National Young Farmers Coalition Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

Field and national organizing: young farmers organizes a grassroots network of farmers, ranchers, and advocates working for a brighter, more just future for agriculture. National young farmers coalition chapters are the heart of our grassroots network, consisting of 30 farmer-led teams across 25 states working on the ground and in community. Twelve of these chapters are resourced through our chapter fiscal sponsorship program, allowing an administrative structure for chapters to fundraise, self-organize, and address regional challenges. Chapters focus on local, high-impact initiatives while working closely with the coalition to ensure they can sustainably meet their long-term goals. Initiatives like the farmers of color land fund facilitated by our west Michigan chapter raised $50,000 in 2024, and the northern Illinois farm-ily reunion attended by 100+ producers are important examples of local farmer leadership in action, supported by our chapter fiscal sponsorship program. Additionally, the coalition engages a growing membership base of more 6,000 individuals and hosts more than 50 farmer-centric events across the country. Through our collective storytelling, we create a unified voice that inspires others to act to advance policy change that can provide transformative opportunities for young, beginning, and bipoc (black, indigenous, and people of color) farmers. We resource and train farmer leaders to share their compelling stories through press, broadcast media, and podcasts, achieving 500+ press hits in 2024. Our storytelling strategy amplifies the voices of young farmers and farmers of color to educate decision-makers, recruits new members to our mission, and inspires a new generation to care more deeply about the food and farm policy that impacts what they eat, who they pay for their food, and the health and wellbeing of their communities. To support farmer leadership and advocacy and prepare farmers to take on decision-making roles in their local communities, the coalition launched the root and bloom fellowship in 2024, a transformative advocacy program for 40 young farmers. Through its two phases, root and bloom fellows explore how federal agriculture policy impacts young and bipoc farmers and identify ways to create change in their communities. This journey empowers them to build local relationships, launch projects, and step into positions of leadership. We also celebrated the graduation of our 100 land advocacy fellows, after their two years of training and commitment to the one million acres for the future campaign. Many graduates entered formal leadership roles, where they will guide decisions related to conservation, land access, and water equity. In total, 138 farmers participated in fellowships in 2024, gaining valuable skills in leadership development and community advocacy in key agricultural regions and on intersecting issue areas relevant to the needs of young farmers.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 77.6%; rating input score 78
• Program expense ratio: 70%; rating input score 70
• Fundraising efficiency: $13.45 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 92.3%; rating input score 92; 10th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 98.6%; rating input score 99; 35th percentile among comparable filings
• 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 7 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • 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: -10.5%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.67; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.22; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 26.3% per year; rating input score 100; 90th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 23.5% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 24.7% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings