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Just Roots

Tax-deductible

Chicago, IL501(c)(3)Food & AgricultureEIN 82-4241543Revenue $679K in FY2024

On file with the IRSjustrootschicago.org2936 S Wabash Ave, 60616-0000 · Chicago, ILTax-exempt since May 2018Publicly supported — 509(a)(2)

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Just Roots was created in the fall of 2017 when co-founders sabrina poulin and sean ruane began to see how large groups of people were unable to access local, sustainably grown produce becuase of socioeconomic, educational and cultural barriers. They began to critally think about ways they could work together to reduce barriers and create pathways for people of all backgrounds to access food that's good for their family, their community and the environment

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
79¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 1,000 volunteers and 3 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2024 · 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
5 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $104K a year · 27% of revenue · last 5 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 5 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
79%
of spending
Looks good: 79% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Cash reserves
5 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 5.3 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
3
named funders · $75K
Looks good: 3 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$13K
3% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 3% 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
$679K
+35% vs prior year
Spent
$563K
To programs
79%
Net assets
$513K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$679K
FY2024▲ +35%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$114K
FY2021$208K
FY2022$432K
FY2023$503K
FY2024$679K
Expenses
$563K
FY2024▲ +23%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$46K
FY2021$88K
FY2022$265K
FY2023$458K
FY2024$563K
Net assets
$513K
FY2024▲ +29%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$88K
FY2021$208K
FY2022$351K
FY2023$396K
FY2024$513K

From the FY2024 Form 990 · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in May 2018.

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

Where the money goes

79 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 79% · $444K Management & general 16% · $92K Fundraising 5% · $27K

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

9 people listed on the 990.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Rob Jackson
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Alison Orbin
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
See Just Roots 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

Connects people to local, sustainable food, removing barriers to access.

Questions for Just Roots

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $444K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Just roots works in collaboration with communities to develop and expand access to local, sustainable grown food. In five years of operration, justroots has built two sustainable urban farms and currently produces over 30,000 pounds of PRODUCE/YEAR.

$444Kprogram 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
Chicago Food Policy Advisory Council NfpFY2025$40K
Faith in PlaceFY2025$29K
Tyndale House MinistriesFY2025$6K
Total grants receivedfrom 3 funders$75K
See all 3 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

Download 990
from philanthropy.org
1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$679K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$543K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$103K
Other incomeLn 4–11$31K
Money outPt IX
$563K
Ln 25
Programscol B$444K
Managementcol C$92K
Fundraisingcol D$27K
Owns and owesPt X
$513K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$247K
Total assetsLn 16$526K
LiabilitiesLn 26$13K
PeoplePt VI, VII
9
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a9
IndependentVI 1b9
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$543K
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$36K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$103K
Investment incomeLn 3$2K
Other incomeLn 4–11$31K
Total revenueLn 12$679K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$247K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$247K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$227K
Total assetsLn 16$526K
LiabilitiesLn 26$13K
Net assetsLn 32$513K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 53
VolunteersI 61,000
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aNo
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$244K$247K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$138K$227K
Total assetsLn 16$408K$526K
LiabilitiesLn 26$12K$13K
Net assetsLn 32$396K$513K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$329K$258K$50K$22K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$46K$36K$7K$3K
Payroll taxesLn 10$26K$20K$4K$2K
Legal feesLn 11b$264$264
Accounting feesLn 11c$6K$6K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$9K$9K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$4K$4K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$28K$26K$2K
InsuranceLn 23$5K$5K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$90K$80K$10K
All other expensesLn 24e$19K$15K$4K
Total functional expensesLn 25$563K$444K$92K$27K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest Viewing $679K$563K$117K$513K 990 PDF
FY2023 $503K$458K$45K$396K 990 PDF
FY2022 $432K$265K$168K$351K 990 PDF
FY2021 $208K$88K$120K$208K 990 PDF
FY2020 $114K$46K$68K$88K 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 FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $679,273 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $379,271$543,451
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $109,185$102,992
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $0$2,044
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $14,390$30,786
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $502,846$679,273
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $290,969$401,220
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $166,553$161,334
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $457,522$562,554
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $45,324$116,719
Part VI · Governance 9 of 9 board members independent, 4 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body9
VI-1b Independent voting members9
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyNo
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
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $679,273 across 8 lines filed
VIII-1c Fundraising events$36,000
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$507,451
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$543,451
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $102,992$102,992
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $2,044$2,044
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax $23,371$23,371
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $7,415$7,415
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $112,451 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $23,371$679,273
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $562,554 across 11 lines filed
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $257,608 · Management $49,787 · Fundraising $22,070$329,465
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $35,680 · Management $6,862 · Fundraising $3,202$45,744
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $20,288 · Management $3,902 · Fundraising $1,821$26,011
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $264$264
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $6,136$6,136
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $9,299$9,299
IX-12 Advertising and promotionManagement $3,564$3,564
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $25,728 · Management $2,440$28,168
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $4,603$4,603
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $80,256 · Management $9,675$89,931
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $14,896 · Management $4,473$19,369
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $443,755 · Management $91,706 · Fundraising $27,093$562,554
Part X · Balance sheet $525,948 assets, 12 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $244,323$246,995
X-3 Pledges and grants receivable$25,000
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $10,516$24,107
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $14,475$3,003
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $138,473$226,843
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $407,787$525,948
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $11,786$13,228
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $11,786$13,228
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $285,966$300,477
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $110,035$212,243
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $396,001$512,720
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $407,787$525,948
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $512,720 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$679,273
XI-2 Total expenses$562,554
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$116,719
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$396,001
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$512,720

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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