Taproot INC

Tax-deductible

Iowa City, IA501(c)(3)Since 2007Youth DevelopmentEIN 26-0773013Revenue $273K in FY2025

On file with the IRStaprootnatureexperience.com2006 Dunlap CT, 52245-4656 · Iowa City, IATax-exempt since Mar 2009Publicly supported — 509(a)(2)

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To create a vibrant community of families and individuals by offering a wide variety of sustainably and environmental educational experiences.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
96¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 20 volunteers and 21 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

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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 deficit $2K 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
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
$150K
to officers and key staff · 49% of spending
Top officer’s pay higher than 67% of similar orgs
Concern: pay to officers and key staff is 49% of spending; over 30%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
2 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 2.5 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $500
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$37K
36% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 36% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
2
of 3 voting members
Looks good: 2 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
$273K
-26% vs prior year
Spent
$306K
To programs
96%
Net assets
$66K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$273K
FY2025▼ -26%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$206K
FY2021$267K
FY2022$254K
FY2023$287K
FY2024$366K
FY2025$273K
Expenses
$306K
FY2025▼ -29%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$229K
FY2021$215K
FY2022$221K
FY2023$262K
FY2024$431K
FY2025$306K
Net assets
$66K
FY2025▲ +23%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$10K
FY2021$58K
FY2022$92K
FY2023$117K
FY2024$53K
FY2025$66K

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

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Mar 2009.

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% · $295K Management & general 4% · $11K

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

4 people listed on the 990; $150K 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
$75,000Pt VII · Sec A
$75,000Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Elesa Wedemeyer’s $75K as Director is at the 67th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1992 $100K–1M youth 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

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Elesa Wedemeyer$75,000$92,500————
Zac Wedemeyer$75,000$92,500$81,000$89,440$59,500$65,000

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

Offers sustainable and environmental education to build a vibrant community.

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Provided by the organization

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2 programs · $294K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Taproot served nearly 700 children ages 3 to 18 with programming that includes: -a daily after-school program that takes children on nature and play-based field trips -a once-weekly morning nature program called "sprouts," for young children, ages 3-5 -day-long camps on days when the iowa city schools are closed for conferences or…

$295Kprogram expense
02

Taproot led a two-week spring break trip to ecuador, training older students in leadership, individuation, sustainability, good works, and personal growth.

−$672program 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 · FY2023
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$500

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$273K
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$311K
Investment incomeLn 3$22
Money outPt IX
$306K
Ln 25
Programscol B$295K
Managementcol C$11K
Owns and owesPt X
$66K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$64K
Total assetsLn 16$103K
LiabilitiesLn 26$37K
PeoplePt VI, VII
4
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a3
IndependentVI 1b2
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Fees for servicesLn 2g$311K
Investment incomeLn 3$22
Gains on assetsLn 7−$39K
Total revenueLn 12$273K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$64K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$64K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$5K
Total assetsLn 16$103K
LiabilitiesLn 26$37K
Net assetsLn 32$66K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 521
VolunteersI 620
Fiscal year endsHeaderAugust
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aNo
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$50K$64K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$63K$5K
Total assetsLn 16$113K$103K
LiabilitiesLn 26$60K$37K
Net assetsLn 32$53K$66K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$1K$1K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$150K$150K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$54K$54K
Payroll taxesLn 10$16K$16K
Accounting feesLn 11c$1K$1K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$13K$13K
Office expensesLn 13$997$356$641
Information technologyLn 14$332$332
OccupancyLn 16$17K$17K
TravelLn 17$3K$3K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$2K$2K
InterestLn 20$2K$2K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$760$760
InsuranceLn 23$15K$15K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$29K$23K$6K
All other expensesLn 24e$229$81$148
Total functional expensesLn 25$306K$295K$11K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $273K$306K−$33K$66K 990 PDF
FY2024 $366K$431K−$64K$53K 990 PDF
FY2023 $287K$262K$25K$117K 990 PDF
FY2022 $254K$221K$33K$92K 990 PDF
FY2021 $267K$215K$52K$58K 990 PDF
FY2020 $206K$229K−$23K$10K 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 $272,820 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $53,711$0
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $312,751$311,318
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $33−$38,498
I-11 Other revenue$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $366,495$272,820
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $3,200$1,180
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $273,361$219,453
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $153,960$85,065
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $430,521$305,698
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$64,026−$32,878
Part VI · Governance 2 of 3 board members independent, 4 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body3
VI-1b Independent voting members2
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyNo
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $272,820 across 4 lines filed
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $311,318$311,318
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $22$22
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsRelated to mission −$38,520−$38,520
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $272,820$272,820
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $305,698 across 16 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $1,180$1,180
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $150,000$150,000
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $53,858$53,858
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $15,595$15,595
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $1,200$1,200
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $13,462$13,462
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $356 · Management $641$997
IX-14 Information technologyManagement $332$332
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $16,918$16,918
IX-17 TravelPrograms $2,611$2,611
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $2,307$2,307
IX-20 InterestManagement $2,472$2,472
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $760$760
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $14,796$14,796
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $22,699 · Management $6,282$28,981
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $81 · Management $148$229
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $294,623 · Management $11,075 · Fundraising $0$305,698
Part X · Balance sheet $102,878 assets, 8 lines filed
Asset lines not itemized here account for $33,992; see the IRS return.
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $50,072$64,364
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $63,003$4,522
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $113,075$102,878
X-24 Unsecured notes and loans payableStart of year $59,617$36,983
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $59,617$36,983
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $53,458$65,895
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $53,458$65,895
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $113,075$102,878
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $65,895 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$272,820
XI-2 Total expenses$305,698
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$32,878
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$53,458
XI-8 Prior period adjustments$45,315
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$65,895

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

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