Sowing Empowerment and Economic Development Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
522227244
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Riverdale, MD, USA
Phone
3014589808
Rating
66
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Human Service Organizations

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,083,990
Expenses
$1,214,385
Assets
$350,451
Liabilities
$487,974

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

Leadership & pay

15 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Lisa B McDougal (SEED - President no independent)
  • Nichole Mattison Jackson (SEED - Vice President of Programs)

Highest reported compensation

  • Lisa B McDougal (SEED - President no independent): $173,244 total reported compensation
  • Nichole Mattison Jackson (SEED - Vice President of Programs): $127,692 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Sowing Empowerment & Economic Development Inc. (SEED) is a non-profit organization created to provide food, clothing, education, and training, while promoting self-sufficiency and empowerment directly to low to moderate income families.

What it reported doing in 2024

106,200 pounds of emergency food, and 64,000 pounds of fresh produce provided to 4,260 individuals through the SEED Food Distribution Center in Riverdale and EXCEL Academys Family Market in Fort Washington, MD. 8 food pantries in Councilmanic Districts 1-4 in Prince Georges County, MD received monthly supplemental food items from the SEED food hub to serve 1,300 people. 88,000 pounds of food provided to 254 people in Detroit, MI. Diapers distributed to 179 babies. 100 families received holiday baskets. 225 seniors in Detroit, MI received customized utility carts to transport their donated food. 47 first time home buyers educated through virtual workshops. 10 received education through online courses. The education helped 7 clients purchase homes. 194 individuals received financial literacy training. Foreclosure Prevention counseling was provided to 26 households, with 1 received modification. 106,200 pounds of emergency food, and 64,000 pounds of fresh produce provided to 4,260 individuals through the SEED Food Distribution Center in Riverdale and EXCEL Academys Family Market in Fort Washington, MD. 8 food pantries in Councilmanic Districts 1-4 in Prince Georges County, MD received monthly supplemental food items from the SEED food hub to serve 1,300 people. 88,000 pounds of food provided to 254 people in Detroit, MI. Diapers distributed to 179 babies. 100 families received holiday baskets. 225 seniors in Detroit, MI received customized utility carts to transport their donated food. 47 first time home buyers educated through virtual workshops. 10 received education through online courses. The education helped 7 clients purchase homes. 194 individuals received financial literacy training. Foreclosure Prevention counseling was provided to 26 households, with 1 received modification. Free aftercare program provided to 30 scholars in Cornerstone Jefferson-Douglass Academy in Detroit, MI through SEED Extended Learning Program. 72 scholars participated in the SEED Freedom School Program in Fort Washington, MD and Detroit, MI.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
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

SUPPORTED - 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 program spending has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 67
  • Transparency & Controls: 70
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 13
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 77.3%; rating input score 77
  • Program expense ratio: 69%; rating input score 69
  • Fundraising efficiency: $4.02 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 92.9%; rating input score 93; 19th 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: 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; 63rd 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: -12%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.29; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 1.39; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 24.8%; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -23.2% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -11.1% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -1.1% per year; rating input score 0; 14th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 77.3% of revenue deployed · 69% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 13 of 13 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $838K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $173K · 15 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 27 of 28 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2012 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 13/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 15/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 14/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 3/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 10/100.