Our mission is to cultivate Food justice in northeast ohio and beyond by building enduring local Food systems from the ground up. We believe fresh, local Food, like-minded residents and passionate partners can transform under-resourced neighborhoods into thriving, self-sustaining communities.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
67¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$38K 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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FY2022 · 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 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $150K a year · 28% 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
67%
of spending
Fine: 67% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$38K
to officers and key staff · 15% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 15% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
16 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 15.7 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
2
named funders · $48K
Fine: 2 funders name it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$17K
5% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 5% 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
$464K
+238% vs prior year
Spent
$254K
To programs
67%
Net assets
$314K
By yearFY2021–FY2025
Revenue
$464K
FY2022▲ +238%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$137K
FY2022$464K
FY2023$516K
FY2024$577K
FY2025$1.0M
Expenses
$254K
FY2022▲ +285%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021$66K
FY2022$254K
FY2023$474K
FY2024$530K
FY2025$648K
Net assets
$314K
FY2022▲ +203%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$104K
FY2022$314K
FY2023$356K
FY2024$404K
FY2025$782K

From the FY2022 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2022 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 Aug 2018.

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

Where the money goes

67 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 67% · $171K Management & general 25% · $64K Fundraising 7% · $18K

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

10 people listed on the 990; $38K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$38,308Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Sara Continenza’s $60K as Executive Director is at the 17th 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

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022
Sara Continenza$60,010$58,466$54,138$38,308

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

Builds local food systems to cultivate food justice and transform neighborhoods.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $171K · in their own filed words · FY2022
01

Care-A-Van is a food-focused program that provides a variety of resources to those in need while fostering excitement over fresh, local foods. Care-A-Van provides nutrition education, arts and crafts, books, music, health screenings, food demonstrations, community resources, and much more at the events we partner with.

$135Kprogram expense
02

Care Strong Project events focus on offering free health screenings, education, and information to those who are less fortunate. Screenings are made possible by our partners: University Hospitals Department of Family Medicine and the Case Western Reserve University Physician Assistant Program.

$27Kprogram expense
03

Learing Gardens In 2016, Food Strong Founder Sara Continenza began to work closely with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District to build a School Garden toolkit and curriculum based on Ohios Learning Standards.

$9Kprogram 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$48K

By the numbers

The FY2022 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$464K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$464K
Money outPt IX
$254K
Ln 25
Programscol B$171K
Managementcol C$64K
Fundraisingcol D$18K
Owns and owesPt X
$314K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$331K
Total assetsLn 16$331K
LiabilitiesLn 26$17K
PeoplePt VI, VII
10
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a9
IndependentVI 1b9
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$464K
Government grantsLn 1e$464K
Total revenueLn 12$464K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$331K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$331K
Total assetsLn 16$331K
LiabilitiesLn 26$17K
Net assetsLn 32$314K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 57
VolunteersI 6834
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 FY22End FY22
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$113K$331K
Total assetsLn 16$115K$331K
LiabilitiesLn 26$11K$17K
Net assetsLn 32$104K$314K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$38K$23K$11K$4K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$74K$44K$22K$7K
Payroll taxesLn 10$9K$5K$3K$913
Legal feesLn 11b$4K$4K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$10K$6K$3K$992
Advertising and promotionLn 12$6K$3K$2K$573
Office expensesLn 13$10K$6K$3K$1K
OccupancyLn 16$13K$8K$4K$1K
TravelLn 17$6K$4K$2K$613
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$4K$2K$1K$362
InsuranceLn 23$4K$2K$1K$400
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$76K$67K$8K$886
Total functional expensesLn 25$254K$171K$64K$18K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $1.0M$648K$378K$782K 990 PDF
FY2024Filed with the IRS May 14, 2025 $577K$530K$48K$404K 990 PDF
FY2023Filed with the IRS May 14, 2024 $516K$474K$42K$356K 990 PDF
FY2022 ViewingFiled with the IRS Nov 2, 2023 $464K$254K$211K$314K 990 PDF
FY2021Filed with the IRS Oct 4, 2022 $137K$66K$72K$104K 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 FY2022 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $464,247 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $137,386$464,247
I-9 Program service revenue$0
I-10 Investment income$0
I-11 Other revenue$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $137,386$464,247
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefits$121,062
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $65,804$132,544
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $65,804$253,606
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $71,582$210,641
Part VI · Governance 9 of 9 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body9
VI-1b Independent voting members9
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 $464,247 across 3 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$464,247
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$464,247
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$464,247
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $253,606 across 12 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $22,985 · Management $11,492 · Fundraising $3,831$38,308
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $44,174 · Management $22,088 · Fundraising $7,362$73,624
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $5,478 · Management $2,739 · Fundraising $913$9,130
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $3,947$3,947
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $5,953 · Management $2,977 · Fundraising $992$9,922
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $3,435 · Management $1,718 · Fundraising $573$5,726
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $6,133 · Management $3,066 · Fundraising $1,022$10,221
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $7,834 · Management $3,917 · Fundraising $1,306$13,057
IX-17 TravelPrograms $3,675 · Management $1,838 · Fundraising $613$6,126
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $2,172 · Management $1,086 · Fundraising $362$3,620
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $2,400 · Management $1,200 · Fundraising $400$4,000
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $66,883 · Management $8,156 · Fundraising $886$75,925
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $171,122 · Management $64,224 · Fundraising $18,260$253,606
Part X · Balance sheet $331,436 assets, 8 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $112,927$331,436
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $114,927$331,436
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expenses$5,968
X-24 Unsecured notes and loans payableStart of year $11,200$11,100
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $11,200$17,068
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $103,727$314,368
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $103,727$314,368
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $114,927$331,436
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $314,368 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$464,247
XI-2 Total expenses$253,606
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$210,641
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$103,727
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$314,368

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2022 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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