California Certified Organic Farmers Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
770070930
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Santa Cruz, CA, USA
Phone
8314232263
Rating
50
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate

Reported finances

Revenue
$6,882,832
Expenses
$6,334,355
Assets
$10,330,103
Liabilities
$724,713

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

20 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • KELLY DAMEWOOD (CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • KELLY DAMEWOOD (CEO): $284,326 total reported compensation
  • FELIPE SANDOVAL (CFO): $198,193 total reported compensation
  • HAROLD HEAD (DIRECTOR OF IT): $161,037 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Ccof advances organic agriculture for a healthy world. We accomplish our purpose through organic certification, education, advocacy and promotion. We envision a world where organic is the norm.

What it reported doing in 2024

In 2024, CCOF made significant strides in advancing organic agriculture through consumer education, digital innovation, international outreach, and policy advocacy. The Organization launched a groundbreaking national video ad campaign promoting organic food, featuring CCOF clients, which is projected to reach over 50 million views by the end of 2026 across platforms like Roku and YouTube. CCOF launched a newly redesigned website enhancing user experience with improved navigation, a robust Resource Library, a new Why Organic? section to educate consumers, and an upgraded member directory, making it easier for consumers to find and connect with certified organic producers and handlers.CCOF organized a trade mission to Mexico, facilitating connections between 10 certified producers and buyers in Guadalajara and Mexico City. Additionally, the Organization's policy and advocacy initiatives mobilized CCOF's membership to influence the California State Board of Food and Agricultures definition of regenerative to ensure inclusion of organic agriculture, contributed to the passage of California Proposition 4 securing a $300 million investment in agriculture, and initiated a policy campaign to integrate organic food into Food is Medicine and institutional procurement programs.CCOF, Inc.s policy and member services team successfully advocated for the state of California to set ambitious organic land targets, fund the states organic transition program, and expand emergency relief funds. The policy team surveyed and engaged 150 members to establish a farm labor policy platform and connected over 100 organic farmers and producers through regional CCOF chapter meetings.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 84% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Cannot be determined from the filing. The filing does not provide enough consistent spending detail to tell whether the nonprofit works directly or through others.

The verdict

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 0
  • Transparency & Controls: 84
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 53
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 0%; rating input score 0
  • Program expense ratio: 0%; rating input score 0
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 8%; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.63; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.07; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 14.8%; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -28.9% per year; rating input score 0; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 10.1% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 15.7% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 0% of revenue deployed · 0% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 15 of 15 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment
  • Leadership: top reported pay $284K · 20 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 14 of 15 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 7 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 6 filed related-organization links
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 0/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 58/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Form 990 shared with the board not reported.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Functional expense sum did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 55/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 19/100.