Onion Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
471289795
IRS 990-PF coverage
2015–2024
Forms available
Form 990-PF 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Auburn, ME, USA
Phone
2072210272
Rating
87
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Standard

Reported finances

Revenue
$3,124,480
Expenses
$5,554,662

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

Overview

Mission

Onion Foundation is a nonprofit. Location: Auburn, ME. EIN 471289795. Tax year 2024 Form 990-PF reports $3.1M revenue and $5.6M expenses.

What it reported funding in 2024

The foundation reported 245 grants totaling $4,380,610. The stated grant purposes included to provide general support, to support the maine woods community youth and environment program, and to support young people's concerts, plus 127 other reported purposes.

Operating model

Revenue model
Investment-supported. 100% of the foundation's positive operating resources came from recurring investment income.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The foundation distributed 80% of its reported charitable disbursements as grants.
  • Includes asset-sale income: Asset-sale income is shown separately from recurring resources when classifying the revenue model.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes to charitable grants and the filing identifies who received its grants. Assets provide a limited cushion relative to annual grants and the filing reports one or more activities that warrant closer review.

Rating breakdown

  • Grant Deployment: 100
  • Cost Efficiency: 79
  • Transparency: 100
  • Compliance: 92
  • Endowment Health: 26

Detailed rating inputs

Grant Deployment

  • Grant deployment ratio: 100%; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings

Cost Efficiency

  • Grant expense ratio: 78.9%; rating input score 79; 43rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency

  • Grant recipient disclosure: Yes; rating input score 100

Compliance

  • Part VII-B activity disclosures: 16 of 19 controls in place; rating input score 84
    • Property sale or exchange with a disqualified person: Pass
    • Borrowing from or lending to a disqualified person: Pass
    • Goods, services, or facilities involving a disqualified person: Fail
    • Compensation paid to a disqualified person: Fail
    • Assets transferred to a disqualified person: Pass
    • Payment to a government official: Pass
    • Uncorrected prior self-dealing: Pass
    • Prior-year undistributed income: Pass
    • Excess business holdings: Pass
    • Investments that may jeopardize charitable purposes: Pass
    • Uncorrected prior-year jeopardizing investments: Pass
    • Attempt to influence legislation: Pass
    • Attempt to influence an election: Pass
    • Grants to individuals: Pass
    • Grants to organizations: Fail
    • Spending for a noncharitable purpose: Pass
    • Funds received for a personal-benefit contract: Pass
    • Premiums paid on a personal-benefit contract: Pass
    • Prohibited tax-shelter transaction: Pass
  • Filing consistency checks: 10; rating input score 100

Endowment Health

  • Endowment-health comparison: 14.52; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: Financial trends and filed revenue, expense, asset, and liability detail
  • Grants: 100% of grant recipient detail disclosed
  • Payout: At least 100% grant deployment rate
  • Trustees: Filed trustees detail
  • Self-dealing: 100% of reviewed questions answered “No”
  • Investments: 26th percentile for endowment coverage
  • Consistency: 10 of 10 current checks pass
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2015 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 253 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

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

  • High — Endowment Health: Endowment-health comparison scored 26/100.
  • Review — Compliance: Part VII-B activity disclosures: 3 of 19 not reported.