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Cultivating Community

Learn about this cause: What are the reviews? Is it Legit? Do I like the mission? What is the CEO's salary?

EIN: 043607322 ✦ Portland, ME ✦ Designated as a 501(c)(3)

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Overview

What is Cultivating Community?

Cultivating Community is a nonprofit organization situated in Portland, Maine. Their mission lies at the intersection of food, land, and racial justice, aiming to create sustainable communities. They accomplish this through four key programs: the New American Sustainable Agriculture Project, which offers land access, support, and affordable or free locally grown food to the community, prioritizing State and Federal benefits for program graduates; community gardens and urban orchards, providing gardening opportunities to over 450 individuals, with a focus on limited-resource households; a youth leadership internship program, offering hands-on experiences to 50 high school students annually; and outdoor garden education programs for every Portland public elementary school student.


Official website here: www.cultivatingcommunity.org

What are the reviews and ratings of this charity?

Charity Navigator Rating: Needs Improvement

Cultivating Community received a Two-Star out of Four Star rating from Charity Navigator, with an overall score of 66%. The organization demonstrates strong leadership and adaptability, achieving a perfect score of 100 in that category. Additionally, it has a high program expense ratio of 73.19%, indicating that a significant portion of its funds is directed towards its programs rather than administrative costs.

Despite these strengths, the organization faces challenges in its accountability and finance score, which stands at 62. While it has a fully independent board and adheres to several important policies, there are notable gaps, such as the absence of a document retention and destruction policy, which contributed to lower points in that area. Moreover, the organization's liabilities to assets ratio at 76.28% raises concerns about financial stability.

Overall, Cultivating Community has demonstrated a commitment to strategic goals and leadership investment, with evidence of adaptability. However, improvements are needed in financial management practices and policy completeness to enhance its overall rating and accountability to stakeholders.


This AI summary has been generated from information found on Charity Navigator.

Is Cultivating Community legitimate?

Cultivating Community is a legitimate nonprofit organization registered as a 501(c)(3) entity. Cultivating Community submitted a form 990, which is a tax form used by tax-exempt organizations in the U.S., indicating its operational transparency and adherence to regulatory requirements. Donations to this organization are tax deductible.


Heare are some key statistics you may want to consider:

Executive Compensation: $49,936
Professional Fundraising Fees: $0
Other Salaries and Wages: $403,116

For more financial information, click here


Official website here: www.cultivatingcommunity.org

What is the mission statement of Cultivating Community?

Cultivating Community aims to foster sustainable communities by increasing access to nutritious, locally-grown food. They encourage children, youth, and adults to actively participate in restoring and sustaining local food systems. Additionally, they promote ecological food production through education, modeling, and advocacy. Their work encompasses four programs, which include providing land and resources for community farming, maintaining community gardens, offering leadership opportunities for high school students, and educating elementary school children about gardening.


Official website here: www.cultivatingcommunity.org

Who is the CEO of Cultivating Community?

Silvan Shawe is the President of Cultivating Community.


Official website here: www.cultivatingcommunity.org

What is the revenue of Cultivating Community?

Cultivating Community's revenue in 2022 was $1,017,213.


Official website here: www.cultivatingcommunity.org

Who are the executives of Cultivating Community and what are their salaries?

The average compensation at Cultivating Community during 2022 was $23,845. There are 19 employees at Cultivating Community.


Here are 9 key members and their salaries:


Dee Dee Germain (President)
  • Compensation: $0
  • Related: $0
  • Other: $0
Elizabeth Manning (Vice President & Secretary)
  • Compensation: $0
  • Related: $0
  • Other: $0
Ted Spitzer (Treasurer)
  • Compensation: $0
  • Related: $0
  • Other: $0
Waite Maclin (Director)
  • Compensation: $0
  • Related: $0
  • Other: $0
Jenn So (Director)
  • Compensation: $0
  • Related: $0
  • Other: $0
Joan Amory (Director)
  • Compensation: $0
  • Related: $0
  • Other: $0
Kathleen Mckersie (Director)
  • Compensation: $0
  • Related: $0
  • Other: $0
Brenda Peluso (Co-Executive Director)
  • Compensation: $32,656
  • Related: $0
  • Other: $0
Roberto Rodriquez (Co-Executive Director)
  • Compensation: $17,280
  • Related: $0
  • Other: $0


Official website here: www.cultivatingcommunity.org

Where can I find the form 990 for Cultivating Community?

Cultivating Community's most recent form 990 was submitted in 2022 and can be accessed here.


Official website here: www.cultivatingcommunity.org

Learn more at the official website: www.cultivatingcommunity.org

Mission Statement of Cultivating Community

Cultivating Community, a nonprofit organization, is dedicated to fostering sustainable communities by enhancing access to nutritious, locally sourced food. The mission of this organization involves empowering children, youth, and adults to actively participate in restoring and maintaining local, eco-friendly food systems. Furthermore, Cultivating Community serves as a model, educator, and advocate for ecological food production methods.

By working at the intersection of food, land, and social justice, Cultivating Community has developed four programs that cater to the needs of the community while advocating for systemic change. Their flagship initiative, the New American Sustainable Agriculture Project, consists of two community learning farms and a marketing program. This project provides land, resources, and a market for locally grown, culturally significant food, ensuring its affordability for the community while ensuring the financial viability of the program's graduates.

Additionally, Cultivating Community manages 11 community gardens and urban orchards, prioritizing access for limited-resource households. The organization also offers youth leadership internships, providing high school students with enriching, hands-on experiences that empower them to contribute to their community's sustainable food systems. Lastly, Cultivating Community offers outdoor garden education programs to every Portland public elementary school student, promoting environmental awareness and education amongst the city's children.

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Impact




July, 2024

Cultivating Community's impact includes expanding access to healthy, local food, empowering individuals of all ages to contribute to sustainable food systems, and advocating for ecological food production. Through programs like the New American Sustainable Agriculture Project, community gardens, youth leadership internships, and outdoor garden education, Cultivating Community is actively working towards building a more resilient and equitable food system. By providing opportunities for education, hands-on experience, and support for local farmers, Cultivating Community is making a tangible difference in promoting food sovereignty and social justice in Portland, ME.




This information is meant to be a general summary of Cultivating Community. Please take the time to review official sources before making any decisions based upon the content provided here.


Financials

This financial information is from Propublica.

Revenue
$1,017,213 (2022)
Expenses
$1,105,091 (2022)
Efficiency

Other financial information:

This information is from the most recently submitted tax form from this organization, which was in 2022.

  • Investment Income: $1,080
  • Program Service Revenue: $45,211
  • Gross Receipts: $1,017,213

Assets and Liabilities:

  • Total Assets: $319,027
  • Total Liabilities: $243,363
  • Net Assets: $75,664

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Programs

Programs are reported by nonprofits in their tax forms and are normally their tax-exempt activities.

COMMUNITY SERVICES REV

Revenue

$40,038

PARTICIPANT FEES

Revenue

$3,860

FARM SALES

Revenue

$813

CONSULTING TECH

Revenue

$500

Organization Details

Founding Year

2001

Principal Officer

Silvan Shawe

Main Address

PO BOX 3792, PORTLAND, ME, 04104

NTEE Category

Code: K30 - Food

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