The Northeast Earth Coalition

Legal name: Northeast Earth Coalition

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
811561104
IRS 990 coverage
2021–2024
Official website data refreshed
Jul 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2018
Location
Montclair, NJ, United States
Phone
973-233-1106
Rating
75
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Human Service Organizations

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$344,306
Expenses
$364,523
Assets
$5,639
Liabilities
$12,283

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

Leadership & pay

14 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JOSE GERMAN-GOMEZ (BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOUNDER AND CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • TOM MULLIGAN (BOARD OF DIRECTORS URBAN GROWERS PROGRAM COMMITTEE): $4,508 total reported compensation
  • GREG PASON (BOARD OF DIRECTORS COMMUNITY OUTREACH COMMITTEE): $2,599 total reported compensation
  • Britney Portes (CONSULTANT): $2,166 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The Northeast Earth Coalition, Inc, (NEEC) works at the community level to protect the environment and promote local sustainability and food security. We support small family farms, urban farming projects, community vegetable gardens, and backyard food production We believe in promoting a healthier society through education about and appreciation of local fresh, sustainably raised produce and products. We promote energy conservation and integration of renewable, sustainable energy into local communities through advising local organizations and individuals, demanding better energy policies, and participating in local energy projects. We support the promotion of sustainable eco-friendly transportation, including biking, walking, and the development of accessible, reliable, and affordable public transportation.

What it reported doing in 2024

ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES: This program presents free workshops and training to educate the public about environmental issues, promote the protection of the environment, and create community level environmental education projects, and organize our annual conference "Acting Locally for a More Sustainable World." ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Expansion of the community Composting Program from 6 to 10 composting stations across the town of Montclair. The program educates the community about composting and gives community members a chance to participate as volunteers to run the project. Composting stations have been installed in community gardens, houses of worship, schools, and gardening organizations. All the composting together are processing over 50 tons of waste that are not going to the incinerator or landfill. Crane Park in Montclair, NJ has historical and cultural significance, which includes the former home site of Israel Crane, the original founder of Cranetown in the late 1700s, and the YWCA for African American women in the early 1900s. Brookdale Park Native Plant Garden. This is another educational environmental project that continues thriving after 6 years of being created. The garden has been expanded. In August of 2017, the Northeast Earth Coalition and Friends of Crane Park created a demonstration garden to enhance the public space as well as to educate the community about the importance of growing native plants and vegetables as well as the importance of pollinators. This year, we reached over 450,000 online visitors. The Pollinator pathways: This project establishes pollinator-friendly habitats and food sources for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinating insects and wildlife in New Jersey.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 91% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and most voting board members are independent. The filing does not identify recipients for some grant dollars and revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 89
  • Transparency & Controls: 59
  • Accountability: 94
  • Sustainability: 18
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 99.3%; rating input score 99
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 0%; rating input score 0; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 86
    • 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: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -5.9%; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.02; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 2.18; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 1.2%; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 74% per year; rating input score 100; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -18% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -40.9% per year; rating input score 0; 1st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 3 programs and campaigns described on the official site
  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 99.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 12 of 12 board members independent · 6 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $11K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $5K · 14 people listed
  • Consistency: 21 of 23 current checks pass · 2 findings to review
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes grants
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2021 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 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 — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 28/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 2/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 2/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 36/100.