United Fresh Start Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
541880528
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2021
Forms available
Form 990 2021
Location
Washington, DC, USA
Phone
2023033400
Rating
77
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Nutrition

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$63,004
Expenses
$651,132
Assets
$0
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2021. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

14 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • THOMAS STENZEL (PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • LISA MCNEECE (CHAIRMAN)
  • CINDY JEWELL (DIRECTOR)
  • TYLER DEUTSCH (DIRECTOR)

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 2021. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Create a unique platform to provide a fresh start for kids by increasing their access to fresh fruit and vegetables.

What it reported doing in 2021

The united fresh start foundation contributes to an environment in which kids develop healthy bodies, minds, and eating habits by increasing children's access to fresh fruits and vegetables where they live, learn, and play. We focus our efforts in three areas:1. In schools reaching kids from pre-k through 12th grade throughout the school day and during school-based events. The salad bar program provides schools with a salad bar through which to serve fresh fruits and vegetables. Salad bars are a visually appealing way to highlight fresh produce choices to students. Salad bars also support schools in meeting school lunch nutrition standards requiring a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables are provided each week.2. In communities reaching kids everywhere outside of school, including during evenings, weekends, and in summer. The united fresh start foundation community grants program extends the foundation's work beyond the school day, providing children with access to fresh fruits and vegetables in after school programs, on the weekends, during the summer, and through other creative venues. Grants of up to $2,500 are offered to support programs, events, and activities organized by non-profit, community based organizations that share the foundation's commitment to increasing children's access to fresh produce and helping kids develop lifelong healthy eating habits.3. In the fresh fruit and vegetable industry reaching kids by linking united fresh produce association member companies to schools and communities to provide unique knowledge, resources, and insights, enabling the fresh produce industry to support the foundation's mission.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 78% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - 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 expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 85
  • Transparency & Controls: 87
  • Accountability: 78
  • Sustainability: 10
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 87.4%; rating input score 87
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 92.3%; rating input score 92; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 99.4%; rating input score 99; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 92.9%; rating input score 93; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 4 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 57
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -933.5%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -20.9% per year; rating input score 0; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -18.1% per year; rating input score 0; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3.1% per year; rating input score 100; 59th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 87.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 13 of 14 board members independent · 4 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $569K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 14 people listed
  • Consistency: 14 of 15 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes grants
  • Filing history: 11 filing years from 2011 to 2021
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 3 filed related-organization links
  • 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: 2 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 5/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 3/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.