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Sustaining Way FY2020 filing

Tax-deductible

Greenville, SC501(c)(3)Since 2012Community Development EIN 45-4887679Revenue $261K in FY2020

On file with the IRSsustainingway.org5 Stonehedge Dr, 29615-3739 · Greenville, SCTax-exempt since Jan 2013Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

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Sustaining Way uses education, collaboration, and advocacy to create sustainable, caring, and equitable communities for current and future generations.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
99¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$80K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

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FY2020 · 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 5
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $8K a year · 2% of revenue · last 5 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
99%
of spending
Looks good: 99% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$80K
to officers and key staff · 35% of spending
Concern: pay to officers and key staff is 35% of spending; over 30%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
5 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 5.0 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
2
named funders · $26K
Fine: 2 funders name it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$73K
15% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 15% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
13
of 14 voting members
Looks good: 13 of 14 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$261K
Spent
$228K
To programs
99%
Net assets
$424K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$261K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$261K
FY2022$552K
FY2023$699K
FY2024$332K
FY2025$397K
Expenses
$228K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$228K
FY2022$415K
FY2023$631K
FY2024$572K
FY2025$435K
Net assets
$424K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$424K
FY2022$335K
FY2023$403K
FY2024$163K
FY2025$125K

From the FY2020 Form 990 · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2020 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Jan 2013.

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

Where the money goes

99 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 99% · $225K Management & general 5% · $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

30 people listed on the 990; $80K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Alecia Brewster
Program Dire
$39,875Pt VII · Sec A
Alecia Brewster
Program Director
$39,875Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Ralph Bouton
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Michael Brown
Vice Chairma
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Rev Dallas Conyers
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Gary Davis
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Michael Brown’s $79K as Executive Di is at the 55th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1709 $100K–1M community 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

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2020
Michael Brown$79,200$77,258$78,621$65,488—
Alecia Brewster————$39,875

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.

See Sustaining Way executive salaries →

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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

Educates, collaborates, and advocates for sustainable, caring, and equitable communities.

Questions for Sustaining Way

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Provided by the organization

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2 programs · $441K · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

To educate, empower, and develop individuals in ways that promote responsibility, creative-thinking, self-sufficiency, employability, and self confidence.

$225Kprogram expense
02

To educate, empower, and develop individuals in ways that promote responsibility, creative-thinking, self-sufficiency, employability, and self confidence.

$217Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2025
Spartanburg County FoundationFY2025$16K
Gilreath FoundationFY2025$10K
Total grants receivedfrom 2 funders$26K
Grants paid · 1 grant · $9K · 2022–2022
Unitemized GrantFY2022$9,368

By the numbers

The FY2020 990, line by line.

Download 990
from philanthropy.org
1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$261K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$244K
Other incomeLn 4–11$17K
Investment incomeLn 3$483
Money outPt IX
$228K
Ln 25
Programscol B$225K
Managementcol C$11K
Owns and owesPt X
$424K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$96K
Total assetsLn 16$497K
LiabilitiesLn 26$73K
PeoplePt VI, VII
30
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a14
IndependentVI 1b13
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$244K
Government grantsLn 1e$37K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$150
Investment incomeLn 3$483
Other incomeLn 4–11$17K
Total revenueLn 12$261K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$96K
Total assetsLn 16$497K
LiabilitiesLn 26$73K
Net assetsLn 32$424K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 53
VolunteersI 6421
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $397K$435K−$38K$125K 990 PDF
FY2024 $332K$572K−$240K$163K 990 PDF
FY2023 $699K$631K$68K$403K 990 PDF
FY2022 $552K$415K$137K$335K 990 PDF
FY2021 Not on file
FY2020 Viewing $261K$228K$33K$424K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2020 990 (1 part)
Part VI · Governance 13 of 14 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body14
VI-1b Independent voting members13
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

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2020 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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