Blue Watermelon Project INC

Tax-deductible

Phoenix, AZ501(c)(3)Since 2022Food & AgricultureEIN 92-0867893

Blue watermelon project is a group of chefs, restaurateurs, farmers, and community food advocates who work together in a collective and committed effort to expand, encourage, and educate students to develop healthy relationships with food.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
66¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 45 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
Spent on programs
66%
of spending
Fine: 66% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$47K
to officers and key staff · 13% of spending
Top officer’s pay lower than 52% of similar orgs
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 13% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
19 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 19.3 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $7K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$31K
4% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 4% 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
$202K
-60% vs prior year
Spent
$362K
To programs
66%
Net assets
$816K
By yearFY2023–FY2024
Revenue
$202K
FY2024▼ -60%
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2023$191K
FY2024$501K
FY2024$202K
Expenses
$362K
FY2024▲ +100%
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2023Not on file
FY2024$180K
FY2024$362K
Net assets
$816K
FY2024▲ +89%
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2023$123K
FY2024$431K
FY2024$816K

From the FY2024 Form 990 · see the original

Give Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in May 2023.

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

Where the money goes

66 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 66% · $240K Management & general 18% · $65K Fundraising 16% · $57K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

Who runs it and what they're paid

12 people listed on the 990; $47K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$47,115Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director Until 4-2025
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director Until 11-2024
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Jillian Sundberg’s $47K as Executive Director is at the 48th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1171 $100K–1M 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 · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2024
Jillian Sundberg$47,115$3,365
Louis Rodarte—$3,000

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

Helps schools rethink food relationships with students, parents, and educators.

Provided by the organization

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2 program services account for $240K of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

Chef in the Garden

A garden-based program that encourages students to rethink unfamiliar foods through growing and cooking activities. Blue watermelon project works with teachers and staff to integrate taste education and hands-on culinary and garden techniques into curriculum to engage all senses and encourage learning through doing.

$168Kprogram expense
02

Feeding the Future

A student competition challenging teams to create a meal that meets federal nutrition and fiscal guidelines of the school lunch program. This program strives to bring awareness to the school food profession and the wonderful humans that feed kids every day.

$72Kprogram expense

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Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2024
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$7K
Grants paid · 1 grant · $16K · 2024–2024
Unitemized GrantFY2024$15,500

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$202K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$177K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$21K
Other incomeLn 4–11$4K
Money outPt IX
$362K
Ln 25
Programscol B$240K
Managementcol C$65K
Fundraisingcol D$57K
Owns and owesPt X
$816K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$581K
Total assetsLn 16$847K
LiabilitiesLn 26$31K
PeoplePt VI, VII
12
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a9
IndependentVI 1b9
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$177K
Government grantsLn 1e$8K
Noncash giftsLn 1g$2K
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$19K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$21K
Other incomeLn 4–11$4K
Total revenueLn 12$202K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$581K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$581K
Total assetsLn 16$847K
LiabilitiesLn 26$31K
Net assetsLn 32$816K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 53
VolunteersI 645
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
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$432K$581K
Total assetsLn 16$997K$847K
LiabilitiesLn 26$22K$31K
Net assetsLn 32$976K$816K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$16K$16K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$89K$22K$22K$45K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$105K$102K$2K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$11K$7K$1K$3K
Payroll taxesLn 10$14K$9K$2K$3K
Legal feesLn 11b$3K$3K
Accounting feesLn 11c$23K$23K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$51K$46K$4K$1K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$2K$1K$1K
Office expensesLn 13$6K$379$6K$105
Information technologyLn 14$3K$2K$142$1K
OccupancyLn 16$4K$3K$378$691
TravelLn 17$546$546
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$11K$8K$930$2K
InsuranceLn 23$795$388$291$116
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$22K$22K
Total functional expensesLn 25$362K$240K$65K$57K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 $501K$180K$321K$431K 990 PDF
FY2023 $191K$123K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
See the full FY2024 990 (4 parts)
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $201,885 across 8 lines filed
VIII-1c Fundraising events$19,159
VIII-1e Government grants$7,500
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$150,302
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$2,433
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$176,961
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $20,606$20,606
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax $4,318$4,318
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $20,606 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $4,318$201,885
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $361,546 across 16 lines filed
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $15,500$15,500
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $22,296 · Management $22,296 · Fundraising $44,591$89,183
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $102,448 · Management $2,091$104,539
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $7,177 · Management $1,403 · Fundraising $2,566$11,146
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $9,278 · Management $1,814 · Fundraising $3,317$14,409
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $3,279$3,279
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $23,031$23,031
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $46,055 · Management $3,605 · Fundraising $1,381$51,041
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $1,336 · Fundraising $1,016$2,352
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $379 · Management $5,655 · Fundraising $105$6,139
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $1,526 · Management $142 · Fundraising $1,215$2,883
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $2,840 · Management $378 · Fundraising $691$3,909
IX-17 TravelPrograms $546$546
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $8,090 · Management $930 · Fundraising $1,700$10,720
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $388 · Management $291 · Fundraising $116$795
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $22,074$22,074
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $239,933 · Management $64,915 · Fundraising $56,698$361,546
Part X · Balance sheet $846,968 assets, 12 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $432,100$581,211
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $565,300$260,000
X-4 Accounts receivable$3,640
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred charges$2,117
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $997,400$846,968
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expenses$4,229
X-18 Grants payableStart of year $21,500$26,500
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $21,500$30,729
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $180,209$224,739
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $795,691$591,500
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $975,900$816,239
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $997,400$846,968
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $816,239 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$201,885
XI-2 Total expenses$361,546
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$159,661
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$975,900
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$816,239

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

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