Builds local solutions for global issues using ecology, education, and design.
For fiscal year 2024 it reported $3.3M in revenue, $3.1M in expenses, and $954K in net assets.Pt I
Where the money goes · FY2024
Total revenue
$3.3M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$3.1M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$954K
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): $197K
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
93%
Program services $0.93 Management & general $0.03 Fundraising $0.04
Program efficiency
93%
of spending reaches programs▲ +1% vs prior filing year
Operating runway
4.7mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate▲ +24% vs prior filing year
Surplus margin
+6%
revenue over expenses, this year▲ +397% vs prior filing year
Summary of the Filing
Part I · fiscal year 2024 · Form 990
Revenue
$3.3M
FY2024▲ +20%
$3.3M$1.6M$0
FY2020FY2024
Expenses
$3.1M
FY2024▲ +10%
$3.1M$1.5M$0
FY2020FY2024
Total assets
$1.6M
FY2024▲ +31%
$1.8M$890K$0
FY2020FY2024
Total liabilities
$636K
FY2024▲ +39%
$969K$484K$0
FY2020FY2024
Total revenue
$3.3M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$3.1M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$954K
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19$197K
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$1.6M
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B93%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 36
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 46
Mission & Programs · Part III
Where the work happens
3 program services account for $2.9M of program spending, described in the organization's 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.
Sarna Salzman’s $94K as Executive Director
is at the 23rd percentile of top reported officer pay among 1843 $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
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.
Individual Sarna Salzman · Reported title EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR · Highest reported compensation $94K · Total expenses $3.1M
3%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $2.2M · Total expenses $3.1M
73%
Peer comparison
Same NTEE category, revenue band, and state where available. Descriptive — not a grade.
Metric
This org
Peer median
Percentile
Program ratio
93%
—
—
Overhead ratio
3%
—
—
Fundraising cost ratio
4%
—
—
Revenue growth
20%
—
—
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.
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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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