Seeds: Nonprofit Profile, Financials & Form 990 (EIN 38-3482266)

Sarna Salzman’s $94K as Executive Director is at the 22nd percentile of top reported officer pay among 1851 $1–10M environment 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 · 1 named individual · Part VII

Name	FY2024	FY2023	FY2022	FY2021	FY2020
Sarna Salzman	$93,569	$81,303	$73,886	$72,709	$75,874

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 15aYes

Programs and updates

Builds local solutions for global issues using ecology, education, and design.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $2.9M · in their own filed words · FY2024

01

Ecoschool

In 2024, seeds provided over 177,422 student-contact hours of academic and cultural enrichment activities at 13 partner schools in rural northwest michigan serving over 1,100 unique students.

$1.9Mprogram expense

02

Ecocorps

In 2024, seeds employed 44 members who earned 1,270 hours of professional development and also improved 198 miles of trail, enhanced 107 acres in 22 parks, delivered over 6,500 pounds of donated produce, and composted over 27.5 tons of food waste.

$654Kprogram expense

03

Ecostrategies

Seeds continues a tradition of offering professional analysis, assistance with target setting around 'green goals', and planning for resource management to a variety of local governments and community institutions.

$330Kprogram 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 · FY2025

Grand Traverse Regional Community FoundationFY2025$15K

Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$15K

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

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from philanthropy.org

1The main four

Money inPt VIII

$3.3M

Ln 12

Gifts and grantsLn 1h$2.9M

Fees for servicesLn 2g$266K

Other incomeLn 4–11$76K

Money outPt IX

$3.1M

Ln 25

Programscol B$2.9M

Managementcol C$86K

Fundraisingcol D$130K

Owns and owesPt X

$954K

net assets · Ln 32

Cash and savingsLn 1–2$1.2M

Total assetsLn 16$1.6M

LiabilitiesLn 26$636K

PeoplePt VI, VII

7

listed · VII A

PaidVII A1

Voting boardVI 1a6

IndependentVI 1b6

2In more detail

Revenue in detailPt VIII

Gifts and grantsLn 1h$2.9M

Government grantsLn 1e$1.9M

Noncash giftsLn 1g$27K

Fees for servicesLn 2g$266K

Investment incomeLn 3$22K

Other incomeLn 4–11$76K

Total revenueLn 12$3.3M

Assets in detailPt X, end of year

CashLn 1$306K

SavingsLn 2$886K

Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$1.2M

Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$79K

Other assetsLn 15$15K

Total assetsLn 16$1.6M

LiabilitiesLn 26$636K

Net assetsLn 32$954K

OperationsPt I, VI

EmployeesI 5120

VolunteersI 631

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

Line	Start FY24	End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2	$892K	$1.2M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c	$37K	$79K
Total assetsLn 16	$1.2M	$1.6M
LiabilitiesLn 26	$459K	$636K
Net assetsLn 32	$757K	$954K

4Every line

Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line

Line	Total	Programs	Management	Fundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5	$94K	$94K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7	$2.1M	$1.9M	$109K	$118K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g	$382K	$362K	$18K	$1K
Office expensesLn 13	$12K	$38	$3K	$8K
OccupancyLn 16	$21K	$1K	$20K
TravelLn 17	$137K	$113K	$24K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22	$18K		$18K
InsuranceLn 23	$50K	$25K	$25K	$105
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24	$225K	$207K	$15K	$3K
Total functional expensesLn 25	$3.1M	$2.9M	$86K	$130K

Filing history

Year	Money in	Money out	In minus out	Net assets	Download
FY2024 Latest Viewing	$3.3M	$3.1M	$197K	$954K	990 PDF
FY2023	$2.7M	$2.8M	−$56K	$757K	990 PDF
FY2022	$2.5M	$2.2M	$261K	$812K	990 PDF
FY2021	$2.5M	$2.2M	$347K	$552K	990 PDF
FY2020	$2.1M	$2.0M	$125K	$197K	990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support M · Noncash O · Explanations

See the full FY2024 990 (6 parts)

Part I · Summary $3,284,579 revenue, 12 lines filed

I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $2,379,363$2,920,552

I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $284,522$265,561

I-10 Investment incomePrior year $14,727$22,384

I-11 Other revenuePrior year $67,032$76,082

I-12 Total revenuePrior year $2,745,644$3,284,579

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 $1,942,718$2,242,853

I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0

I-17 Other expensesPrior year $858,544$844,388

I-18 Total expensesPrior year $2,801,262$3,087,241

I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$55,618$197,338

Part VI · Governance 6 of 6 board members independent, no flags

VI-1a Voting members of the governing body6

VI-1b Independent voting members6

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

VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes

Part VIII · Statement of revenue $3,284,579 across 8 lines filed

VIII-1e Government grants$1,895,204

VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$1,025,348

VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$27,455

VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$2,920,552

VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $265,561$265,561

VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $22,384$22,384

VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $76,082$76,082

VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $341,643 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $22,384$3,284,579

Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $3,087,241 across 9 lines filed

IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $93,569$93,569

IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $1,923,065 · Management $108,700 · Fundraising $117,519$2,149,284

IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $362,312 · Management $18,012 · Fundraising $1,385$381,709

IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $38 · Management $3,118 · Fundraising $8,495$11,651

IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $1,000 · Management $20,341$21,341

IX-17 TravelPrograms $112,836 · Management $23,815$136,651

IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationManagement $18,076$18,076

IX-23 InsurancePrograms $24,973 · Management $25,255 · Fundraising $105$50,333

IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $207,433 · Management $14,561 · Fundraising $2,633$224,627

IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $2,871,568 · Management $85,536 · Fundraising $130,137$3,087,241

Part X · Balance sheet $1,589,969 assets, 14 lines filed

X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $891,944$306,136

X-2 Savings and temporary cash investments$886,480

X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $244,838$290,534

X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $7,096$12,751

X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $36,544$78,583

X-15 Other assetsStart of year $35,251$15,485

X-16 Total assetsStart of year $1,215,673$1,589,969

X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $63,938$95,174

X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $363,957$533,135

X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $30,950$7,494

X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $458,845$635,803

X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $756,828$954,166

X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $756,828$954,166

X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $1,215,673$1,589,969

Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $954,166 net assets at year end

XI-1 Total revenue$3,284,579

XI-2 Total expenses$3,087,241

XI-3 Revenue less expenses$197,338

XI-4 Net assets at start of year$756,828

XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0

XI-10 Net assets at end of year$954,166

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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