Green Our Planet

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
383883213
IRS 990 coverage
2017–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Phone
7026248912
Rating
69
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Environmental Education and Outdoor Survival Programs

Reported finances

Revenue
$3,007,041
Expenses
$4,335,083
Assets
$4,830,989
Liabilities
$611,209

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

Leadership & pay

12 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • CIARA BYRNE (SEC/TREAS/CE): $162,267 total reported compensation
  • WENDY CASHIN (VP OF FINANC): $114,119 total reported compensation
  • MARVIN WORTHINGTON (HEAD OF GOV): $109,009 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Green our planet is a nonprofit conservation organization with a mission to build a movement to create joy and justice in communities by empowering people to grow food and connecting them to the magic and majesty of the universe. Green our planet operates the only stemworks-accredited school garden and hydroponics programs in the u.s. Where gop teaches students to love and care for our planet through comprehensive science, technology, engineering and math (stem) programs. Our overarching goal is to increase student academic performance in stem subjects and conserve the environment through project-based stem, nutrition, financial literacy and environmental education in prek-12 schools.

What it reported doing in 2025

Green our planet achieves this mission through gardenconnect, hydroconnect, and workwell. Gardenconnect and hydroconnect-primarily school-based programs-enhance stem learning and environmental education in prek-12 schools through project-based experiences that incorporate nutrition, financial literacy, and sustainability. Green our planet operates the only stemworks-accredited school garden and hydroponics programs in the united states, serving students, educators, and communities nationwide. Workwell extends this impact to workplaces, promoting employee wellness and community engagement through hydroponics. In response to the shift to distance learning during the covid-19 pandemic, green our planet developed the virtual academy and magic garden portal, enabling the organization to scale its programs beyond las vegas and expand access to stem education nationwide. The virtual academy, launched in 2020, provided standards-aligned video lessons taught by horticulturists, chef-nutritionists, and hydroponics experts. As demand for high-quality virtual stem education grew, the virtual academy transitioned into a for-profit entity in 2023, allowing for greater flexibility in course expansion and increased accessibility. The magic garden portal, introduced in 2022, became a centralized digital platform for educators using hydroponics and school gardens to teach stem. It provides curriculum, lesson plans, teacher workshops, and a professional learning community. Today, the magic garden portal is fully integrated into the gardenconnect and hydroconnect programs, with over 2,700 active members. Additionally, green our planet created the giant student farmers market, the largest student-run farmers market in the u.s., held two to three times per year. The event provides real-world financial literacy and entrepreneurial experience, bringing together 40+ schools and 400+ students per event. Green our planet's primary funding sources include government, private, and foundation grants, program sales, and contributions. These resources support initiatives that expand access to hands-on stem education, promote environmental stewardship, and address food insecurity. By partnering with schools, businesses, and community organizations, green our planet fosters sustainable food systems, strengthens education, and enhances local communities through nature-based learning experiences.

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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 74
  • Transparency & Controls: 61
  • Accountability: 74
  • Sustainability: 21
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 92.6%; rating input score 93
  • Program expense ratio: 64%; rating input score 64
  • Fundraising efficiency: $3.11 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • 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: 3 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 38
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Limited
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -44.2%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.11; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.13; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 11.3%; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 18% per year; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 17.4% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 21.7% per year; rating input score 100; 86th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 92.6% of revenue deployed · 64% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 3 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $2.8M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $162K · 12 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 28 of 29 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 9 filing years from 2017 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 filed money-flow records
  • 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.
  • 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 — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 7/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 2/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 37/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule D land buildings reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 30/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 44/100.