Backpack brigade's mission is to partner with local communities to provide weekend hunger bags to school kids in need. We ensure every child is fed all weekend long.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
78¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$82K 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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FY2021 · 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
5 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $278K a year · 21% of revenue · last 6 filings
Fine: a surplus in 5 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
78%
of spending
Looks good: 78% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$82K
to officers and key staff · 18% of spending
Fine: pay to officers and key staff is 18% of spending; 15% to 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
12 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 11.5 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
2
named funders · $37K
Fine: 2 funders name it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$8K
1% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 1% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
7
of 7 voting members
Looks good: 7 of 7 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$575K
-26% vs prior year
Spent
$455K
To programs
78%
Net assets
$527K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$575K
FY2021▼ -26%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$776K
FY2021$575K
FY2022$996K
FY2023$1.1M
FY2024$1.7M
FY2025$2.6M
Expenses
$455K
FY2021▼ -14%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$526K
FY2021$455K
FY2022$945K
FY2023$1.2M
FY2024$1.4M
FY2025$1.6M
Net assets
$527K
FY2021▲ +79%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$295K
FY2021$527K
FY2022$578K
FY2023$491K
FY2024$785K
FY2025$1.8M

From the FY2021 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2021 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 Jun 2015.

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

Where the money goes

78 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 78% · $355K Management & general 16% · $71K Fundraising 6% · $28K

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

8 people listed on the 990; $82K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
$82,500Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Nichelle Hilton’s $97K as Executive Director is at the 48th 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 · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Nichelle Hilton$96,875$79,375$85,625$82,500$82,500$27,623

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

Provides weekend hunger bags to Seattle area students facing food insecurity.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $355K · in their own filed words · FY2021
01

We expanded to 3 new districts, going from 1 to 4. We increased our bag count from 2200 to 3000. We went from 1 menu to 6 to represent the cultural, religious, and dietary needs of our students.

$355Kprogram 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$37K
Grants paid · 1 grant · $640K · 2022–2022
Unitemized GrantFY2022$639,704

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$575K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$571K
Other incomeLn 4–11$4K
Investment incomeLn 3$387
Money outPt IX
$455K
Ln 25
Programscol B$355K
Managementcol C$71K
Fundraisingcol D$28K
Owns and owesPt X
$527K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$435K
Total assetsLn 16$535K
LiabilitiesLn 26$8K
PeoplePt VI, VII
8
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a7
IndependentVI 1b7
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$571K
Government grantsLn 1e$107K
Noncash giftsLn 1g$891
Investment incomeLn 3$387
Other incomeLn 4–11$4K
Total revenueLn 12$575K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$415K
SavingsLn 2$20K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$435K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$2K
Other assetsLn 15$34K
Total assetsLn 16$535K
LiabilitiesLn 26$8K
Net assetsLn 32$527K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 512
VolunteersI 65,140
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY21End FY21
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$291K$435K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$3K$2K
Total assetsLn 16$300K$535K
LiabilitiesLn 26$6K$8K
Net assetsLn 32$295K$527K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$249K$249K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$82K$44K$19K$19K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$4K$2K$937$930
Payroll taxesLn 10$7K$4K$2K$2K
Legal feesLn 11b$9K$9K
Accounting feesLn 11c$10K$10K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$5K$821$3K$821
Office expensesLn 13$12K$5K$1K$5K
OccupancyLn 16$50K$28K$21K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$654$654
InsuranceLn 23$3K$3K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$23K$22K$452$820
Total functional expensesLn 25$455K$355K$71K$28K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $2.6M$1.6M$1.0M$1.8M 990 PDF
FY2024 $1.7M$1.4M$294K$785K 990 PDF
FY2023 $1.1M$1.2M−$87K$491K 990 PDF
FY2022 $996K$945K$51K$578K 990 PDF
FY2021 Viewing $575K$455K$120K$527K 990 PDF
FY2020 $776K$526K$250K$295K 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 $574,680 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $776,302$570,704
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $182$387
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$3,589
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $776,484$574,680
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$249,017
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $30,043$93,592
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $496,170$111,973
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $526,213$454,582
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $250,271$120,098
Part VI · Governance 7 of 7 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body7
VI-1b Independent voting members7
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $574,680 across 8 lines filed
VIII-1a Federated campaigns$50,366
VIII-1e Government grants$107,490
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$412,848
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$891
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$570,704
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $387$387
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Excluded from tax $3,589$3,589
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $3,976$574,680
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $454,582 across 12 lines filed
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $249,017$249,017
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $43,869 · Management $19,386 · Fundraising $19,245$82,500
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $2,121 · Management $937 · Fundraising $930$3,988
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $3,778 · Management $1,669 · Fundraising $1,657$7,104
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $9,056$9,056
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $10,365$10,365
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $821 · Management $2,939 · Fundraising $821$4,581
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $5,471 · Management $1,379 · Fundraising $4,817$11,667
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $28,425 · Management $21,496$49,921
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationManagement $654$654
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $2,936$2,936
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $21,521 · Management $452 · Fundraising $820$22,793
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $355,023 · Management $71,269 · Fundraising $28,290$454,582
Part X · Balance sheet $535,117 assets, 15 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $271,090$414,789
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $20,036$20,056
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $0$21,226
X-8 Inventories for sale or useStart of year $0$42,458
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $3,643$0
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $3,037$2,383
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $2,570$34,205
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $300,376$535,117
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $0$7,941
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $5,613$0
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $5,613$7,941
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $294,763$527,176
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $0$0
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $294,763$527,176
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $300,376$535,117
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $527,176 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$574,680
XI-2 Total expenses$454,582
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$120,098
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$294,763
XI-8 Prior period adjustments$112,315
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$527,176

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

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