The Greenhouse Project

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
270689431
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Carson City, NV, USA
Phone
7752328626
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Environmental Education and Outdoor Survival Programs

Reported finances

Revenue
$336,362
Expenses
$329,748
Assets
$722,197
Liabilities
$1,459

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

Leadership & pay

13 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • KAREN ABOWD (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • JON RUITER (EXECUTIVE DI): $36,907 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The greenhouse project has been serving the carson city community since 2010 with its mission of "growing, giving and teaching for a healthier, greener, sustainable community." we currently provide year-round fresh produce to local organizations who serve the food-insecure of our community. We also contribute to the work-based learning opportunities of the carson high school agricultural students through on-site education and supply the chs culinary arts department with produce. All students, including special needs students, learn about sustainable practices by helping with planting and nurturing greenhouse crops, including the petunia seedlings used for our annual downtown flower basket beautification program.

What it reported doing in 2024

The greenhouse project (tgp) provides year-round fresh produce to community organizations in carson city who serve the food-insecure of our community. Since the beginning of 2014, tgp has donated nearly 31,500 pounds of fresh, healthy produce (as of 3/2025) to eight local organizations that directly and primarily serve low- and very-low-income families and individuals in the carson city community. Tgp also contributed to the work-based learning opportunities of the more than 200 carson high school agricultural students through on-site education. All students, including special needs students, learn about sustainable practices by helping with planting and nurturing greenhouse crops, including the petunia seedlings used for the downtown corridor hanging flower basket beautification project.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 75% 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.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 82
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 79
  • Sustainability: 48
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 85%; rating input score 85
  • Program expense ratio: 86.5%; rating input score 86
  • Fundraising efficiency: $16.45 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 2%; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.19; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 11.2%; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 6.2% per year; rating input score 100; 58th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3.6% per year; rating input score 100; 45th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3.6% per year; rating input score 100; 41st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 85% of revenue deployed · 86.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 12 of 12 board members independent · 4 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $285K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $37K · 13 people listed
  • Consistency: 31 of 31 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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.

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 7 not reported.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 53/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 44/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 28/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 54/100.