The Ceres Community Project EIN 26-2250997

The Ceres Community Project

EIN  26-2250997 Public charity (501(c)(3)) Santa Rosa, CA Founded 2008
Form 990 (PDF) Compare with another nonprofit →
Verified accurate 7/21/26 · see original filing: IRS
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Size
$10–100M
What they do
Nourish people, communities, and the planet with healing food and empower future generations.
Leadership
Cathryn Couch · CEO · $177K
Money in and out
$11.8M revenue, $6.0M expenses
Bottom line
82% program efficiency

Nourish people, communities, and the planet with healing food and empower future generations. For fiscal year 2024 it reported $11.8M in revenue, $6.0M in expenses, and $12.4M in net assets.Pt I

Where the money goes · FY2024
Total revenue
$11.8M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$6.0M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$12.4M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): $5.9M
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
Program services $0.82 Management & general $0.10 Fundraising $0.07
Program efficiency
82%
of spending reaches programs▲ +7% vs prior filing year
Operating runway
6.0mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate▲ +2% vs prior filing year
Surplus margin
+49%
revenue over expenses, this year▲ +39% vs prior filing year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2024 · Form 990
Revenue
$11.8M
FY2024▲ +45%
Expenses
$6.0M
FY2024▲ +14%
Total assets
$23.3M
FY2024▲ +222%
Total liabilities
$10.9M
FY2024▲ ×15
Total revenue
$11.8M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$6.0M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$12.4M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19$5.9M
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$23.3M
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B82%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 315
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 415
Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

1 program service account for $4.5M of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

We create health for people, communities, and the planet through love, healing food, and empowering the next generation.

$4.5Mprogram expense

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Identity & Classification

Form 990 Header · IRS Business Master File
Legal nameHdr · item CThe Ceres Community Project
EINHdr · item D26-2250997
Principal addressHdr · item CSanta Rosa, CA
WebsiteHdr · item Jwww.ceresproject.org
Year of formationHdr · item L2008
State of legal domicileHdr · item MCA
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
NTEE classificationIRS BMFHuman Services (P20)
Ruling yearIRS BMFJul 2008

Governance & Policies

Part VI
Voting members of the governing bodyPt VI · Ln 1a15
Independent voting membersPt VI · Ln 1b15
Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aYes
Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13Yes
Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14Yes
CEO/top-official compensation independently reviewedPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Family or business relationships among officers/directorsPt VI · Ln 2No

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
$176,590Pt VII · Sec A
Chief Program Officer
$124,095Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Co-Chair (through 01/24)
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director (through 08/24)
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director (through 09/24)
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Cathryn Couch’s $177K as CEO is at the 33rd percentile of top reported officer pay among 3123 $10–100M human services 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

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Cathryn Couch$176,590$172,743$167,041$129,370
Brenda Paulucci-Whiting$124,095$124,282$110,600
Andre Mills$123,140
Cathryn Couch$120,903

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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Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Contributions & grants$10.5M · 88%
Program service revenue$1.3M · 11%
Investment income$159K · 1%
Contributions & grants88%$10.5M
Program service revenue11%$1.3M
Investment income1%$159K
— government grantsLn 1e$1.7M
Total revenueLn 12$11.8M

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.82 Management & general $0.10 Fundraising $0.07
Program services82%$4.9M
Management & general10%$618K
Fundraising7%$445K
Total functional expensesLn 25$6.0M

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$2.8M
Total assetsLn 16$23.3M
Total liabilitiesLn 26$10.9M
Total net assetsLn 32$12.4M
Months of cash on handcomputed5.7

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2024 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $2.8M · Operating expenses (Pt IX) $6.0M · Less non-cash grants $236K · Cash operating expenses/yr $5.7M
6.0 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $4.9M · Total expenses $6.0M
82%
Management & General
Management & general $618K · Total expenses $6.0M
10%
Fundraising
Fundraising $445K · Total expenses $6.0M
7%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (3-yr avg) $487K · Solicited contributions (3-yr avg) $5.8M
$0.08 to raise $1 (3-yr avg)
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $10.5M · Total revenue $11.8M
88%
Government reliance
Government grants $1.7M · Total revenue $11.8M
15%
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $1.3M · Total revenue $11.8M
11%
Investment reliance
Investment income $159K · Total revenue $11.8M
+1%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $1.3M · Total expenses $6.0M
21%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $11.8M · Prior year $8.1M
+45%
Revenue CAGR
FY2020 $5.2M · FY2024 $11.8M
+23%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $12.4M · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $11.8M · Expenses $6.0M
+49%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $23.3M
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $12.4M · Total assets $23.3M
53%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) $0 · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) $0 · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $23.3M
0%
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Cathryn Couch · Reported title CEO · Highest reported compensation $177K · Total expenses $6.0M
3%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $3.2M · Total expenses $6.0M
54%
Peer comparison

Same NTEE category, revenue band, and state where available. Descriptive — not a grade.

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 82%
Overhead ratio 10%
Fundraising cost ratio 4%
Revenue growth 45%
Investment management fee ratio 0%
Legal fee ratio 0%
Accounting fee ratio 3%
Fundraising fee ratio 0%

Straight from the Form 990 — descriptive, not an evaluation. A ratio is hidden when its base is zero or too small to be meaningful; the dollars are always shown.

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 2 funders$110K

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Filings & Schedule Manifest

Part IV
III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
FY2024 (Latest)$11.8M revenue · viewing · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2023$8.1M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2022$4.2M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2021$4.9M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2020$5.2M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2024IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
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