Transformers Foundation INC FY2023 filing

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Transformers Foundation is the unified voice representing the denim industry and its ideas for positive change. It was founded to provide a thus-far missing platform to the jeans and denim supply chain, and a central point of contact for consumers, brands NGOs, and media who want to learn more about ethics and sustainable innovation in the industry. We represent the denim supply chain: from farmers and chemical suppliers to denim mill

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
81¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$119K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

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 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $2K a year · under 1% of revenue · last 5 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
81%
of spending
Looks good: 81% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$119K
to officers and key staff · 27% of spending
Worth a look: pay to officers and key staff is 27% of spending; over 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
<1 mo
of spending, in cash
Worth a look: 0.5 months of spending in cash; under 1.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Liabilities
$98K
74% of total assets
Worth a look: liabilities are 74% of assets; over 65%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
0
of 5 voting members
Concern: none of 5 voting members are independent.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$325K
+9% vs prior year
Spent
$439K
To programs
81%
Net assets
$34K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$325K
FY2023▲ +9%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$221K
FY2021$306K
FY2022$299K
FY2023$325K
FY2024$247K
Expenses
$439K
FY2023▲ +50%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$149K
FY2021$234K
FY2022$292K
FY2023$439K
FY2024$274K
Net assets
$34K
FY2023▼ -77%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$72K
FY2021$145K
FY2022$152K
FY2023$34K
FY2024$11K

From the FY2023 Form 990 · see the original

990 PDF Claim
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 Dec 2019.

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

Where the money goes

81 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 81% · $357K Management & general 8% · $36K Fundraising 10% · $45K

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

6 people listed on the 990; $119K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$44,000Pt VII · Sec A
$42,261Pt VII · Sec A
$32,564Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Kim Van Der Weerd’s $51K as Director is at the 32nd percentile of top reported officer pay among 1989 $100K–1M environment 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 · 3 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023
Kim Van Der Weerd$51,388$42,261
Emily Olah$20,000$44,000
Miguel Sanchez—$32,564

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 Transformers Foundation 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 15aNo

Programs and updates

Advocates for positive change and sustainability within the global denim industry.

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2 programs · $357K · in their own filed words · FY2023
01

Research & Writing

The transformers foundation selects one subject for a deep dive research paper on one subject. 2020 research paper was focused on the ethical purchasing practices in the denim supply chain through COVID-19. This paper also highlighted the power unbalance between BRANDS/BUYERS and their suppliers.

$178Kprogram expense
02

Education

Transformers foundation works with educational institutions and industry to bring together a conference series, where we teach students the denim supply chain, focusing on each area from fiber through to finish garment processing.

$178Kprogram expense

By the numbers

The FY2023 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$325K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$324K
Investment incomeLn 3$314
Money outPt IX
$439K
Ln 25
Programscol B$357K
Managementcol C$36K
Fundraisingcol D$45K
Owns and owesPt X
$34K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$17K
Total assetsLn 16$132K
LiabilitiesLn 26$98K
PeoplePt VI, VII
6
listed · VII A
PaidVII A3
Voting boardVI 1a5
IndependentVI 1b0
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$324K
Investment incomeLn 3$314
Gains on assetsLn 7$314
Total revenueLn 12$325K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$17K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$17K
Total assetsLn 16$132K
LiabilitiesLn 26$98K
Net assetsLn 32$34K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
VolunteersI 66
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 FY23End FY23
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$83K$17K
Total assetsLn 16$188K$132K
LiabilitiesLn 26$36K$98K
Net assetsLn 32$152K$34K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Accounting feesLn 11c$28K$6K$21K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$247K$209K$15K$22K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$164K$141K$23K
Total functional expensesLn 25$439K$357K$36K$45K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 LatestFiled with the IRS Jul 1, 2025 $247K$274K−$27K$11K 990 PDF
FY2023 ViewingFiled with the IRS Nov 15, 2024 $325K$439K−$114K$34K 990 PDF
FY2022Filed with the IRS Nov 15, 2023 $299K$292K$7K$152K 990 PDF
FY2021Filed with the IRS Nov 14, 2022 $306K$234K$73K$145K 990 PDF
FY2020Filed with the IRS Nov 15, 2021 $221K$149K$72K$72K 990 PDF

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 $324,789 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $299,000$324,475
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $0$314
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $299,000$324,789
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 $0$0
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $292,236$438,625
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $292,236$438,625
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $6,764−$113,836
Part VI · Governance 0 of 5 board members independent, 4 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body5
VI-1b Independent voting members0
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 $324,789 across 4 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$324,475
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$324,475
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsRelated to mission $314$314
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $314 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$324,789
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $438,625 across 3 lines filed
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $6,250 · Management $21,485$27,735
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $209,161 · Management $14,945 · Fundraising $22,417$246,523
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $141,285 · Fundraising $23,082$164,367
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $356,696 · Management $36,430 · Fundraising $45,499$438,625
Part X · Balance sheet $132,239 assets, 8 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $83,327$17,239
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $104,500$115,000
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $187,827$132,239
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $36,230$97,978
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $36,230$97,978
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $151,597$34,261
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $151,597$34,261
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $187,827$132,239
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $34,261 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$324,789
XI-2 Total expenses$438,625
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$113,836
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$151,597
XI-8 Prior period adjustments−$3,500
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$34,261

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

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