Educate the public and decision-makers about waste prevention and reduction, effective recycling, plastic and toxic pollution, and producer responsibility, and drive policy changes for a healthy and waste free world.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
92¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$59K 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

FY2020 · 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 $317K a year · 35% 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
92%
of spending
Looks good: 92% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$59K
to officers and key staff · 14% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 14% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
14 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 14.1 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $20K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$51K
10% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 10% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
12
of 12 voting members
Looks good: 12 of 12 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$577K
Spent
$418K
To programs
92%
Net assets
$447K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$577K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$577K
FY2021$942K
FY2022$788K
FY2023$924K
FY2024$1.3M
Expenses
$418K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$418K
FY2021$417K
FY2022$518K
FY2023$725K
FY2024$884K
Net assets
$447K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$447K
FY2021$972K
FY2022$1.2M
FY2023$1.4M
FY2024$1.9M

From the FY2020 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2020 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 Sep 1982.

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

Where the money goes

92 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 92% · $383K Management & general 6% · $26K Fundraising 2% · $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

13 people listed on the 990; $59K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$59,400Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Co-Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Co-Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Heather Trim$84,976$81,192$72,824$64,800$59,400

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 Zero Waste Washington 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 15aYes

Programs and updates

Advocates for waste prevention, recycling, and pollution reduction to create a healthier, waste-free world.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $316K · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

Plastic Pollution and Recycling. Zero Waste Washington successfully worked with our partners to reduce single-use plastics, regenerate our recycling system to address plastic pollution and the recycling crisis, and fight climate change.

$118Kprogram expense
02

Building the movement, Community programs and Communications Zero Waste Washington conducted extensive communication and outreach and supported community-based programs which promote waste prevention and reduction, reuse and repair.

$112Kprogram expense
03

State and Local Policy Zero Waste Washington worked with our many partners to help pass cutting edge policies including a 2020 state law that bans carry home thin plastic bags. We developed polices that led to a 2021 law that bans styrofoam for food packaging, requires food establishments to ask customers if they want straws, eating…

$87Kprogram 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$20K

By the numbers

The FY2020 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$577K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$573K
Other incomeLn 4–11$3K
Investment incomeLn 3$338
Money outPt IX
$418K
Ln 25
Programscol B$383K
Managementcol C$26K
Fundraisingcol D$9K
Owns and owesPt X
$447K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$493K
Total assetsLn 16$498K
LiabilitiesLn 26$51K
PeoplePt VI, VII
13
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a12
IndependentVI 1b12
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$573K
Government grantsLn 1e$187K
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$5K
Investment incomeLn 3$338
Other incomeLn 4–11$3K
Total revenueLn 12$577K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$87K
SavingsLn 2$406K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$493K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$1K
Total assetsLn 16$498K
LiabilitiesLn 26$51K
Net assetsLn 32$447K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 516
VolunteersI 6200
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
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 FY20End FY20
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$295K$493K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$2K$1K
Total assetsLn 16$298K$498K
LiabilitiesLn 26$10K$51K
Net assetsLn 32$288K$447K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$0
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$0
Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsLn 3$0
Benefits paid to or for membersLn 4$0
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$59K$55K$3K$1K
Pay of disqualified personsLn 6$0
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$159K$146K$9K$4K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$0
Other employee benefitsLn 9$0
Payroll taxesLn 10$22K$20K$1K$503
Management feesLn 11a$89K$82K$7K
Legal feesLn 11b$0
Accounting feesLn 11c$0
Lobbying feesLn 11d$0
Investment management feesLn 11f$0
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$0
Advertising and promotionLn 12$0
Office expensesLn 13$400$400
Information technologyLn 14$0
RoyaltiesLn 15$0
OccupancyLn 16$25K$25K$552$233
TravelLn 17$11K$11K$486$10
Travel and entertainment for public officialsLn 18$0
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$20K$20K
InterestLn 20$0
Payments to affiliatesLn 21$0
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$426$426
InsuranceLn 23$4K$226$4K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$20K$19K$500$1K
All other expensesLn 24e$7K$5K$539$2K
Total functional expensesLn 25$418K$383K$26K$9K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest $1.3M$884K$433K$1.9M 990 PDF
FY2023 $924K$725K$199K$1.4M 990 PDF
FY2022 $788K$518K$269K$1.2M 990 PDF
FY2021 $942K$417K$526K$972K 990 PDF
FY2020 Viewing $577K$418K$159K$447K 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 FY2020 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $576,717 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $427,491$573,282
I-9 Program service revenue$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $190$338
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $2,271$3,097
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $429,952$576,717
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $185,917$239,781
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $213,573$178,282
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $399,490$418,063
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $30,462$158,654
Part VI · Governance 12 of 12 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body12
VI-1b Independent voting members12
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
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $576,717 across 9 lines filed
VIII-1b Membership dues$125,981
VIII-1c Fundraising events$5,385
VIII-1d Related organizations$43,208
VIII-1e Government grants$186,839
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$211,869
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$573,282
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $338$338
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $3,097$3,097
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $3,097 · Excluded from tax $338$576,717
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $418,063 across 30 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizations$0
IX-2 Grants to domestic individuals$0
IX-3 Grants and assistance to foreign recipients$0
IX-4 Benefits paid to or for members$0
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $54,727 · Management $3,285 · Fundraising $1,388$59,400
IX-6 Pay of disqualified persons$0
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $146,351 · Management $8,784 · Fundraising $3,711$158,846
IX-8 Pension plan contributions$0
IX-9 Other employee benefits$0
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $19,841 · Management $1,191 · Fundraising $503$21,535
IX-11a Management feesPrograms $82,382 · Management $6,660$89,042
IX-11b Legal fees$0
IX-11c Accounting fees$0
IX-11d Lobbying fees$0
IX-11f Investment management fees$0
IX-12 Advertising and promotion$0
IX-13 Office expensesManagement $400$400
IX-14 Information technology$0
IX-15 Royalties$0
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $24,562 · Management $552 · Fundraising $233$25,347
IX-17 TravelPrograms $10,964 · Management $486 · Fundraising $10$11,460
IX-18 Travel and entertainment for public officials$0
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $20,250$20,250
IX-20 Interest$0
IX-21 Payments to affiliates$0
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationManagement $426$426
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $226 · Management $3,593$3,819
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $18,530 · Management $500 · Fundraising $1,251$20,281
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $4,939 · Management $539 · Fundraising $1,779$7,257
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $382,772 · Management $26,416 · Fundraising $8,875$418,063
Part X · Balance sheet $498,054 assets, 11 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $294,745$87,123
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investments$405,618
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $1,550$3,955
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $1,784$1,358
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $298,079$498,054
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $9,806$16,127
X-24 Unsecured notes and loans payable$35,000
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $9,806$51,127
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $288,273$446,927
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $288,273$446,927
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $298,079$498,054
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $446,927 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$576,717
XI-2 Total expenses$418,063
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$158,654
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$288,273
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$446,927

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2020 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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