Marbleseed Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
391824623
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Spring Valley, WI, USA
Phone
8889066737
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Single Organization Support

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,312,907
Expenses
$2,180,241
Assets
$952,668
Liabilities
$542,167

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

12 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DELA ENDS (PRESIDENT/CH)

Highest reported compensation

  • LORI STERN (EXECUTIVE DI): $96,698 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Marbleseed educates, inspires, and empowers farmers to thrive in a sustainable, organic system of agriculture.

What it reported doing in 2024

Farmer-led learning is at the heart of marbleseed's programming, ensuring that every training, event, and resource is shaped by the farmers who know the land best. In 2025, this included our 36th organic farming conference, held in la crosse, wi where over 1,500 organic and regenerative farmers gathered to network and learn before the start of the growing season under the theme "local food revolution." the event featured more than 80 expert- led workshops, farmer-led summits, and hands-on demonstrations on topics ranging from soil health and organic grain rotation to food sovereignty and climate resilience. Attendees also explored a trade show with over 150 exhibitors, connecting with industry leaders and discovering the latest innovations in organic farming. Workshops and discussions covered collectively addressing barriers to organic management, including policy solutions at all levels. Beyond the conference, marbleseed hosts on-farm field days across the midwest, from urban market gardens to silvopasture operations, potato farms, and cranberry farms. These events offer real-time learning on conservation practices, equipment, crop rotations, organic weed management, and emerging techniques like circular grain systems with local distilleries. Our farmer-to-farmer mentorship program, now in its 19th year, continues to pair beginning and transitioning farmers with seasoned mentors across production types, from beef and poultry to high-tunnel raspberries and small grains. In 2025, ten mentorship pairs (including hmoob and small- scale urban farmers) built skills in organic transition, enterprise development, and conservation planning through both our core program and topp (transition to organic partnership program)-funded mentorships.

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

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 some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 81
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 38
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 82.6%; rating input score 83
  • Program expense ratio: 87.5%; rating input score 87
  • Fundraising efficiency: $16.12 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 53; 53rd 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • 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: 5.7%; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.44; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.57; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 4.4%; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 7.6% per year; rating input score 100; 54th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 4.8% per year; rating input score 100; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -0.6% per year; rating input score 0; 10th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 82.6% of revenue deployed · 87.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $1.9M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $97K · 12 people listed
  • Consistency: 25 of 25 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 53/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 15/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 53/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 18/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 58/100.