Shelburne Farms

What it reported doing in 2025

Shelburne farms' mission is to inspire and cultivate learning for a sustainable future. The nonprofit offers learning experiences that are grounded in place and enriched by nature to help educators and students create a more thriving world. The organization's home campus is a 1,400- acre diversified working farm located in shelburne, Vermont on the homelands of the winooski band of the abenaki. The farm is a national historic landmark and serves as a living classroom that invites program participants, visitors, and overnight guests to learn, grow, and be inspired. Shelburne farms realizes its mission through programs offered under the umbrella of education for sustainability. Our work seeks to create space, spark conversations, and share stories to inspire educators, students, and learners of all ages to build a better future for everyone. Through its diverse portfolio of programs and activities, shelburne farms: - engages youth and people of all ages in learning experiences that inspire them to build resilient and caring communities; - practices stewardship and embodies values of place and community through caring for and sharing our natural, agricultural, cultural, and human resources; and - collaborates with educators and other local, national and international partners to advance education for sustainability worldwide. Shelburne farms is supported by charitable contributions, tuition, fees and additional revenue from its mission advancing enterprises, including a grass-based dairy and award-winning farmstead cheese making operation, an organic market garden, maple sugaring and lumber operation, special events, year-round guest accommodations, and farm-to-table food services. Following the gift of the property to the nonprofit in 1984, growing programs and improving the historic property as an inspiring campus for learning have been ongoing endeavors. As an educational nonprofit since 1972, the organization continues to touch the lives of thousands of people. In 2025, the farm received charitable support from 4,580 individual donors from 50 states and 6 countries. Shelburne farms' professional learning programs served 1,672 educators from across the country and around the world, both on-site and virtually. Welcome center attendance for the walking trails and children's farmyard totaled 126,485 people. In addition, 8,890 youth attended school programs and summer camps, and 45,142 others came to visit or stay at the farm and/or participate in family and adult programs, and events. There is no charge for day admission to the property. We welcome and encourage everyone who visits and enjoys the trails to consider a charitable gift to help make this possible. Every educator is seen as a life-long partner working to increase the impact of education for sustainability locally, nationally, and internationally. Ultimately the success of the education programs at shelburne farms is measured by deepening teacher practice and student learning, leading to improvements in quality of life for generations to come. Through the shelburne farms institute for sustainable schools, the hub for all professional learning programming, an innovative education for sustainability graduate certificate program is offered in collaboration with the university of Vermont. Shelburne farms continued to receive significant donor-designated funding for its education for sustainability programs. Gifts and grants provided critical support for the farm-based education network, Vermont feed (food education everyday) in collaboration with nofa-vt, and for climate change education programming. In partnership with the usda, shelburne farms is playing a leadership role in expanding farm to school programs nationally. Capital gifts and grants through the campaign for shelburne farms are making possible campus improvements and program development to advance education for sustainability on-site and globally. In addition to launching the shelburne farms institute for sust

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 69.8%; rating input score 70
• Program expense ratio: 79.5%; rating input score 79
• Fundraising efficiency: $9.48 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 92.9%; rating input score 93; 13th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Pass
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 92.8%; rating input score 93; 30th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 92.9%; rating input score 93; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 16.5%; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 9.04; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 8.3%; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 6.3% per year; rating input score 100; 48th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 9.8% per year; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 8.1% per year; rating input score 100; 57th percentile among comparable filings