Race to Zero Waste

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
833305529
IRS 990 coverage
2021–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2020
Location
South San Francisco, CA, USA
Phone
4153778931
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Environmental Quality, Protection, and Beautification N.E.C.

Reported finances

Revenue
$900,242
Expenses
$882,160
Assets
$157,384
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • TERESA BRADLEY (President & CEO)
  • ERIC PALMER (Vice President)

Highest reported compensation

  • TERESA BRADLEY (President & CEO): $70,311 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To support communities, businesses, and governments in the training, education, and policy work needed to move toward a just and equitable circular economy. In support of our mission, Race to Zero Waste works to build local, national, and global campaigns through a network of community coalition leaders who are delivering the message of the circular economy through a variety of pop-up events, webinars, and workshops.

What it reported doing in 2024

Zero waste ca: a fee for service program powered by zero waste project experience at fortune 500 companies, consulting firms, special events, local governments, and institutions thin the state of California. Zero waste stations: the organization hosts zero waste education station pop-ups in public spaces in order to facilitate community clean-ups, waste characterization, and zero waste education on composting and recycling. The organization also provides a collection point for gently-used items that can be donated to those in need. Outreach and technical assistance: the organization provides an effective outreach and engagement by building a deeper understanding of its intended audience. The organization creates long-term behavioral change through education, engagement, and excitement about zero waste. Zero waste education: the organization provides assistance in implementing zero waste education at a park, beach cleanup, or multi-unit dwelling. The organization coordinates staff, material handling, tents, tables, bus tubs, and signage to direct individuals in sorting materials properly. Zero waste workshops: the organization provides guidance on recycling, composting, and waste education and assists schools, institutions, and businesses with customized workshops to staff. Waste audits and zero waste facilitation: the organization assists waste audit needs through full waste characterization implementation to partnering and providing crew support.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 93% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 74
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 83
  • Sustainability: 38
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 81.7%; rating input score 82
  • Program expense ratio: 83.4%; rating input score 83
  • Fundraising efficiency: $2.23 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 88.9%; rating input score 89; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 2%; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.18; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 8%; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 35.6% per year; rating input score 100; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 37.7% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 39.6% per year; rating input score 100; 94th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 81.7% of revenue deployed · 83.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 8 of 9 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $735K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $70K · 10 people listed
  • Consistency: 25 of 25 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2021 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 5 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 — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 6/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 42/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 8/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 44/100.