Is it real?
Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Jan 2001.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File
Where the money goes
74 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.
Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.
Something off? Claim to add context
Who runs it and what they're paid
23 people listed on the 990; $250K paid to officers and key staff.
Chris Devers’s $168K as CEO is at the 75th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1552 $1–10M youth 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 · 4 named individuals · Part VII
| Name | FY2025 | FY2024 | FY2023 | FY2022 | FY2021 | FY2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Devers | $167,515 | $161,904 | $130,506 | — | — | — |
| Susie Brusa | — | — | — | $111,296 | $155,578 | $149,826 |
| Suzanne Erdbacher | $116,961 | $129,227 | $119,520 | $113,660 | $108,817 | $100,455 |
| Ceci Romero | — | — | — | $80,315 | — | — |
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 Rancho Cielo INC executive salaries →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
Inspiring at-risk youth with new skills, self-esteem, and confidence through community partnerships and safe campus programs.
Questions for Rancho Cielo INC
Your first name shows with your question. Rancho Cielo INC answers here, for everyone.
Drummond culinary academyexecutive chef takes the students through a nationally-recognized culinary arts curriculum, including safe food handlers certification. The ten-month program, split between the kitchen and the john muir charter high school academic classroom, results in a culinary certificate and a high school diploma.
Construction & sustainable design academy in the construction & sustainable design academy, students achieve nationally recognized construction certificates while gaining hands-on experience in building small, sustainable homes. A high school diploma is gained thru partnership with john muir charter schools.
Ag technology & mechantronics and other programsrancho cielo's ag technology & mechatronics program introduces electro-mechanical fundamentals, applications, and technologies in modern agricultural production. A high school diploma is gained thru partnership with john muir charter schools.
Funders
Who pays for it.
From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.
Grants
By the numbers
The FY2023 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | FY23 | FY22 | FY21 | FY20 | FY19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| End of yearLn 1g | $1.2M | $835K | $742K | $246K | $242K |
| Given inLn 1b | $301K | $274K | $423K | $57K | |
| SpentLn 1d–1f | $0 | $23K | $15K | $10K | $2K |
| Line | Start FY23 | End FY23 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $3.6M | $965K |
| InvestmentsLn 11–13 | $697K | $2.8M |
| Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c | $11.9M | $12.8M |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $19.3M | $20.5M |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $392K | $756K |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $18.9M | $19.8M |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grants to domestic individualsLn 2 | $1K | $1K | ||
| Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5 | $324K | $89K | $191K | $45K |
| Other salaries and wagesLn 7 | $2.4M | $1.8M | $329K | $266K |
| Pension plan contributionsLn 8 | $34K | $25K | $680 | $8K |
| Other employee benefitsLn 9 | $265K | $200K | $34K | $31K |
| Payroll taxesLn 10 | $230K | $173K | $31K | $27K |
| Legal feesLn 11b | $43K | $143 | $43K | |
| Accounting feesLn 11c | $39K | $39K | ||
| Investment management feesLn 11f | $15K | $15K | ||
| Other fees for servicesLn 11g | $372K | $230K | $28K | $114K |
| Office expensesLn 13 | $119K | $49K | $44K | $25K |
| OccupancyLn 16 | $450K | $402K | $30K | $17K |
| TravelLn 17 | $12K | $12K | $90 | $462 |
| Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22 | $531K | $511K | $20K | $672 |
| InsuranceLn 23 | $116K | $87K | $27K | $2K |
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $596K | $540K | $29K | $27K |
| All other expensesLn 24e | $82K | $21K | $13K | $48K |
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $5.7M | $4.2M | $873K | $613K |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 LatestFiled with the IRS Aug 18, 2026 | $7.1M | $7.4M | −$354K | $19.1M | 990 PDF |
| FY2024Filed with the IRS Aug 14, 2025 | $6.3M | $7.0M | −$725K | $19.3M | 990 PDF |
| FY2023 ViewingFiled with the IRS Aug 7, 2024 | $6.4M | $5.7M | $744K | $19.8M | 990 PDF |
| FY2022Filed with the IRS Oct 11, 2023 | $4.9M | $4.3M | $653K | $18.9M | 990 PDF |
| FY2021Filed with the IRS Aug 15, 2022 | $4.2M | $3.4M | $850K | $18.5M | 990 PDF |
| FY2020Filed with the IRS Jul 21, 2021 | $3.8M | $3.2M | $609K | $17.5M | 990 PDF |
Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2023 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $6,415,617 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 21 of 21 board members independent, no flags
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $6,415,617 across 12 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $5,671,710 across 17 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $20,506,232 assets, 17 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $19,750,206 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2023 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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