The Farmhand Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
933023402
IRS 990 coverage
2024–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2023
Location
Lander, WY, USA
Phone
8052171817
Rating
60
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Management & Technical Assistance

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,241,638
Expenses
$890,163
Assets
$542,151
Liabilities
$384

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

3 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Whitney Clapper (Executive Director)

Highest reported compensation

  • Whitney Clapper (Executive Director): $161,986 total reported compensation
  • Justin Herber (Co-Founder): $53,798 total reported compensation
  • Stephanie Parker (Director of Agronomy): $36,132 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Farmhand Foundation exists to carry the work that often goes unseen. We partner with farmers and communities to strengthen ecosystems, livelihoods and market access to help build food systems rooted in care, resilience, and longevity. We're also farmers and manage Moon + Oaks Farm, giving us the ability to learn alongside the growers in our region.

What it reported doing in 2025

Farmhand Foundation supported farmers and regional food systems through technical assistance, education, and regenerative agriculture initiatives in the Ventura watershed. The organization provided direct assistance to farmers managing over 1,200 acres, including organic transition support, grant writing, and funding navigation, contributing more than 250 staff hours. Farmhand delivered workshops, field days, and a regional listening tour to strengthen farmer knowledge and capacity. At Moon + Oaks Farm, the organization implemented regenerative practices such as compost application, cover cropping, integrated grazing, and soil health innovations to improve soil function and water retention. Farmhand also facilitated market access by connecting producers with regional buyers, including schools, supporting distribution of locally grown food. These activities increased farmer access to resources, supported adoption of regenerative practices, and contributed to the environmental and economic sustainability of the regional agricultural system.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% 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 total spending goes to programs and the filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of voting board members are independent and a relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 64
  • Transparency & Controls: 70
  • Accountability: 28
  • Sustainability: 56
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 51.9%; rating input score 52
  • Program expense ratio: 72.4%; rating input score 72
  • Fundraising efficiency: $663.62 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 96; 96th 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: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 0%; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 28.3%; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.61; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 28.3%; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 49.2% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 69.4% per year; rating input score 100; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 65.8% per year; rating input score 100; 97th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 51.9% of revenue deployed · 72.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 0 of 3 board members independent · 6 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $645K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $162K · 3 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2024 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 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 — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 0/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 52/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 29/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 9/100.