Form 990 for tax year 2024

Totals

Total revenue

$1,588,812

Total expenses

$1,882,024

Contributions and grants received

$1,484,134

Grants paid

$0

Program service revenue

$85,569

Investment income

$19,109

Other revenue

$0

Total assets, end of year

$1,761,762

Total liabilities, end of year

$360,072

Net assets or fund balances, end of year

$1,401,690

Program services expenses (Part IX)

$1,488,138

Management and general expenses

$170,164

Fundraising expenses

$223,722

Program service expenses (Part III)

$1,488,138

Program services were 79.1% 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.

Mission and programs · 2024

• THE CENTER FOR ECOLITERACY IS REIMAGINING SCHOOL FOOD AS A PATHWAY FOR LEARNING AND CHANGE. FOR 30 YEARS, WE'VE TRANSFORMED EDUCATION IN CLASSROOMS, CAFETERIAS, AND GARDENS-PARTNERING WITH HUNDREDS OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS, SUPPORTING THOUSANDS OF EDUCATORS, AND ENSURING MILLIONS OF CHILDREN HAVE ACCESS TO NUTRITIOUS MEALS AT SCHOOL. OUR CORE INITIATIVE, CALIFORNIA FOOD FOR CALIFORNIA KIDS, INSPIRES SCHOOLS TO SERVE FRESH, LOCALLY-SOURCED MEALS AND ENGAGE STUDENTS IN THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN FOOD, CULTURE, HEALTH, AND THE ENVIRONMENT. TOGETHER, WE CAN BUILD A HEALTHIER, MORE HOPEFUL FUTURE FOR OUR CHILDREN. SEE SCHEDULE O - CONTINUATIONSCHOOL FOOD SYSTEMS CHANGE: CALIFORNIA FOOD FOR CALIFORNIA KIDS HAS BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF SCHOOL FOOD TRANSFORMATION FOR A DECADE. OUR INCLUSIVE MODEL EMPOWERS SCHOOL NUTRITION PROFESSIONALS TO LEAD CHANGE WITH SUPPORT FROM THEIR PEERS. IN 2024, WE WELCOMED 22 NEW SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO THE CALIFORNIA FOOD FOR CALIFORNIA KIDS NETWORK, WHICH NOW INCLUDES 146 DISTRICTS IN 37 COUNTIES, REACHING 40% OF STUDENTS IN THE STATE WITH MORE FRESH AND LOCAL SCHOOL MEALS. OUR ONGOING SCHOOL FOOD INNOVATOR SERIES REACHED 275 PARTICIPANTS, PROVIDING A VALUABLE VIRTUAL CONVENING SPACE FOR SCHOOL NUTRITION LEADERS TO SHARE STRATEGIES TO ADVANCE SCHOOL MEAL PROGRAMS, SUCH AS STUDENT ENGAGEMENT, LOCAL PROCUREMENT, AND PROMOTING NEW MENU OFFERINGS.ECOLOGICAL EDUCATION: FOR 30 YEARS, WE'VE TRANSFORMED EDUCATION IN CLASSROOMS, CAFETERIAS, AND GARDENS-PARTNERING WITH HUNDREDS OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS, SUPPORTING THOUSANDS OF EDUCATORS, AND ENSURING MILLIONS OF CHILDREN HAVE ACCESS TO NUTRITIOUS MEALS AT SCHOOL. WE ARE REIMAGINING SCHOOL FOOD AS A PATHWAY FOR LEARNING AND CHANGE. OUR CULTURALLY INCLUSIVE FOOD EDUCATION RESOURCES ENGAGE STUDENTS IN LESSONS ABOUT CALIFORNIA'S RICH CULTURES, CLIMATE CHANGE, AND THE ENVIRONMENT, ALL THROUGH FOOD. THIS YEAR, OUR EATING LEARNING GROWING RESOURCES REACHED 80,672 STUDENTS WITH CULTURALLY INCLUSIVE FARM TO SCHOOL EDUCATION. OUR SUITE OF CALIFORNIA'S CLIMATE-SMART FARMS ACTIVITIES WAS LAUNCHED TO ENGAGE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS IN QUESTIONING AND OBSERVING CLIMATE-RELATED PHENOMENA THROUGH CASE STUDIES OF CALIFORNIA FARMERS.POLICY AND ADVOCACY: THE CENTER FOR ECOLITERACY ADVOCATES FOR POLICIES THAT ENSURE ALL CHILDREN HAVE ACCESS TO FREE, FRESH, LOCAL SCHOOL MEALS AND FOOD SYSTEMS EDUCATION. IN 2024, OUR ADVOCACY EFFORTS HELPED TO SECURE $1.9 BILLION IN THE 2024-2025 CALIFORNIA STATE BUDGET FOR SCHOOL MEALS FOR ALL. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SCHOOL MEALS FOR ALL COALITION, WE DESIGNED AN ADVOCACY PLATFORM FOCUSED ON STRATEGIES TO MAXIMIZE FEDERAL FUNDING DURING A BUDGET DEFICIT YEAR. WE ALSO LED THE COALITION TO PROTECT $60 MILLION FOR THE STATE'S FARM TO SCHOOL GRANT PROGRAM AND SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATED FOR AB 2316, THE CALIFORNIA SCHOOL FOOD SAFETY ACT.

  Expenses $1,488,138 · Revenue $85,569

As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

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. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Related organizations on this return

Schedule R Part II: tax-exempt organizations related to the filer by control. It does not record shared board members or money.

• DAVID BROWER CENTER

  501(C)(3) · OFFICE RENTAL TO NPO AND OTHER COMPANIES. · CA

Provenance

Return type

form_990

Tax year

2024

Filed

4 November 2025

IRS schema version

2024v5.2

Source object

202513099349303276

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