Project EATS

What it reported doing in 2024

Project eats' model features small-plot, community-based and operated, high-yield farms - both ground-level and rooftop. Using sustainable, primarily hand-grown, farming methods, and employing seeding, succession planning, carbon waste reuse, and other environmentally sound techniques, pe works to maximize crop yields in limited urban spaces, and provide the community with ease of access to healthy, ultra-local, "income-appropriate" food. Operating 5 farms spanning almost 5 acres located across the 3 nyc boroughs, project eats (pe):- develops and supports urban farms and farming infrastructure,- provides sales outlets for the farms,- offers workforce development and employment opportunities to community residents, - informs and uses practices that support people's consumption of healthy food, healthy living and wellbeing, regardless of income.pe farms operate as social enterprises that provide revenue sources through sales of fresh produce (60% at affordable prices within the community that generates it and 40% at premium rates to commercial markets). They also generate revenue through contracted agricultural programs. Pe is also supported by grants from charitable institutions, and contributions from the public. Pe offers an array of community programs to support the wellness of local residents ranging from site-specific agricultural art installations to workshops. Maren hassinger created an outdoor installation from steel and concrete for our sites at essex and brownsville that ran from second week of november to the third week of january.in 2022, we began project [b]eats: an exploratory percussion workshop series for seniors. In 2023, project [b]eats continued. Sessions were held twice a week for 6 months with 10 participants.in 2024, project eats after-school (peas) continued with a second session of a culinary class for a new group of students that ran for 16-weeks with new design high school. The curriculum was designed to cover the essential culinary skills and focused on plant-based recipe innovation. In 2024, we transitioned our pantry operations from a weekly to a monthly schedule between may and december. This shift was made to better serve the community by providing larger quantities of both shelf-stable and fresh food items at each distribution. These changes were implemented at both of our pantry locations in the bronx and the other in brooklyn.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 65.3%; rating input score 65
• Program expense ratio: 56.4%; rating input score 56
• Fundraising efficiency: $8.79 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 92.3%; rating input score 92; 24th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • 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: -13.4%; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.19; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.16; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 10.2%; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 7.9% per year; rating input score 100; 55th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 14% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 30.2% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings