Form 990 for tax year 2025
Filed by BLUE SKY SUSTAINABLE LIVING CENTER.
Totals
- Total revenue
- $1,115,631
- Total expenses
- $864,364
- Contributions and grants received
- $868,785
- Grants paid
- $0
- Program service revenue
- $122,647
- Investment income
- $125
- Other revenue
- $124,074
- Total assets, end of year
- $1,366,116
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $101,547
- Net assets or fund balances, end of year
- $1,264,569
- Program services expenses (Part IX)
- $640,773
- Management and general expenses
- $215,040
- Fundraising expenses
- $8,551
- Program service expenses (Part III)
- $640,773
Program services were 74.1% 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.
Revenue
Part VIII, the statement of revenue.
-
1e · Government grants (contributions)
$621,205
-
1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants
$247,580
-
1g · Noncash contributions included above
$16,369
-
2a · Program service revenue: Facility Rents
total $89,466 · related or exempt $89,466
-
2b · Program service revenue: Program Service Fees
total $33,181 · related or exempt $33,181
-
3 · Investment income
total $125 · related or exempt $125
-
4 · Income from investment of tax-exempt bond proceeds
total $0
-
5 · Royalties
total $0
-
6d · Net rental income or loss
total $0
-
7d · Net gain or loss
total $0
-
8c · Net income from fundraising events
total $0
-
9c · Net income from gaming
total $0
-
10a · Gross sales of inventory
$4,585
-
10b · Cost of goods sold
$2,190
-
10c · Net income from sales of inventory
total $2,395 · related or exempt $2,395
-
11a · Other revenue: Misc Income
total $19,756 · related or exempt $19,756
-
11b · Other revenue: REIMB. FOR DAMAGE
total $101,923 · related or exempt $101,923
-
11e · Other revenue, total
$121,679
Functional expenses
Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.
-
1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments
total $0
-
2 · Grants to domestic individuals
total $0
-
3 · Grants to foreign organizations and individuals
total $0
-
4 · Benefits paid to or for members
total $0
-
5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
total $77,808 · program services $77,808
-
6 · Compensation of disqualified persons
total $0
-
7 · Other salaries and wages
total $202,984 · program services $90,033 · management and general $110,911 · fundraising $2,040
-
8 · Pension plan contributions
total $0
-
9 · Other employee benefits
total $51,452 · program services $39,297 · management and general $12,155
-
10 · Payroll taxes
total $32,466 · program services $19,736 · management and general $12,573 · fundraising $157
-
11a · Fees: management
total $69,730 · program services $63,969 · management and general $3,386 · fundraising $2,375
-
11b · Fees: legal
total $14,067 · program services $14,067
-
11c · Fees: accounting
total $4,400 · management and general $4,400
-
11d · Fees: lobbying
total $0
-
11e · Fees: professional fundraising services
total $0
-
11f · Fees: investment management
total $0
-
11g · Fees: other
total $24,161 · program services $24,110 · management and general $51
-
12 · Advertising and promotion
total $0
-
13 · Office expenses
total $0
-
14 · Information technology
total $0
-
15 · Royalties
total $0
-
16 · Occupancy
total $12,000 · program services $12,000
-
17 · Travel
total $15,458 · program services $11,773 · management and general $3,640 · fundraising $45
-
18 · Travel or entertainment for public officials
total $0
-
19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings
total $2,573 · program services $1,453 · management and general $1,120
-
20 · Interest
total $533 · management and general $533
-
21 · Payments to affiliates
total $0
-
22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization
total $23,291 · program services $15,139 · management and general $6,987 · fundraising $1,165
-
23 · Insurance
total $9,341 · management and general $9,341
-
24a · Other expenses: Office Supplies
total $122,777 · program services $121,247 · management and general $677 · fundraising $853
-
24b · Other expenses: ARTIST STIPENDS
total $34,284 · program services $34,284
-
24c · Other expenses: MAINTENANCE & REPAIR
total $34,007 · program services $32,842 · management and general $1,165
-
24d · Other expenses: Utilities
total $32,630 · program services $15,978 · management and general $16,652
-
24e · All other expenses
total $100,402 · program services $67,037 · management and general $31,449 · fundraising $1,916
Balance sheet
Part X, book values.
-
1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing
beginning of year $26,768 · end of year $226,153
-
2 · Savings and temporary cash investments
end of year $0
-
3 · Pledges and grants receivable
beginning of year $1,273 · end of year $200,787
-
4 · Accounts receivable
beginning of year $59,638 · end of year $15,930
-
5 · Loans and receivables from officers and key people
end of year $0
-
6 · Loans and receivables from disqualified persons
end of year $0
-
7 · Other notes and loans receivable
end of year $0
-
8 · Inventories for sale or use
beginning of year $20,652 · end of year $18,462
-
9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges
beginning of year $2,923 · end of year $4,922
-
10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis
$1,165,814
-
10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation
$265,952
-
10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net
beginning of year $912,266 · end of year $899,862
-
11 · Investments: publicly traded securities
end of year $0
-
12 · Investments: other securities
end of year $0
-
13 · Investments: program-related
end of year $0
-
14 · Intangible assets
end of year $0
-
15 · Other assets
end of year $0
-
17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses
beginning of year $10,217 · end of year $298
-
23 · Secured mortgages and notes payable
end of year $100,000
-
25 · Other liabilities
beginning of year $1 · end of year $1,249
-
27 · Net assets without donor restrictions
beginning of year $1,013,302 · end of year $1,264,569
Mission and programs · 2025
Mission
BLUE SKY CENTER IS A RURAL, PLACE-BASED NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION WITH THE MISSION TO STRENGTHEN OUR RURAL COMMUNITIES WITHIN THE CUYAMA VALLEY BY SUPPORTING ENTREPRENEURS AND BUILDING OUR REGIONAL CREATIVE & ECONOMIC RESOURCES.
-
Community research and development:This past summer, two major wildfires swept through the region, burning more than 212,000 acres and putting our community directly at risk. Families faced evacuations, air quality reached hazardous levels, and local ranches endured substantial losses. In response, we collaborated closely with the U.S. Forest Service, CalFire Team 8, and Bureau of Land Management fire crews to support frontline efforts. We opened the L88 Airstrip to emergency response teams and mobilized our campus as a dedicated operations hub. The fires underscored how crucial our work is and proved that our ability to respond to climate crises is essential for the safety of our community. Our resiliency initiative Resilient Cuyama Valley addresses longstanding barriers to education, employment, and climate resilience. Resilient Cuyama brings together diverse partners committed to rural regeneration and community resilience to connect Cuyama families with practical resources that strengthen individual and community well-being.
Expenses $280,548 · Revenue $368,390
-
Economic Development through various programs including:"Explore Cuyama" - With our partners at the Cuyama Buckhorn, we are continuing to lay the groundwork to establish the Cuyama Valley as a treasured regional tourist destination through shared efforts and the Visit Cuyama campaign. At our 267-acre property, we have expanded our capacity for the types of events and gatherings that we can host. Made in Cuyama is our motto that runs throughout the organization. Economic development is the umbrella for our work, with three specific arenas: creative community engagement, food security, and community research. These are our strategies for supporting entrepreneurs and building our regional creative and economic resources, so that life for all Cuyama residents is resilient, thriving, and inclusive. At the Blue Sky Center property, we continue to host local craftspeople in the Blue Sky Shops. We provide space to work and one-on-one technical assistance for sustaining and growing their unique businesses
Expenses $211,258 · Revenue $368,818
-
Creative Community Engagement:In 2025, we hosted six visiting artists who engaged the 1,100 people of the Cuyama Valley on the priorities and issues Cuyama faces. We discussed water stewardship and resiliency, and we celebrated with food and music. We created art as economic development by employing artists and community creators. We hosted the Cuyama Water Justice Fellowships, funded by a larger California Environmental Protection Agency grant. Rae Garringer created a podcast with Cuyama residents in both English and Spanish about the Valley's water crisis. Documentary filmmakers Alex Brown and Sean Huntley collaborated with the community on The Dry Horizon. Ash Hanson and Alex Barreto Hathaway of PlaceBase Productions led the puppet-filled Celebrate Agua parade, singing and drumming with the River Saint and Thirsty Monster to respect this precious resource for Cuyama. Amplify Artist Al Oard taught students to build music electronics and supported our tenth annual Da de los Muertos Festival. In partnership with PlaceBase Productions and Cuyama Valley Recreation District, we received an Arts in California Parks grant for Resilient Cuyama Drama, a program of free, community-focused theater. We celebrated with the performance of the Cuyama Holidrama play. This year, we brought Yue Nakayama into a new role as Arts Director to build on our decade of Creative Community Engagement work.
Expenses $75,671 · Revenue $155,581
-
ALL OTHER PROGRAMS
Expenses $47,257 · Revenue $213,773
-
Food and Agriculture:Blue Sky Center has made significant strides in advancing food security in the Cuyama Valley over the last decade. Throughout this time, our work has focused on overcoming the deep-rooted challenges of access to affordable, healthy food in a region defined by its rural isolation and agricultural abundance that paradoxically lacks the infrastructure to serve its own community's food needs.
Expenses $26,039 · Revenue $11,260
As filed on the 2025 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.
Listed in Part VII
-
Samuel BassettSAMUEL BASSETT
Executive Dir.
- Total calculated
- $77,808
- From this org
- $77,808
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $0
- Hours/week
- 34
-
Carmen Sandoval-Aqimowon
MEMBER-AT-LARGE
- Total calculated
- $75
- From this org
- $0
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $75
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Kevin ShawKEVIN SHAW
MEMBER-AT-LARGE
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Kelly Schmandt FergusonKELLY SCHMANDT FERGUSON
Board Member
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Katerina Barilov
Treasurer
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Savannah FoxSAVANNAH FOX
President
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
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
- 10 July 2026
- IRS schema version
- 2025v4.1
- Source object
- 202621919349301702
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