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Nonprofiteer
← ROOTS FUND INCORPORATED

Form 990 for tax year 2025

Filed by ROOTS FUND INCORPORATED.

Totals

Total revenue
$674,901
Total expenses
$549,739
Contributions and grants received
$674,901
Grants paid
$135,083
Program service revenue
$0
Investment income
$0
Other revenue
$0
Total assets, end of year
$122,197
Total liabilities, end of year
$19,593
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$102,604
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$481,332
Management and general expenses
$30,531
Fundraising expenses
$37,876
Program service expenses (Part III)
$481,332

Program services were 87.6% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Revenue

Part VIII, the statement of revenue.

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $674,901

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 2 · Grants to domestic individuals

    total $135,083 · program services $135,083

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $162,932 · program services $128,025 · management and general $11,104 · fundraising $23,803

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $13,375 · program services $10,509 · management and general $912 · fundraising $1,954

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $1,433 · program services $1,075 · management and general $358

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $2,531 · program services $1,898 · management and general $633

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $6,909 · program services $5,186 · management and general $1,723

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $12,119 · fundraising $12,119

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $1,103 · program services $827 · management and general $276

  • 17 · Travel

    total $14,443 · program services $10,832 · management and general $3,611

  • 20 · Interest

    total $5,243 · program services $3,932 · management and general $1,311

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $1,450 · management and general $1,450

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $2,203 · program services $2,203

  • 24a · Other expenses: SCHOLARSHIP EXPENSES

    total $133,463 · program services $133,463

  • 24b · Other expenses: CONTRACTORS

    total $34,627 · program services $34,627

  • 24c · Other expenses: RENT & LEASE

    total $9,723 · program services $7,292 · management and general $2,431

  • 24d · Other expenses: IT RELATED EXPENSES

    total $8,507 · program services $6,380 · management and general $2,127

  • 24e · All other expenses

    total $4,595 · management and general $4,595

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $3,767 · end of year $120,641

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    end of year $302

  • 10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis

    $4,312

  • 10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

    $3,058

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $2,704 · end of year $1,254

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $29,029 · end of year $19,593

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year -$22,558 · end of year $102,604

Mission and programs · 2025

Mission

THE ROOTS FUND WAS CREATED TO EMPOWER COMMUNITIES OF COLOR BY PROVIDING RESOURCES AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT THROUGH EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS, WINE EDUCATION, MENTORSHIP, AND CAREER PLACEMENT. THE ROOTS FUND IS COMMITTED TO INVESTING IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES TO THOSE SEEKING A CAREER/EDUCATION IN ALL ASPECTS OF WINE.

  • OUR SCHOLARSHIPS INCREASED BY 50%, WITH OFFERING INTO THE COURT MASTERS SOMMELIER, WINE SCHOLARS GUILD, AND OFFERING TUITION TO WASHINGTON STATE FOR A NEW ENOLOGY PROGRAM. WE EXECUTED A VARIETY OF TUTORING PROGRAMS IN ENGLISH AND FRENCH FOR BEVERAGE PROFESSIONALS. THIS WORK LANDED US RECOGNITION ON CBS FOR OUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO EDUCATION IN WINE FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR.

    Expenses $350,707 · Grants $135,083

  • TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN CERTIFICATIONS AND KNOWLEDGE YOU MUST TRAVEL THE WINE WORLD. SCHOLARS TRAVELED TO FRANCE, OREGON, FINGER LAKES, AND CALIFORNIA. SCHOLARS LIVED IN THESE REGIONS, STUDIED THE CULTURE, ATE THE FOOD, AND DRANK WINES WITH THE BEST PRODUCERS IN THE WORLD. THESE EXPERIENCES MAY HAVE BEEN THE FIRST TRAVEL EXCURSIONS FOR MANY SCHOLARS. THESE ENRICHMENT TRIPS BRING THE BOOK STUDIES TO LIFE.

    Expenses $130,625

  • CAREER DEVELOPMENT - 60% OF THE SCHOLARS IN OUR PROGRAM WERE PLACED IN CAREERS IN WINE & SPIRITS. DESPITE RESTAURANT CLOSURES AND HOSPITALITY PROGRAMS MINIMIZING STAFF, WE WERE ABLE TO HELP PLACE MOST OF OUR SCHOLARS. BUILDING EXTENSIVE CAREER PATHWAYS WITH LEVELS OF MENTORSHIP AND NETWORKING HAS BROUGHT SUCCESS. 40% OF OUR SCHOLARS LANDED IN EARLY MANAGEMENT ROLES THAT WILL ELAD TO PROMOTIONS WITHIN 18 MONTHS OF EMPLOYMENT.

As filed on the 2025 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

  • Ikimi Woodson

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $113,173
    From this org
    $113,173
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Carlton McCoy Jr

    DIRECTOR/CHAIRMAN

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0

  • Zohna Jones

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0

  • Jeremy Seysses

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0

  • Santosh Varghese

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0

  • Darryl Matthews

    TREASURER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0

  • Jamila Janneh

    SECRETARY

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2025
Filed
12 August 2026
IRS schema version
2025v4.2
Source object
202622379349301412

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