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← ORGANIC GROWERS SCHOOL

Form 990 for tax year 2023

Filed by ORGANIC GROWERS SCHOOL.

Totals

Total revenue
$550,881
Total expenses
$742,430
Contributions and grants received
$436,173
Grants paid
$21,014
Program service revenue
$114,080
Investment income
-$376
Other revenue
$1,004
Total assets, end of year
$135,371
Total liabilities, end of year
$30,621
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$104,750
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$586,835
Management and general expenses
$106,318
Fundraising expenses
$49,277
Program service expenses (Part III)
$586,835

Program services were 79.0% 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.

  • 1e · Government grants (contributions)

    $92,757

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $343,416

  • 1g · Noncash contributions included above

    $99,101

  • 2a · Program service revenue: Program Events Registrations

    total $103,222 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0

  • 2b · Program service revenue: Consulting Fees

    total $5,973 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0

  • 2c · Program service revenue: Exhibitors

    total $4,885 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $225 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $225

  • 7b · Less cost or other basis and sales expenses

    securities $601

  • 7c · Gain or loss

    securities -$601

  • 7d · Net gain or loss

    total -$601 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded -$601

  • 11a · Other revenue: Other Income

    total $1,004 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $1,004

  • 11e · Other revenue, total

    $1,004

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments

    total $5,375 · program services $5,375

  • 2 · Grants to domestic individuals

    total $15,639 · program services $15,639

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $103,079 · program services $50,254 · management and general $40,780 · fundraising $12,045

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $254,197 · program services $200,601 · management and general $23,718 · fundraising $29,878

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $5,496 · program services $3,864 · management and general $993 · fundraising $639

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $27,181 · program services $19,085 · management and general $4,907 · fundraising $3,189

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $10,311 · program services $0 · management and general $10,311 · fundraising $0

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $182,049 · program services $182,049 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $10,719 · program services $10,719 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $15,698 · program services $12,104 · management and general $3,594 · fundraising $0

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $28,558 · program services $18,559 · management and general $7,143 · fundraising $2,856

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $16,472 · program services $9,772 · management and general $6,030 · fundraising $670

  • 17 · Travel

    total $38,928 · program services $36,980 · management and general $1,948 · fundraising $0

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $4,261 · program services $0 · management and general $4,261 · fundraising $0

  • 24a · Other expenses: Farmer Mentor

    total $9,000 · program services $9,000 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0

  • 24b · Other expenses: Program Supplies and Expenses

    total $14,799 · program services $12,365 · management and general $2,434 · fundraising $0

  • 24c · Other expenses: Miscellaneous Expenses

    total $668 · program services $469 · management and general $199 · fundraising $0

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $452,964 · end of year $124,538

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    beginning of year $327 · end of year $10,833

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $32,298 · end of year $30,621

  • 19 · Deferred revenue

    beginning of year $9,575

  • 25 · Other liabilities

    beginning of year $115,119 · end of year $0

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year -$35,200 · end of year $65,227

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $331,499 · end of year $39,523

Mission and programs · 2023

Mission

Organic Growers School inspires, educates, and supports people to farm, garden, and live organically.

Activities or mission (Part I)

Organic Growers School inspires, educates, and supports people to farm, garden and live organically.

  • OGS hosted the 31st Spring Conference, which is one of the largest grassroots gatherings of this kind in the Southeastern US, attracting over 1,000 attendees. The conference inspires and educates people to farm, garden, and live organically by providing affordable, practical, and hands-on education. Farm Dreams is for those in the exploratory stages of starting their own farm. This entry-level workshop provides practical, common-sense information on sustainable farming and how to move forward.

    Expenses $586,835 · Grants $21,014 · Revenue $114,080

  • Farm Beginnings is training for the generation of farmers in the many skills required to start and expand a successful farm business: passion, clear goals, production experience, financial and marketing know-how, and more. Farm Beginnings will help build these skills through one year of farmer-led training, mentoring, and networking. CRAFT (Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training) is a farmer-led effort to bring established armers, farm apprentices, and aspiring farmers together for year-long training in the art and science of sustainable agriculture. Journeyperson Program is designed for farmers who have been independently farming for three or more years and are serious about operating farm businesses in the Southern Appalachian region.

  • Organic Growing and Living: Programs such as Homegrown Dreams and Gardening Series help people gain knowledge on sustainable living and growing through various workshops designed to meet their needs. Fiscal Sponsorship: OGS is a fiscal sponsor of the Food Justice Planning Initiative (FJPI). FJPI is transitioning to a stand-alone nonprofit call WNC Food Systems. They are awaiting IRS approval of 501(c)3 status. OGS also fiscally sponsors La Escuela Campesina Project, which is a collaboration with Cooperative Tierra Fertil and Cooperate WNC. These organizations are primarily funded through grants. The grant income and related program expenses are included in the OGS financial results for tax purposes.

As filed on the 2023 return.

Listed in Part VII

  • Cameron Farlow

    Executive Director

    Total calculated
    $62,620
    From this org
    $60,840
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $1,780
    Hours/week
    40

  • Michael Higgins

    Director of Finance

    Total calculated
    $33,617
    From this org
    $33,617
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    20

  • Bob Turner

    Co-Chair

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2.5

  • Mary Saunders Bulan

    Co-Chair

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2.5

  • Hannah Bundy

    Secretary

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2.5

  • Kady Brotherton

    Treasurer

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2.5

  • Tim Burke

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2.5

  • Macon York Costlow

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2.5

  • Mandy Helwig

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2.5

  • Thomas Leonard

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2.5

  • Rachel Letcher

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2.5

  • Maddie Mirassou

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2.5

  • Ta'rin'ii Shanai

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2.5

  • Felicianna Marquez

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2.5

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
2023
Filed
24 June 2025
IRS schema version
2023v6.0
Source object
202521759349300527

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