Sonoma Earth School

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To educate through nature

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
92¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 10 volunteers and 11 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
2 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $10K a year · 4% of revenue · last 5 filings
Concern: a surplus in 2 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
<1 mo
of spending, in cash
Worth a look: 0.6 months of spending in cash; under 1.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
2
named funders · $7K
Fine: 2 funders name it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$30K
130% of total assets
Concern: liabilities are 130% of assets; over 80%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
4
of 4 voting members
Looks good: 4 of 4 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$444K
+35% vs prior year
Spent
$461K
To programs
92%
Net assets
−$7K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$444K
FY2024▲ +35%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$58K
FY2021$261K
FY2022$258K
FY2023$329K
FY2024$444K
Expenses
$461K
FY2024▲ +23%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$38K
FY2021$163K
FY2022$362K
FY2023$377K
FY2024$461K
Net assets
−$7K
FY2024▲ +79%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$21K
FY2021$119K
FY2022$15K
FY2023−$33K
FY2024−$7K

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 Jun 2000.

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% · $424K Management & general 8% · $37K Fundraising 0% · $841

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

4 people listed on the 990.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Dir.
$0Pt VII · Sec A
President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Tim Allen’s $71K as Executive Dir. is at the 65th percentile of top reported officer pay among 2216 $100K–1M arts & culture 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

NameFY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Tim Allen$70,700$73,646$32,961$5,835
Leila Allen—$18,750$12,500$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.

See Sonoma Earth School 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 2Yes
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aNo

Programs and updates

Sonoma Earth School is an arts and culture nonprofit based in Forestville, CA.

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3 programs · $424K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Completed first year of school operations, and began the second year.

$422Kprogram expense
02

Offered summer camps.

$1Kprogram expense
03

Continued fundraising to support individualized tuition model.

$841program 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 · FY2024
C S FundFY2024$2K
Total grants receivedfrom 2 funders$7K

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$444K
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$330K
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$110K
Other incomeLn 4–11$4K
Money outPt IX
$461K
Ln 25
Programscol B$424K
Managementcol C$37K
Fundraisingcol D$841
Owns and owesPt X
−$7K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$22K
Total assetsLn 16$23K
LiabilitiesLn 26$30K
PeoplePt VI, VII
4
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a4
IndependentVI 1b4
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$110K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$330K
Investment incomeLn 3$15
Other incomeLn 4–11$4K
Gains on assetsLn 7$0
Total revenueLn 12$444K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$22K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$22K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$821
Total assetsLn 16$23K
LiabilitiesLn 26$30K
Net assetsLn 32−$7K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 511
VolunteersI 610
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$17K$22K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$0
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$821$821
Total assetsLn 16$18K$23K
LiabilitiesLn 26$51K$30K
Net assetsLn 32−$33K−$7K
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$70K$70K
Pay of disqualified personsLn 6$0
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$267K$267K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$0
Other employee benefitsLn 9$1K$1K
Payroll taxesLn 10$41K$41K
Management feesLn 11a$0
Legal feesLn 11b$0
Accounting feesLn 11c$1K$1K
Lobbying feesLn 11d$0
Professional fundraising feesLn 11e$841$841
Investment management feesLn 11f$0
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$0
Advertising and promotionLn 12$1K$1K
Office expensesLn 13$0
Information technologyLn 14$0
RoyaltiesLn 15$0
OccupancyLn 16$0
TravelLn 17$0
Travel and entertainment for public officialsLn 18$0
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$0
InterestLn 20$0
Payments to affiliatesLn 21$0
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$0
InsuranceLn 23$46K$41K$6K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$55K$55K
All other expensesLn 24e−$22K$3K−$25K
Total functional expensesLn 25$461K$424K$37K$841

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest ViewingFiled with the IRS Apr 3, 2025 $444K$461K−$17K−$7K 990 PDF
FY2023Filed with the IRS Sep 24, 2024 $329K$377K−$48K−$33K 990 PDF
FY2022Filed with the IRS Mar 3, 2023 $258K$362K−$104K$15K 990 PDF
FY2021Filed with the IRS Oct 18, 2022 $261K$163K$98K$119K 990 PDF
FY2020Filed with the IRS Nov 12, 2021 $58K$38K$20K$21K 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 FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $444,415 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $85,429$109,871
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $243,304$330,369
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $29$15
I-11 Other revenue$4,160
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $328,762$444,415
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $275,077$378,863
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $1,928$841
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $99,636$81,697
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $376,641$461,401
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$47,879−$16,986
Part VI · Governance 4 of 4 board members independent, 5 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body4
VI-1b Independent voting members4
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsYes
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
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $444,415 across 10 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$109,871
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$109,871
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Excluded from tax $330,369$330,369
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $15$15
VIII-5 Royalties$0
VIII-6 Net rental income or loss$0
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assets$0
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising events$0
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Excluded from tax $4,160$4,160
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $15 · Excluded from tax $334,529$444,415
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $461,401 across 31 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 $69,700$69,700
IX-6 Pay of disqualified persons$0
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $267,147$267,147
IX-8 Pension plan contributions$0
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $1,126$1,126
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $40,890$40,890
IX-11a Management fees$0
IX-11b Legal fees$0
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $1,012$1,012
IX-11d Lobbying fees$0
IX-11e Professional fundraising feesFundraising $841$841
IX-11f Investment management fees$0
IX-12 Advertising and promotionManagement $1,308$1,308
IX-13 Office expenses$0
IX-14 Information technology$0
IX-15 Royalties$0
IX-16 Occupancy$0
IX-17 Travel$0
IX-18 Travel and entertainment for public officials$0
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetings$0
IX-20 Interest$0
IX-21 Payments to affiliates$0
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortization$0
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $40,559 · Management $5,691$46,250
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Management $55,240$55,240
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $3,378 · Management −$25,491−$22,113
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $423,812 · Management $36,748 · Fundraising $841$461,401
Part X · Balance sheet $22,942 assets, 22 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $17,262$22,121
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investments$0
X-3 Pledges and grants receivable$0
X-4 Accounts receivable$0
X-5 Loans to officers and key people$0
X-6 Loans to other insiders$0
X-7 Notes and loans receivable$0
X-8 Inventories for sale or use$0
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred charges$0
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $821$821
X-11 Publicly traded securities$0
X-12 Other securities$0
X-13 Program-related investments$0
X-14 Intangible assets$0
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $1$0
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $18,084$22,942
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $8,517$15,004
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $42,201$14,868
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $50,718$29,872
X-31 Retained earnings or endowmentStart of year −$32,634−$6,930
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year −$32,634−$6,930
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $18,084$22,942
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets −$6,930 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$444,415
XI-2 Total expenses$461,401
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$16,986
XI-4 Net assets at start of year−$32,634
XI-8 Prior period adjustments$42,690
XI-10 Net assets at end of year−$6,930

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

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