Rural Futures International

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
382852975
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Scotts, MI, USA
Phone
2696260223
Rating
60
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
International Agricultural Development

Reported finances

Revenue
$856,661
Expenses
$705,170
Assets
$2,473,293
Liabilities
$284,431

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

Leadership & pay

13 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • ERIC LAFARY (FORMER EXECU): $113,405 total reported compensation
  • RICK ESHUIS (INTERIM DIRE): $64,951 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Rural futures international (dba tillers international) is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving heritage skills and promoting sustainable, resilient agriculture through hands-on education. We empower communities locally and globally by teaching low-capital, animal-powered farming techniques and traditional craftsmanship, bridging historical wisdom with modern innovations to ensure long-term food security and rural self-sufficiency.

What it reported doing in 2024

The mission of rural futures international (dba tillers international) is to preserve, study, and teach heritage skills and sustainable technologies that empower people to achieve greater self-sufficiency and build community resilience. We fulfill this mission by providing hands-on education in traditional agricultural methods, animal traction, and heritage crafts. By connecting the wisdom of the past with modern innovations, we work to ensure long-term food security and the preservation of material culture both locally and in developing nations worldwide.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 81% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and most voting board members are independent. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and the filing does not identify recipients for some grant dollars.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 65
  • Transparency & Controls: 47
  • Accountability: 84
  • Sustainability: 63
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 71.1%; rating input score 71
  • Program expense ratio: 62.4%; rating input score 62
  • Fundraising efficiency: $11.42 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • 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: 17.7%; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.51; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.12; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 25.3%; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -7.2% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -0.5% per year; rating input score 0; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -3.7% per year; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 71.1% of revenue deployed · 62.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 12 of 12 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $440K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $113K · 13 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 31 of 31 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 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 — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 8 not reported.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 42/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 10/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 40/100.