Roots Forest School is organized for educational purposes for preschool-aged children. Through child-led adventures, children in Roots Forest School become more connected to our local environment and community. Using place and play based learning, each student receives a seasonally based educational experience rooted in self-awareness, sensory development, social/emotional skills, and environmental consciousness.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
70¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$15K 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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FY2023 · 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
FY2024
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
3 of 3
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $33K a year · 14% of revenue · last 3 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 3 of the last 3 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 3 filings
Spent on programs
70%
of spending
Fine: 70% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$15K
to officers and key staff · 7% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 7% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
8 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 7.7 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $12K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$4K
3% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 3% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
6
of 7 voting members
Looks good: 6 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
$229K
+15% vs prior year
Spent
$206K
To programs
70%
Net assets
$128K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$229K
FY2023▲ +15%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$140K
FY2021$173K
FY2022$199K
FY2023$229K
FY2024$293K
Expenses
$206K
FY2023▲ +20%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020Not on file
FY2021Not on file
FY2022$172K
FY2023$206K
FY2024$245K
Net assets
$128K
FY2023▼ -10%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$35K
FY2021$65K
FY2022$143K
FY2023$128K
FY2024$176K

From the FY2023 Form 990 · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2023 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2024) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Apr 2019.

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

Where the money goes

70 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 70% · $145K Management & general 25% · $52K Fundraising 4% · $9K

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

7 people listed on the 990; $15K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Director
$15,195Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Jennet Gray’s $18K as Director is at the 13th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1613 $100K–1M 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 · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023
Jennet Gray$18,019$15,195

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 15aNo

Programs and updates

Teaches preschoolers environmental awareness and life skills through outdoor, child-led adventures.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $145K · in their own filed words · FY2023
01

See Schedule O

$145Kprogram 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 1 funder$12K

By the numbers

The FY2023 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$229K
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$142K
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$91K
Investment incomeLn 3$2K
Money outPt IX
$206K
Ln 25
Programscol B$145K
Managementcol C$52K
Fundraisingcol D$9K
Owns and owesPt X
$128K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$132K
Total assetsLn 16$132K
LiabilitiesLn 26$4K
PeoplePt VI, VII
7
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a7
IndependentVI 1b6
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$91K
Government grantsLn 1e$12K
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$20K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$142K
Investment incomeLn 3$2K
Total revenueLn 12$229K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$55K
SavingsLn 2$78K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$132K
Total assetsLn 16$132K
LiabilitiesLn 26$4K
Net assetsLn 32$128K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
VolunteersI 6168
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 FY23End FY23
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$143K$132K
Total assetsLn 16$143K$132K
LiabilitiesLn 26$392$4K
Net assetsLn 32$143K$128K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$143K$103K$34K$6K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$16K$11K$4K$666
Payroll taxesLn 10$14K$10K$3K$597
Management feesLn 11a$4K$4K
Accounting feesLn 11c$2K$2K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$860$231$629
Office expensesLn 13$1K$1K
Information technologyLn 14$2K$2K
OccupancyLn 16$4K$3K$546
InsuranceLn 23$8K$7K$1K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$9K$6K$2K$588
All other expensesLn 24e$2K$1K$457$497
Total functional expensesLn 25$206K$145K$52K$9K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest $293K$245K$48K$176K 990 PDF
FY2023 Viewing $229K$206K$22K$128K 990 PDF
FY2022 $199K$172K$27K$143K 990 PDF
FY2021 $173K$65K 990 PDF
FY2020 $140K$35K 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 FY2023 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $228,768 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $24,697$90,515
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $135,304$141,970
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $56$1,646
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $39,325−$5,363
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $199,382$228,768
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $142,780$172,908
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $29,688$33,472
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $172,468$206,380
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $26,914$22,388
Part VI · Governance 6 of 7 board members independent, 3 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body7
VI-1b Independent voting members6
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
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
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $228,768 across 8 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for $264 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1c Fundraising events$20,006
VIII-1e Government grants$12,488
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$58,021
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$90,515
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $141,970$141,970
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $1,646$1,646
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax −$5,627−$5,627
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $142,234 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax −$3,981$228,768
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $206,380 across 12 lines filed
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $102,778 · Management $34,225 · Fundraising $6,219$143,222
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $11,256 · Management $4,015 · Fundraising $666$15,937
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $9,864 · Management $3,288 · Fundraising $597$13,749
IX-11a Management feesPrograms $4,364$4,364
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $2,200$2,200
IX-12 Advertising and promotionManagement $231 · Fundraising $629$860
IX-13 Office expensesManagement $1,311$1,311
IX-14 Information technologyManagement $2,055$2,055
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $3,094 · Management $546$3,640
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $6,837 · Management $1,073$7,910
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $5,777 · Management $2,444 · Fundraising $588$8,809
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $1,369 · Management $457 · Fundraising $497$2,323
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $145,339 · Management $51,845 · Fundraising $9,196$206,380
Part X · Balance sheet $132,017 assets, 9 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $143,044$54,501
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investments$77,516
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $143,045$132,017
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $392$4,243
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $392$4,243
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $142,653$120,650
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictions$7,124
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $142,653$127,774
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $143,045$132,017
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $127,774 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$228,768
XI-2 Total expenses$206,380
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$22,388
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$142,653
XI-8 Prior period adjustments−$37,267
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$127,774

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2023 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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