022 · Fundraising $30,820$210,186
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $11,662 · Management $4,584 · Fundraising $2,502$18,748
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $14,913 · Management $4,139 · Fundraising $3,243$22,295
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $52,135$52,135
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $29,081 · Management $4,210 · Fundraising $1,571$34,862
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $1,525$1,525
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $6,111 · Management $515 · Fundraising $2,054$8,680
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $5,584 · Management $2,288 · Fundraising $601$8,473
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $1,754 · Management $2,522 · Fundraising $231$4,507
IX-17 TravelPrograms $6,307 · Management $735$7,042
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $8,071$8,071
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $5,327 · Management $32,196 · Fundraising $24$37,547
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $1,546 · Management $3,333 · Fundraising $148$5,027
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $224,154 · Management $153,750 · Fundraising $41,194$419,098
Part X · Balance sheet $626,762 assets, 13 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $179,789$58,623
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $100,000$541,649
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $1,070$924
X-12 Other securitiesStart of year $25,312$25,566
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $349,164$626,762
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $12,807$31,892
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $44,474$64,709
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $8,683$130
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $65,964$96,731
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $141,102$230,031
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $142,098$300,000
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $283,200$530,031
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $349,164$626,762
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $530,031 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$665,929
XI-2 Total expenses$419,098
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$246,831
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$283,200
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$530,031

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

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