Is it real?
Yes. Exemption reinstated (2015-05-15). Per the IRS revocation list. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Apr 2016.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File
Where the money goes
77 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.
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
12 people listed on the 990; $41K paid to officers and key staff.
Clara Metzler’s $63K as Executive Di is at the 67th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1171 $100K–1M food & agriculture 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
| Name | FY2025 | FY2024 | FY2023 | FY2022 | FY2021 | FY2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clara Metzler | $63,300 | $61,800 | $48,461 | — | — | — |
| Annie Sachs | — | — | $15,508 | $55,731 | — | — |
| Tom Brenneman | — | — | — | — | $35,688 | $39,184 |
| Courtney Cranor | — | — | — | — | — | $1,840 |
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
Improves children's health through food education and access in Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County.
Questions for Project Grows INC
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Food Access
Project grows cultivates 4+ acres of fresh fruit and vegetables in order to meet the food and nutrition needs of children and families in our community. Programs include, donations to partner community organizations, wholesale to local school systems, farm to school tastings, and management of 3 local farmer's markets accepting and…
Food Education
Project grows connects children to nutritious food through hands-on gardening and nutrition lessons both on farm and in the classroom, cooking classes, and participation on community education events.
Funders
Who pays for it.
From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.
Grants
By the numbers
The FY2020 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | Start FY20 | End FY20 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $108K | $178K |
| Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c | $22K | $18K |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $132K | $245K |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $8K | $10K |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $124K | $236K |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5 | $41K | $41K | ||
| Other salaries and wagesLn 7 | $160K | $160K | −$171 | |
| Other employee benefitsLn 9 | $5K | $4K | $1K | |
| Payroll taxesLn 10 | $14K | $12K | $3K | |
| Accounting feesLn 11c | $3K | $650 | $3K | |
| Other fees for servicesLn 11g | $5K | $2K | $3K | |
| Advertising and promotionLn 12 | $3K | $899 | $2K | |
| Office expensesLn 13 | $7K | $4K | $3K | $415 |
| Information technologyLn 14 | $261 | $261 | ||
| OccupancyLn 16 | $5K | $1K | $4K | |
| Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19 | $3K | $371 | $2K | |
| Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22 | $4K | $4K | ||
| InsuranceLn 23 | $12K | $10K | $1K | |
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $15K | $14K | $800 | |
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $278K | $213K | $60K | $5K |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 Latest | $418K | $557K | −$139K | $354K | 990 PDF |
| FY2024 | $640K | $608K | $32K | $493K | 990 PDF |
| FY2023 | $560K | $567K | −$7K | $461K | 990 PDF |
| FY2022 | $423K | $536K | −$113K | $468K | 990 PDF |
| FY2021 | $685K | $339K | $345K | $581K | 990 PDF |
| FY2020 Viewing | $390K | $278K | $112K | $236K | 990 PDF |
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Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2020 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $390,260 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 10 of 10 board members independent, no flags
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $390,260 across 6 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $278,321 across 14 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $245,434 assets, 10 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $235,537 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2020 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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