Friends of the Farms

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
912116900
IRS 990 coverage
2021–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2020
Location
Bainbridge Island, WA, USA
Phone
2068425537
Rating
74
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Land Resources Conservation

Reported finances

Revenue
$218,213
Expenses
$231,997
Assets
$663,909
Liabilities
$140,409

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

People named in this filing

  • SUSIE BAVO (DIRECTOR)
  • JUSTIN DOMINGUS (DIRECTOR)
  • KAREN ALLSTON (DIRECTOR)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The mission of friends of the farms is to ensure the future of local farming and build a healthier community through a resilient and equitable food ecosystem.through our programming, services, and community engagement we support local farms, advocate for local food and cultivate community.we focus on: creating interest, investment, and pride in local agricultural businesses and our rural landscapes so that they are part of the everyday fiber of our communities. Fostering year-round, dynamic connections among our farmers, businesses, and communities. Bringing awareness of and respect for small-scale local agriculture to ensure a thriving future, where farmers are valued and farmland is conserved for future generations. Ensuring that farmers, farm workers, and interns have the ability to live in the communities they serve.

What it reported doing in 2025

Share the harvest is a new initative for 2025. In spring 2025, significant reductions in federal food funding affected local food banks and farmers. Helpline house lost 40% of its commodity food funding, and by 2026, $100,000 annually for locally grown food will be eliminated. Demand has doubled to over 400 households weekly. In response, the organization launched share the harvest on july 3, purchasing and donating 9,500 pounds of locally grown food in 14 weeks while supporting local farmers.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 61
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 76
  • Sustainability: 41
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 69.7%; rating input score 70
  • Program expense ratio: 65.6%; rating input score 66
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 3 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 43
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -6.3%; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.86; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.21; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 24.6% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 9.3% per year; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 19.6% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 69.7% of revenue deployed · 65.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 3 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $152K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 6 people listed
  • Consistency: 22 of 22 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2021 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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.

Key Signals

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

  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 23/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 16/100.