Kiss the Ground

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
464507696
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2014
Location
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Phone
3238645224
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Agricultural Programs

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,956,625
Expenses
$2,708,294
Assets
$2,784,815
Liabilities
$211,737

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

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • EVAN HARRISON (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)

Highest reported compensation

  • EVAN HARRISON (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER): $295,422 total reported compensation
  • KAREN RODRIGUEZ (CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER): $141,493 total reported compensation
  • NATHAN RICE (COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING DIRECTOR): $115,620 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Our mission is to awaken the people to the possibilities of regeneration. We do this by generating awareness and offering education around soil health and regenerative agriculture. Additionally, kiss the ground may engage in any activities that are reasonably related to or in furtherance of its stated charitable

What it reported doing in 2025

Educationthe education program was created to educate, inspire, and empower individuals, farmers, and businesses to become impactful advocates for the regenerative movement by providing online classes, workshops, and a speaker's bureau. Ktg believes that education is one of the most powerful tools of the regenerative movement. Through on-demand courses, public speaking engagements, and free resources, we offer multiple ways for individuals to learn and grow within this expanding global movement. Through this work, ktg continues to serve as a leading educational hub for regenerative agriculture, equipping individuals with the knowledge and tools to drive meaningful change. In 2025, ktg expanded its educational reach and accessibility through digital content, purchasing guides, and course offerings, including spanish-language programming. While education remains a cornerstone of ktg's efforts, its federal policy advocacy work, including engagement with the regenerate america coalition and activities related to the farm bill, was paused in 2025. In response to shifting legislative timelines, we redirected our efforts toward direct farmer support and programmatic initiatives designed to accelerate the adoption of regenerative practices. Ktg expanded its initiatives supporting farmers in regenerative agriculture and addressing key challenges they face in their transition. In 2025, ktg provided direct financial support and resources to farmers and ranchers, strengthening the connection between consumers and regenerative agriculture. In 2025, education activity consisted of: 2.5m+ people reached through educational content35+ educational resources developed15 new regenerative purchasing guides released53 scholarships awarded$500,000 awarded directly to farmers and ranchers215 farms supported73,000 acres transitioned toward regenerative practices

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 95% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 84% 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

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 85
  • Transparency & Controls: 73
  • Accountability: 88
  • Sustainability: 21
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 79.6%; rating input score 80
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.82 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 94.1%; rating input score 94; 26th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 98.3%; rating input score 98; 50th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 87.5%; rating input score 88; 24th 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: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -38.4%; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.03; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.08; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 20.4%; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 16.2% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 17.2% per year; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 26.6% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 79.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 8 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $2.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $295K · 10 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 32 of 33 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 10 filing years from 2015 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 23 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 18 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.

Key Signals

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

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 24/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 3/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 44/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 16/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 38/100.