The Heal Project

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
270192940
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Half Moon Bay, CA, USA
Phone
6509182422
Rating
83
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Environmental Education and Outdoor Survival Programs

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$39,026
Expenses
$84,362
Assets
$585,838
Liabilities
$79,363

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

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

People named in this filing

  • MARY OLDHAM (CO-CHAIR)
  • JASON MOUSEL (CO-CHAIR)
  • DIANNE KAVANAGH (TREASURER)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

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

Overview

Mission

The heal project teaches students to make healthy choices for themselves and their world. We teach kids where their food comes from and why it matters.

What it reported doing in 2024

Student participant numbers in our two main programs (below) grew 17%, reaching a new record high of 4,800 participants in the fiscal year. The heal project garden programs: a comprehensive health education program integrated into the daily school schedule of four elementary schools within the cabrillo unified school district, primarily focusing on grades 2-3. The program utilizes a combination of classroom instruction, garden and food- based curriculum & activities focusing on health, environmental, & agricultural literacy. The heal project farm program: a hands-on environmental educational program available to school children of san mateo county. The program primarily benefits elementary school level but is open to grades k-12, providing opportunities to understand food systems & develop positive associations with fresh produce through planting, growing, harvesting and eating activities. The program operates through field trips and day camp programs. Volunteer program: participation in our volunteer program (connecting local residents, students, and service groups with training and hands-on experience on our working farm, while growing, harvesting, and preparing produce for local food programs) grew by 330%, reaching a record of nearly 1,200 hours. Capacity building: completed comprehensive staff training on trauma- informed nutrition, and supported extensive professional development for educators to better deliver content to students of all backgrounds.

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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

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: 83
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 76
  • Sustainability: 34
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 71.9%; rating input score 72
  • Fundraising efficiency: $3.04 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 3 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 43
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • 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: -116.2%; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 6.94; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.14; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 0.9% per year; rating input score 100; 54th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 2.2% per year; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 13.2% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 71.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 8 of 8 board members independent · 3 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $61K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 8 people listed
  • Consistency: 23 of 23 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 29/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 18/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 56/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 17/100.