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Birch Grove Community School

Tax-deductible

Tofte, MN501(c)(3)EducationEIN 20-1816956Revenue $1.2M in FY2025

On file with the IRSbirchgroveschool.orgPo Box 2383, 55615-2383 · Tofte, MNTax-exempt since Oct 2005School — 170(b)(1)(A)(ii)

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Birch Grove Community School is organized for the purpose of establishing and operating a results-oriented charter School.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
77¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 15 volunteers and 17 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
5 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $80K a year · 10% of revenue · last 6 filings
Fine: a surplus in 5 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
77%
of spending
Looks good: 77% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$139K
to officers and key staff · 15% of spending
Top officer’s pay lower than 85% of similar orgs
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 15% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
7 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 7.4 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
4
named funders · $28K
Looks good: 4 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$567K
74% of total assets
Worth a look: liabilities are 74% of assets; over 65%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
4
of 5 voting members
Looks good: 4 of 5 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$1.2M
+21% vs prior year
Spent
$916K
To programs
77%
Net assets
$200K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$1.2M
FY2025▲ +21%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$596K
FY2021$764K
FY2022$676K
FY2023$811K
FY2024$986K
FY2025$1.2M
Expenses
$916K
FY2025▲ +4%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$638K
FY2021$692K
FY2022$673K
FY2023$741K
FY2024$885K
FY2025$916K
Net assets
$200K
FY2025▲ +363%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020−$322K
FY2021−$250K
FY2022−$247K
FY2023−$177K
FY2024−$76K
FY2025$200K

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 Oct 2005.

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

Where the money goes

77 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 77% · $710K Management & general 23% · $206K

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; $139K 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
Sarah Knottski
Vice-Chairperson
$74,000Pt VII · Sec A
Diane Blanchette
Director/Business Manager
$64,799Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Skip Lamb
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Sarah Knottski’s $74K as Vice-Chairperson is at the 15th percentile of top reported officer pay among 3394 $1–10M education 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

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Sarah Knottski$74,000$79,078$62,802$61,166$58,876$53,743
Diane Blanchette$64,799$71,104$61,230$61,148$59,892$55,500

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 15aNo

Programs and updates

Operates a results-oriented charter school for the community.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $710K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Birch grove community school is organized for the purpose of operating a results oriented charter school pursuant to minnesota statutes 124D.10.DURING the fiscal year ended june 30, 2024, the school had an average daily membership of 43 students in the kindergarten through fifth grade.

$710Kprogram 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
St Croix Valley FoundationFY2024$15K
Hugh J Andersen FoundationFY2024$8K
Lloyd K Johnson FoundationFY2024$4K
H William Lurton FoundationFY2024$500
Total grants receivedfrom 4 funders$28K
See all 4 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

Download 990
from philanthropy.org
1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$1.2M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.1M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$102K
Investment incomeLn 3$11K
Money outPt IX
$916K
Ln 25
Programscol B$710K
Managementcol C$206K
Owns and owesPt X
$200K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$567K
Total assetsLn 16$767K
LiabilitiesLn 26$567K
PeoplePt VI, VII
6
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a5
IndependentVI 1b4
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.1M
Government grantsLn 1e$956K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$102K
Investment incomeLn 3$11K
Other incomeLn 4–11$5K
Total revenueLn 12$1.2M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$80K
SavingsLn 2$487K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$567K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$15K
Other assetsLn 15$121K
Total assetsLn 16$767K
LiabilitiesLn 26$567K
Net assetsLn 32$200K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 517
VolunteersI 615
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
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$236K$567K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$17K$15K
Total assetsLn 16$537K$767K
LiabilitiesLn 26$613K$567K
Net assetsLn 32−$76K$200K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$159K$85K$73K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$362K$351K$11K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$31K$31K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$3K$3K
Payroll taxesLn 10$35K$30K$5K
Management feesLn 11a$22K$22K
Accounting feesLn 11c$18K$18K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$124K$34K$90K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$2K$2K
OccupancyLn 16$53K$53K
TravelLn 17$26K$26K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$4K$4K
InterestLn 20$100$100
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$2K$2K$260
InsuranceLn 23$21K$21K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$57K$48K$9K
Total functional expensesLn 25$916K$710K$206K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $1.2M$916K$276K$200K 990 PDF
FY2024 $986K$885K$101K−$76K 990 PDF
FY2023 $811K$741K$70K−$177K 990 PDF
FY2022 $676K$673K$3K−$247K 990 PDF
FY2021 $764K$692K$72K−$250K 990 PDF
FY2020 $596K$638K−$43K−$322K 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 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $1,191,801 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $908,979$1,072,892
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $58,677$102,150
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $2,586$11,322
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $16,168$5,437
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $986,410$1,191,801
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 $596,835$589,581
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $288,219$326,473
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $885,054$916,054
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $101,356$275,747
Part VI · Governance 4 of 5 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body5
VI-1b Independent voting members4
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
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-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $1,191,801 across 7 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$955,699
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$117,193
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,072,892
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $102,150$102,150
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $11,322$11,322
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax $5,437$5,437
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $102,150 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $16,759$1,191,801
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $916,054 across 16 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $85,455 · Management $73,076$158,531
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $351,343 · Management $10,725$362,068
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $30,687$30,687
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $3,117$3,117
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $29,708 · Management $5,470$35,178
IX-11a Management feesPrograms $21,950$21,950
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $17,513$17,513
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $33,730 · Management $89,956$123,686
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $1,700$1,700
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $52,532$52,532
IX-17 TravelPrograms $25,516$25,516
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $3,500$3,500
IX-20 InterestManagement $100$100
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $1,713 · Management $260$1,973
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $20,762$20,762
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $48,038 · Management $9,203$57,241
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $709,751 · Management $206,303 · Fundraising $0$916,054
Part X · Balance sheet $767,307 assets, 15 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $87,288$80,010
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $148,846$486,806
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $104,537$47,845
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $4,454$7,733
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $13,318$8,849
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $16,597$14,624
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $161,747$121,440
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $536,787$767,307
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $79,249$82,371
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $533,442$485,093
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $612,691$567,464
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year −$125,684$107,223
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $49,780$92,620
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year −$75,904$199,843
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $536,787$767,307
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $199,843 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,191,801
XI-2 Total expenses$916,054
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$275,747
XI-4 Net assets at start of year−$75,904
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$199,843

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

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