The primary activity of the organization consists of providing a Garden Curriculum of grade-level appropriate outdoor garden, science and sustainability educational curriculum to K-5 students. The curriculum supports and enhances California Content Standards in Language Arts, Science, History, Social Studies, and Visual Arts. The activity consists of curriculum preparation, organizing required supplies, on-site instruction, and post-instruction evaluations. The activity is conducted by Ground Education's staff and volunteer interns. The activity is conducted during school hours during the school year, and is also offered as a supplemental summer program. The program occurs at the campus locations of the client schools in Los Angeles County, primarily in the City of Long Beach. The activity furthers the exempt purpose of advancing education by providing K-5 children with hands-on outdoor garden curriculum that enhances the students' in-class experiences. It also furthers the exempt purp

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
86¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 12 volunteers and 8 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2025 · 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
4 of 4
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $80K a year · 10% of revenue · last 4 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 4 of the last 4 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 4 filings
Spent on programs
86%
of spending
Looks good: 86% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$139K
to officers and key staff · 11% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 11% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
4 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 4.0 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
2
named funders · $8K
Fine: 2 funders name it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$10K
2% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 2% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
9
of 9 voting members
Looks good: 9 of 9 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$1.3M
+30% vs prior year
Spent
$1.2M
To programs
86%
Net assets
$437K
By yearFY2021–FY2025
Revenue
$1.3M
FY2025▲ +30%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$239K
FY2023$710K
FY2024$1.0M
FY2025$1.3M
Expenses
$1.2M
FY2025▲ +31%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021$161K
FY2023$633K
FY2024$953K
FY2025$1.2M
Net assets
$437K
FY2025▲ +25%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$187K
FY2023$274K
FY2024$349K
FY2025$437K

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending July 2025) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Mar 2018.

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

Where the money goes

86 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 86% · $1.1M Management & general 8% · $106K Fundraising 6% · $72K

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

11 people listed on the 990; $139K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
Co-Executive Director
$69,420Pt VII · Sec A
Co-Executive Director
$69,420Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Member At-Large
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Member At-Large
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Member At-Large
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Member At-Large
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Holland Brown’s $69K as Co-Executive Director is at the 13th percentile of top reported officer pay among 3395 $1–10M education 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 · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024
Holland Brown$69,420$67,167
Karen Taylor$69,420$67,167

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 Ground Education executive salaries →

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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 15aNo

Programs and updates

Teaches K-5 students gardening, science, and sustainability through hands-on outdoor lessons.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $1.1M · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Ground education partners with long beach public schools to provide year-round garden, health, and environmental awareness experiences for every student during the school day. We directly engage youth to grow the capacity for wonder, cultivate the space to think, explore, and connect, and nurture robust decision-making in the context of…

$553Kprogram expense
02

In recent years, we've expanded our school garden program to provide nature-based after-school and summer activities at schools throughout long beach. Through this expanded learning opportunities program (elop), we provided "be an ant" activity days to nearly 3,000 students at 37 school sites during the summer school enrichment session.

$456Kprogram expense
03

We deliver weekly garden engagement sessions at two boys & girls club locations in long beach. These after-school and summer youth grow fruits and vegetables - harvesting, cooking and eating with our educator staff.

$62Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 2 funders$8K

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$1.3M
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$840K
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$484K
Investment incomeLn 3$12K
Money outPt IX
$1.2M
Ln 25
Programscol B$1.1M
Managementcol C$106K
Fundraisingcol D$72K
Owns and owesPt X
$437K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$420K
Total assetsLn 16$447K
LiabilitiesLn 26$10K
PeoplePt VI, VII
11
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a9
IndependentVI 1b9
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$484K
Noncash giftsLn 1g$26K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$840K
Investment incomeLn 3$12K
Other incomeLn 4–11$1K
Total revenueLn 12$1.3M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$83K
SavingsLn 2$337K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$420K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$27K
Other assetsLn 15$0
Total assetsLn 16$447K
LiabilitiesLn 26$10K
Net assetsLn 32$437K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 58
VolunteersI 612
Fiscal year endsHeaderJuly
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
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$331K$420K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$26K$27K
Total assetsLn 16$357K$447K
LiabilitiesLn 26$8K$10K
Net assetsLn 32$349K$437K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$4K$4K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$141K$85K$35K$21K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$717K$653K$33K$30K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$27K$24K$2K$2K
Payroll taxesLn 10$80K$69K$6K$5K
Legal feesLn 11b$5K$5K
Accounting feesLn 11c$8K$8K
Professional fundraising feesLn 11e$9K$9K
Office expensesLn 13$15K$7K$8K$582
OccupancyLn 16$34K$29K$3K$2K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$10K$9K$814$611
InsuranceLn 23$28K$23K$3K$2K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$170K$169K$2K
Total functional expensesLn 25$1.2M$1.1M$106K$72K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $1.3M$1.2M$88K$437K 990 PDF
FY2024 $1.0M$953K$75K$349K 990 PDF
FY2023 $710K$633K$77K$274K 990 PDF
FY2022 Not on file
FY2021 $239K$161K$79K$187K 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 M · Noncash O · Explanations
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $1,336,706 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $303,117$483,506
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $722,068$839,543
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $2,578$12,333
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$1,324
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $1,027,763$1,336,706
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$3,700
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $704,218$965,521
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$9,340
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $248,616$270,199
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $952,834$1,248,760
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $74,929$87,946
Part VI · Governance 9 of 9 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body9
VI-1b Independent voting members9
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
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
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $1,336,706 across 7 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$483,506
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$26,147
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$483,506
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $839,543$839,543
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $12,333$12,333
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Excluded from tax $1,324$1,324
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $839,543 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $13,657$1,336,706
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,248,760 across 13 lines filed
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $3,700$3,700
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $84,761 · Management $35,316 · Fundraising $21,190$141,267
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $652,929 · Management $33,306 · Fundraising $30,277$716,512
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $23,585 · Management $2,192 · Fundraising $1,644$27,421
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $69,076 · Management $6,426 · Fundraising $4,819$80,321
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $5,312$5,312
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $7,600$7,600
IX-11e Professional fundraising feesFundraising $9,340$9,340
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $7,129 · Management $7,588 · Fundraising $582$15,299
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $29,143 · Management $2,711 · Fundraising $2,033$33,887
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $8,755 · Management $814 · Fundraising $611$10,180
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $23,227 · Management $2,879 · Fundraising $1,621$27,727
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $168,598 · Management $1,596$170,194
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $1,070,903 · Management $105,740 · Fundraising $72,117$1,248,760
Part X · Balance sheet $446,837 assets, 10 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $176,356$82,977
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $154,356$336,689
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $26,139$27,171
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $1$0
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $356,852$446,837
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $7,534$9,573
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $7,534$9,573
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $349,318$437,264
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $349,318$437,264
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $356,852$446,837
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $437,264 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,336,706
XI-2 Total expenses$1,248,760
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$87,946
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$349,318
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$437,264

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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