Greener by Default

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
921286554
IRS 990 coverage
2023–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-N 2022
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
Phone
8476029260
Rating
89
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Nutrition

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,767,869
Expenses
$1,860,429
Assets
$1,383,886
Liabilities
$63,985

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

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • KATHERINE CANTRELL (CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • ILANA BRAVERMAN (COO): $108,443 total reported compensation
  • KATHERINE CANTRELL (CEO): $107,839 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Greener by default's mission is to consult with institutions to apply behavioral science to food policy, nudging diners toward sustainable plant-based food while preserving freedom of choice.

What it reported doing in 2025

In 2025, we shifted an estimated 6 million meals from meat to plant-based options across our partnerships. We expanded our team to 18 staff members and grew our expertise. One of our key accomplishments was expanding plant-based patient defaults to 400 u.s. Hospitals through our partnership with sodexo. We also launched eight pilot programs at colleges & universities throughout the country and our work expanded into new sectors, including our first partnerships with a financial institution, a convention center, and a professional sports venue. Additionally, we joined billie eilishs hit me hard and soft tour, providing menu support and culinary training at 11 major arenas. During the year, we shared our expertise with over 25,000 professionals through forums such as the aspen ideas summit and the world bank.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 97% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 88
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 28
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 92.2%; rating input score 92
  • Program expense ratio: 87.4%; rating input score 87
  • Fundraising efficiency: $46.85 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • 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: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -5.2%; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.74; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 11.6%; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 67.3% per year; rating input score 100; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 22.9% per year; rating input score 100; 86th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 30.5% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 92.2% of revenue deployed · 87.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 6 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $108K · 8 people listed
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 3 filing years from 2023 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • 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.

  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 19/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 34/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 33/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 44/100.