Project Grows INC EIN 46-1070735

Project Grows INC FY2023 filing

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Improves children's health through food education and access in Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County. For fiscal year 2023 it reported $560K in revenue, $567K in expenses, and $461K in net assets.Pt I

Founded
2012
Type
Public charity (501(c)(3)) · Food & Agriculture
Location
Staunton, VA
Website
www.projectgrows.org
Filings
6 on file (2020–2023)
Revenue
$560KFY2023
Expenses
$567K
Net assets
$461K
People
11
Filings
6
Updates
0
More identity details & actions ⌄
EIN  46-1070735 Public charity (501(c)(3)) Staunton, VA Founded 2012
Form 990 (PDF)
You’re viewing the FY2023 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →
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Size
$100K–1M
What they do
Improves children's health through food education and access in Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County.
Leadership
Clara Metzler · Executive Di · $48K
Money in and out
$560K revenue, $567K expenses
Bottom line
76% program efficiency
Where the money goes · FY2023
Total revenue
$560K
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$567K
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$461K
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): −$7K
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
Program services $0.76 Management & general $0.14 Fundraising $0.10
Program efficiency
76%
of spending reaches programs
Operating runway
1.9mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate
Surplus margin
-1%
revenue over expenses, this year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2023 · Form 990
Revenue
$560K
FY2023▲ +32%
Expenses
$567K
FY2023▲ +6%
Total assets
$499K
FY2023▲ +3%
Total liabilities
$38K
FY2023▲ +142%
Total revenue
$560K
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$567K
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$461K
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19−$7K
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$499K
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B76%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 39
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 49
Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

3 program services account for $431K of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2023.
01

Equitable Access

Project grows provides equitable access to affordable and nutritious foods to support healthy food choices for people of all ages in our community. Programs include food donations to communities in need as well as a mobile market that annually delivers 7,000 pounds of fresh, affordable food directly to senior centers, public housing, and…

$252Kprogram expense
02

Food Education

Project grows provides food education to people of all ages to increase knowledge, skills, and confidence in growing, cooking, and eating healthy foods. Programs include hands-on farm and garden activites such as field trips and summer camps; cooking classes; school garden lessons; community events; and first-time job experiences for…

$148Kprogram expense
03

Collaboration and Resource Sharing

Project grows collaborates and shares resources to strengthen our community's collective ability to improve health. Programs include providing consultation services on garden-based education, food access, and farming; community outreach and education events; and collaboration with over 30 regional, state, and federal partners on program…

$31Kprogram expense

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Identity & Classification

Form 990 Header · IRS Business Master File
Legal nameHdr · item CProject Grows INC
EINHdr · item D46-1070735
Principal addressHdr · item CStaunton, VA
WebsiteHdr · item Jwww.projectgrows.org
Year of formationHdr · item L2012
State of legal domicileHdr · item MVA
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
NTEE classificationIRS BMFFood & Agriculture (K40)
Ruling yearIRS BMFApr 2016

Governance & Policies

Part VI
Voting members of the governing bodyPt VI · Ln 1a9
Independent voting membersPt VI · Ln 1b9
Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aYes
Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13Yes
Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14Yes
CEO/top-official compensation independently reviewedPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Family or business relationships among officers/directorsPt VI · Ln 2No

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Di
$48,461Pt VII · Sec A
FMR Exec Dir
$15,508Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Former Presi
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Clara Metzler’s $63K as Executive Di is at the 67th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1173 $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

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
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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Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Contributions & grants$393K · 70%
Program service revenue$167K · 30%
Contributions & grants70%$393K
Program service revenue30%$167K
Investment income$185
— government grantsLn 1e$217K
Total revenueLn 12$560K

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.76 Management & general $0.14 Fundraising $0.10
Program services76%$431K
Management & general14%$79K
Fundraising10%$57K
Total functional expensesLn 25$567K

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$88K
Total assetsLn 16$499K
Total liabilitiesLn 26$38K
Total net assetsLn 32$461K
Months of cash on handcomputed1.9

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2023 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $88K · Operating expenses/yr $567K
1.9 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $431K · Total expenses $567K
76%
Management & General
Management & general $79K · Total expenses $567K
14%
Fundraising
Fundraising $57K · Total expenses $567K
10%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (3-yr avg) $34K · Solicited contributions (3-yr avg) $333K
$0.10 to raise $1 (3-yr avg)
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $393K · Total revenue $560K
70%
Government reliance
Government grants $217K · Total revenue $560K
39%
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $167K · Total revenue $560K
30%
Investment reliance
Investment income $185 · Total revenue $560K
+0.03%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $167K · Total expenses $567K
29%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $560K · Prior year $423K
+32%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $461K · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $560K · Expenses $567K
-1%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $499K
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $461K · Total assets $499K
92%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) — · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) — · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $499K
Excludes program-related investments (Pt X, ln 13)
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Clara Metzler · Reported title EXECUTIVE DI · Highest reported compensation $48K · Total expenses $567K
9%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $374K · Total expenses $567K
66%
Peer comparison

Same NTEE category, revenue band, and state where available. Descriptive — not a grade.

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 76%
Overhead ratio 14%
Fundraising cost ratio 14%
Revenue growth 32%
Accounting fee ratio 2%

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.

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$20K

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Filings & Schedule Manifest

Part IV
III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
FY2025 (Latest)$418K revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2024$640K revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2023$560K revenue · viewing · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2022$423K revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2021$685K revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2020$390K revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2023IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
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