Mill City Grows INC: FY2021 Nonprofit Profile & Form 990 (EIN 47-2096070)

Courtney McSparron’s $81K as Coexecutive is at the 31st percentile of top reported officer pay among 818 $1–10M 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	FY2024	FY2023	FY2022	FY2021	FY2020
Jessica Wilson	—	$88,553	$85,303	$82,512	$84,807
Courtney McSparron	$80,923	—	—	—	—
Dai Kim	$78,904	—	—	—	—
Ali Jacobs	$63,208	—	—	—	—

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 health and sustainability by increasing access to land, local food, and education.

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3 programs · $1.1M · in their own filed words · FY2021

01

Food Education

Our education programs include: in-school, after school and out of school gardening and nutrition education programs for children, grades k-12; maintenance of school gardens at lowell public schools; provision of professional development in gardening education to educators; farm to table cooking classes for youth and families offered in…

$413Kprogram expense

02

Urban Farm

Our educational production farms engage residents in experiential education programs, hands-on food production and volunteerism. MCG staff operate the farms, working with hundreds of volunteers and numerous local youth groups to engage them in urban food production and education.

$401Kprogram expense

03

Community Programs

Mill city grows' community programs include our community gardens and community EDUCATION.OUR team oversees the gardens, providing technical assistance,general oversight of the garden and support for resident volunteer leadership teams, who coordinate day-to-day activities in the gardens.

$269Kprogram 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

Greater Lowell Community Foundation INCFY2025$43K

Richard K and Nancy L Donahue Charitable FoundationFY2025$15K

Foundation for Sustainability and InnovationFY2025$7K

Salem Five Charitable Foundation INCFY2025$1K

Total grants receivedfrom 4 funders$66K

See all 4 funders →

Grants paid · 2 grants · $18K · 2024–2024

Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust INCMA · FY2024$9,000

Massachusetts Audubon Society INCMA · FY2024$9,000

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

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1The main four

Money inPt VIII

$1.5M

Ln 12

Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.3M

Fees for servicesLn 2g$200K

Other incomeLn 4–11$56K

Money outPt IX

$1.4M

Ln 25

Programscol B$1.1M

Managementcol C$101K

Fundraisingcol D$228K

Owns and owesPt X

$1.4M

net assets · Ln 32

Cash and savingsLn 1–2$912K

Total assetsLn 16$1.6M

LiabilitiesLn 26$183K

PeoplePt VI, VII

17

listed · VII A

PaidVII A1

Voting boardVI 1a16

IndependentVI 1b16

2In more detail

Revenue in detailPt VIII

Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.3M

Government grantsLn 1e$607K

Noncash giftsLn 1g$10K

Fundraising eventsLn 1c$76K

Fees for servicesLn 2g$200K

Investment incomeLn 3$547

Other incomeLn 4–11$56K

Total revenueLn 12$1.5M

Assets in detailPt X, end of year

CashLn 1$708K

SavingsLn 2$204K

Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$912K

Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$491K

Other assetsLn 15$126K

Total assetsLn 16$1.6M

LiabilitiesLn 26$183K

Net assetsLn 32$1.4M

OperationsPt I, VI

EmployeesI 522

VolunteersI 6353

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

Line	Start FY21	End FY21
Cash and savingsLn 1–2	$688K	$912K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c	$546K	$491K
Total assetsLn 16	$1.5M	$1.6M
LiabilitiesLn 26	$196K	$183K
Net assetsLn 32	$1.3M	$1.4M

4Every line

Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line

Line	Total	Programs	Management	Fundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5	$96K		$48K	$48K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7	$758K	$625K	$11K	$122K
Other employee benefitsLn 9	$56K	$48K	$33	$9K
Payroll taxesLn 10	$81K	$60K	$6K	$16K
Accounting feesLn 11c	$36K	$30K	$2K	$4K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g	$18K	$12K	$100	$6K
Advertising and promotionLn 12	$10K	$877	$2K	$7K
Office expensesLn 13	$45K	$16K	$23K	$5K
OccupancyLn 16	$52K	$43K	$4K	$5K
TravelLn 17	$2K	$2K	$5
InterestLn 20	$1K		$1K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22	$56K	$50K	$2K	$4K
InsuranceLn 23	$23K	$21K	$483	$1K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24	$178K	$176K	$2K	$292
All other expensesLn 24e	$730	$307	$323	$100
Total functional expensesLn 25	$1.4M	$1.1M	$101K	$228K

Filing history

Year	Money in	Money out	In minus out	Net assets	Download
FY2024 Latest	$2.1M	$1.7M	$367K	$1.8M	990 PDF
FY2023	$1.8M	$1.6M	$146K	$1.5M	990 PDF
FY2022	$1.5M	$1.6M	−$108K	$1.3M	990 PDF
FY2021 Viewing	$1.5M	$1.4M	$125K	$1.4M	990 PDF
FY2020	$1.2M	$1.2M	$49K	$1.3M	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 FY2021 990 (6 parts)

Part I · Summary $1,537,965 revenue, 12 lines filed

I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $1,116,695$1,281,060

I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $67,648$200,008

I-10 Investment incomePrior year $1,684$547

I-11 Other revenuePrior year $24,164$56,350

I-12 Total revenuePrior year $1,210,191$1,537,965

I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0

I-14 Benefits paid to members$0

I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $901,538$991,877

I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0

I-17 Other expensesPrior year $259,305$420,675

I-18 Total expensesPrior year $1,160,843$1,412,552

I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $49,348$125,413

Part VI · Governance 16 of 16 board members independent, no flags

VI-1a Voting members of the governing body16

VI-1b Independent voting members16

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

Part VIII · Statement of revenue $1,537,965 across 10 lines filed

Lines not itemized here account for $64,653 of total revenue; see the IRS return.

VIII-1c Fundraising events$75,577

VIII-1e Government grants$607,112

VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$598,371

VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$10,452

VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,281,060

VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $200,008$200,008

VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $547$547

VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax −$9,326−$9,326

VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $1,023$1,023

VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $265,684 · Excluded from tax −$8,779$1,537,965

Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,412,552 across 15 lines filed

IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffManagement $48,064 · Fundraising $48,063$96,127

IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $625,093 · Management $11,107 · Fundraising $122,184$758,384

IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $47,540 · Management $33 · Fundraising $8,673$56,246

IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $59,507 · Management $5,832 · Fundraising $15,781$81,120

IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $29,879 · Management $1,779 · Fundraising $3,913$35,571

IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $11,535 · Management $100 · Fundraising $6,460$18,095

IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $877 · Management $1,560 · Fundraising $7,174$9,611

IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $16,491 · Management $23,230 · Fundraising $5,336$45,057

IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $42,750 · Management $4,021 · Fundraising $5,457$52,228

IX-17 TravelPrograms $1,757 · Management $5$1,762

IX-20 InterestManagement $1,006$1,006

IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $50,339 · Management $1,679 · Fundraising $3,693$55,711

IX-23 InsurancePrograms $21,241 · Management $483 · Fundraising $1,063$22,787

IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $176,002 · Management $1,823 · Fundraising $292$178,117

IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $307 · Management $323 · Fundraising $100$730

IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $1,083,318 · Management $101,045 · Fundraising $228,189$1,412,552

Part X · Balance sheet $1,606,872 assets, 15 lines filed

X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $484,445$708,268

X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $203,502$203,618

X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $23,000$27,500

X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $63,343$26,750

X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $22,121$23,969

X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $546,423$490,712

X-15 Other assetsStart of year $151,471$126,055

X-16 Total assetsStart of year $1,494,305$1,606,872

X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $38,201$49,057

X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $157,308$133,606

X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $195,509$182,663

X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $1,164,129$1,212,999

X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $134,667$211,210

X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $1,298,796$1,424,209

X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $1,494,305$1,606,872

Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $1,424,209 net assets at year end

XI-1 Total revenue$1,537,965

XI-2 Total expenses$1,412,552

XI-3 Revenue less expenses$125,413

XI-4 Net assets at start of year$1,298,796

XI-10 Net assets at end of year$1,424,209

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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Mill City Grows INC FY2021 filing

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