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.
89¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$77K 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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FY2024 · 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
89%
of spending
Looks good: 89% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$77K
to officers and key staff · 14% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 14% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
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
2
named funders · $26K
Fine: 2 funders name it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$68K
30% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 30% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
6
of 6 voting members
Looks good: 6 of 6 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$332K
-52% vs prior year
Spent
$572K
To programs
89%
Net assets
$163K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$332K
FY2024▼ -52%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$261K
FY2022$552K
FY2023$699K
FY2024$332K
FY2025$397K
Expenses
$572K
FY2024▼ -9%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$228K
FY2022$415K
FY2023$631K
FY2024$572K
FY2025$435K
Net assets
$163K
FY2024▼ -59%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$424K
FY2022$335K
FY2023$403K
FY2024$163K
FY2025$125K

From the FY2024 Form 990 · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2024 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

89 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 89% · $511K Management & general 11% · $61K

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

7 people listed on the 990; $77K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Di
$77,258Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
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 15aNo

Programs and updates

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

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $511K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

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

$511Kprogram 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
Total grants receivedfrom 2 funders$26K
Grants paid · 1 grant · $9K · 2022–2022
Unitemized GrantFY2022$9,368

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$332K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$321K
Other incomeLn 4–11$6K
Investment incomeLn 3$5K
Money outPt IX
$572K
Ln 25
Programscol B$511K
Managementcol C$61K
Owns and owesPt X
$163K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$117K
Total assetsLn 16$232K
LiabilitiesLn 26$68K
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$321K
Government grantsLn 1e$50K
Investment incomeLn 3$5K
Other incomeLn 4–11$6K
Total revenueLn 12$332K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$117K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$117K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$114K
Total assetsLn 16$232K
LiabilitiesLn 26$68K
Net assetsLn 32$163K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 53
VolunteersI 6421
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
LineStart FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$381K$117K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$94K$114K
Total assetsLn 16$475K$232K
LiabilitiesLn 26$72K$68K
Net assetsLn 32$403K$163K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$77K$70K$8K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$96K$87K$10K
Payroll taxesLn 10$14K$12K$1K
Accounting feesLn 11c$5K$5K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$275K$248K$28K
Office expensesLn 13$235$235
TravelLn 17$16K$13K$3K
InterestLn 20$2K$2K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$4K$4K
InsuranceLn 23$17K$13K$3K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$44K$44K
All other expensesLn 24e$21K$20K$920
Total functional expensesLn 25$572K$511K$61K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $397K$435K−$38K$125K 990 PDF
FY2024 Viewing $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 $261K$228K$33K$424K 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 O · Explanations
See the full FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $332,175 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $682,932$320,732
I-9 Program service revenue$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $12,740$5,474
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $3,177$5,969
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $698,849$332,175
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $180,986$187,328
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $449,794$384,423
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $630,780$571,751
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $68,069−$239,576
Part VI · Governance 6 of 6 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body6
VI-1b Independent voting members6
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
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
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $332,175 across 6 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$50,491
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$270,241
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$320,732
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $5,474$5,474
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $5,969$5,969
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $5,969 · Excluded from tax $5,474$332,175
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $571,751 across 12 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $69,532 · Management $7,726$77,258
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $86,711 · Management $9,634$96,345
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $12,352 · Management $1,373$13,725
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $5,250$5,250
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $247,865 · Management $27,541$275,406
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $235$235
IX-17 TravelPrograms $12,605 · Management $3,151$15,756
IX-20 InterestManagement $2,268$2,268
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $4,275$4,275
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $13,477 · Management $3,369$16,846
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $43,785$43,785
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $19,682 · Management $920$20,602
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $510,519 · Management $61,232 · Fundraising $0$571,751
Part X · Balance sheet $231,645 assets, 9 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $380,904$117,169
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $93,751$114,476
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $474,655$231,645
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $18,189$16,969
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $71,822$68,388
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $334,710$92,828
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $68,123$70,429
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $402,833$163,257
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $474,655$231,645
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $163,257 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$332,175
XI-2 Total expenses$571,751
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$239,576
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$402,833
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$163,257

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

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