Project Gaia Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
208497597
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2012
Location
Gettysburg, PA, USA
Phone
7173345594
Rating
62
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
International Relief

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$49,827
Expenses
$31,815
Assets
$91,261
Liabilities
$169

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

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • THERESA ADAMIK (PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • THERESA ADAMIK (PRESIDENT)
  • BENGT EBBESON (DIRECTOR)
  • RODGER GOODACRE (DIRECTOR)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

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

Overview

Mission

To raise and distribute funds for projects that are designed to promote alcohol fuels and appropriate alcohol appliances for general use in developing countries.

What it reported doing in 2024

Grants to ethiopian and nigerian affiliates for national activities relating to the popularization of alcohol stoves and alcohol (ethanol and methanol) fuel. In ethiopia, support of the work in and provision of stoves and fuel to the refugee camps, specifically the jijiga, assosa, and gambella refugee camps. Technical and program support to the gaia association in its policy development and planning for alcohol fuel scaleup in ethiopia. Technical and program support to unido for its program in tanzania. Technical and program support to the world bank for its program in madagascar. Support to the commercial collaborator in haiti and ethiopia. Support two interest groups in various african countries to explore opportunities in ethanol fuel production and ethanol fuel market creation for cookstove fuel. Technical consulting with the niti aayog (indian national planning committee) for a methanol stove program in india. Work on developing an alcohol stove carbon finance program in ethiopia and djibouti. Technical assistance to qualifying countries and stakeholders who contact project gaia to inquire about our model for the development of alcohol fuels for cooking. Communications with the global alliance for clean cookstoves and bilateral funders and developers about alcohol fuels and appliances.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 72% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 71% for direct work, and 29% for grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 56
  • Transparency & Controls: 75
  • Accountability: 70
  • Sustainability: 61
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 52.5%; rating input score 52
  • Program expense ratio: 82.2%; rating input score 82
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: 0 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Fail
    • Requires narrative reports: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Fail
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 80th 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; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 2 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 29
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 36.1%; rating input score 82; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.87; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -7.4% per year; rating input score 0; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -1.5% per year; rating input score 0; 54th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -15.9% per year; rating input score 0; 9th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 52.5% of revenue deployed · 82.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 2 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $26K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 5 people listed
  • Consistency: 21 of 21 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and foreign activity
  • Filing history: 9 filing years from 2013 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • 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: Mission deployment rate scored 52/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 8 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 40/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 33/100.