Rochester Lifestyle Medicine Institute

What it reported doing in 2025

Free educational programs for doctors and general public: lifestyle medicine grand rounds (doctors receive free continuing medical education credit) & lifestyle as medicine lectures; the 15-day whole-food plant-based jumpstart introduces people to a healthy plant-based diet and helps them stay on a healthy path. The program objective is to help individuals to take charge of their own health; to establish a partnership with their medical providers where possible; and by succeeding on a large scale with an accessible, affordable program, to transform the health care system from the grass roots up. More than 2800 people have taken jumpstart. The program is validated by results which form the basis for published studies and for certification by the american college of lifestyle medicine lift is a program that address other elements of healthy living in addition to plant-based diet, in order to provide balanced support for a sustainable long-term healthy path, in both people who have completed jumpstart ("alumni") and people who seek these programs independently. Lift is certified by the american college of lifestyle medicine. This program, along with other programs and offerings including beyond jumpstart, the whole-food plant-based (wfpb) support group, and the rlmi community forum, help insure that a health-supporting behavior change can be sustained over a lifetime, with community and educational support.free educational programs for doctors and lay people allow us to provide community support and information about a healthy plant-based lifestyle to as many people as possible. Members of the general public may attend any of our free monthly lectures and obtain life-changing, and sometimes life-saving, knowledge. Doctors may attend the same lectures, and also have programs specially designed for them-lifestyle medicine grand rounds and continuing medical education courses built around jumpstart and lift-to convey to them the empirical basis for using lifestyle change to improve health. Doctors play a special role in teaching their patients about plant-based diet and lifestyle change and can be vectors for a widespread culture change and an upward spiral of healthy behavior.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 66.3%; rating input score 66
• Program expense ratio: 71.4%; rating input score 71
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

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: 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: 3 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 43
  • 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: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Fail
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 8%; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.83; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 6.6% per year; rating input score 100; 44th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 16% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 24.2% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings