Green Heart Project Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

The Green Heart Projects Farm to School programs utilize school gardens & urban farms as vehicles for teaching connecting students to food, health, culture & the environment. The garden serves as an outdoor learning laboratory, perfect for reiterating classroom curricula with a focus on STEAM standards through applied learning experiences. Additionally, students are connected with fresh, locally-grown fruits & vegetables as they participate in the growing, harvesting, and cooking processes. Through these hands-on, outdoor learning experiences students learn our core value of respect, and practice essential social-emotional learning (SEL) skills while working alongside volunteers, their Green Heart Buddies in both the garden & kitchen classroom. (Continued on Schedule O).Continued From Part II, Line 4a Programs Classic Program At most of our partner schools, we deliver a Classic program, which guides a group of students over the period of a school semester through the process of planting, cultivating, harvesting, and cooking food from the garden. Lessons include: -Respect in the garden -Soil health -Companion planting -Seed saving -Culinary (kale pesto; sauteed collards; strawberry smoothies) -Honey and bees -Planting for future generations STEAM Program At Mitchell Elementary School and Sullivans Island Elementary School, we deliver a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) program in alignment with the science curriculum. The program reaches every student at every grade level of the school (pre-K through 5th grade), 4 times per year. The lessons reinforce science concepts at every grade level. Lessons include: -Soil testing -Mapping the garden -Basic plant needs -Plant life cycles -Insect adaptations -Pickling solutions Key Program Outcomes: Educational Achievement and Cognitive Development School-based farms and gardens provide an opportunity for students to engage in experiential, inquiry-based learning right outside their school's front door. Experiential and inquiry-based learning has positive effects on educational achievement, cognitive development, social and emotional development and community engagement. The Green Heart Project curriculum is directly tied to South Carolina state Standards of Learning. Students have the opportunity to take concepts and theories they are learning in the classroom and experience them in real- life application through work in the garden. Studies have shown that inquiry-based and experiential learning in school gardens have had positive impacts on: -Student enthusiasm for learning -Science understanding and skills -Standardized test scores -GPAs -Higher-order thinking skills -Confidence in ability Social and Emotional Development School gardens offer the opportunity for students to develop social and emotional skills through interactions with peers as well as adult and college volunteers who serve as mentors and role models. In several studies, students engaged in garden-based learning demonstrated development in the following areas: -Motivation and enthusiasm -Sense of self and identity -Self-esteem & teamwork -Better school attendance -Fewer disciplinary problems -Parental involvement -Utilize and promotePBIS expectations Becoming Active Citizens in the Community Students who participate in The Green Heart Project also learn the importance of sustainability as it applies to our local food systems, and why it is important for us as citizens to care for our environment. As students participating in service-learning activities, numerous studies have demonstrated significantly increased connection to local community; civic behaviors related to environmental responsibility; skills, values, and other behaviors related to active citizenship; deepened connection to cultural heritage; and a sense of ethics. Farm to School Program Results: During the 2024-2025 school year, we delivered 234 garden and culinary lessons to 1,272 students at our partner schools. Lessons are focused on

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 72.1%; rating input score 72
• Program expense ratio: 76.3%; rating input score 76
• Fundraising efficiency: $6.67 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 94.1%; rating input score 94; 25th 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 6.5%; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.4; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.5; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 12.8%; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 16.4% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 15.2% per year; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 27.9% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings