Oldways Preservation & Exchange Trust Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
OLDWAYS IS A NONPROFIT DEDICATED TO IMPROVING PUBLIC HEALTH BY INSPIRING INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS TO EMBRACE THE HEALTHY, SUSTAINABLE JOYS OF THE "OLD WAYS" OF EATING - HERITAGE BASED DIETS HIGH IN TASTE, NOURISHMENT, SUSTAINABILITY, AND JOY. OLDWAYS' MISSION IS TO HELP PEOPLE LIVE HEALTHIER, HAPPIER LIVES BY OFFERING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, RESOURCES, AND RECIPES BASED ON CULTURAL FOOD TRADITIONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
- Income
- $2.5 million
- Spending
- $2.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 87%
- Reserves
- 5.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 50%
- Employees
- 11
- Volunteers
- 75
- Highest pay
- $246,128, pres/clerk/exec dir
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 81 out of 100.
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 5.1 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 24% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 16% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 27% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1587% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100.
Independent board
25 of 259 of 10 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (4)
- $720,128 spent. OLDWAYS CULINARIAS ARE CULINARY AND CULTURAL EXPLORATIONS, INTENDED TO PROVIDE INFORMATION AND INSPIRE PARTICIPANTS TO EMBRACE THE HEALTHY AND SUSTAINABLE JOYS OF CULTURAL FOOD TRADITIONS. THESE EDUCATIONAL TRIPS INCLUDE ACCLAIMED CHEFS, FOOD EXPERTS, FOOD PRODUCERS, AND ARE CAREFULLY CURATED WEEK-LONG ITINERARIES FILLED WITH UNFORGETTABLE CULTURAL AND CULINARY LEARNING EXPERIENCES. DURING FY 2025, WE ORGANIZED FIVE CULINARIAS: PIEDMONT, ITALY IN OCTOBER 2024 WITH 26 PARTICIPANTS; CROATIA IN NOVEMBER 2024 WITH 34 PARTICIPANTS; SAN SEBASTIAN, SPAIN IN MARCH 2025 WITH 23 PARTICIPANTS, PROVENCE, FRANCE IN APRIL 2025 WITH 23 PARTICIPANTS, AND TURKEY/BLACK SEA IN MAY 2025 WITH 28 PARTICIPANTS.
- $300,535 spent. FOR WHOLE GRAINS MONTH IN SEPTEMBER 2024, THE WHOLE GRAINS COUNCIL HOSTED A MONTH-LONG WHOLE GRAIN CELEBRATION. IN MARCH 2025, THE WGC CELEBRATED WHOLE DAY FOR WHOLE GRAIN ENGAGING HUNDREDS OF PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO HOST EVENTS AND POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA. IN ADDITION TO THESE ANNUAL EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGNS, THE WGC CONTINUALLY PROVIDES EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES ABOUT WHOLE GRAINS SCIENTIFIC, CULINARY, AND NUTRITIONAL TO HELP CONSUMERS FIND, COOK, AND CONSUME WHOLE GRAINS. THE WGC CONTINUES TO SUPPORT ITS MISSION AND ITS APPROXIMATELY 333 ACTIVE MEMBERS BY WORKING CLOSELY WITH REGULATORS AND ADVOCATING FOR CLEAR AND SENSIBLE WHOLE GRAIN REGULATIONS, PRODUCT LABELING, AND DIETARY RECOMMENDATIONS. THE WGC WAS ELECTED TO CHAIR THE INTERNATIONAL WHOLE GRAIN INITIATIVE, A GLOBAL CONSORTIUM OF WHOLE GRAIN EXPERTS WORKING TO INCREASE WHOLE GRAIN CONSUMPTION AND IMPROVE PUBLIC HEALTH AROUND THE WORLD. THE WGC COMPLETED ITS BI-ANNUAL CONSUMER SURVEY ABOUT WHOLE GRAINS IN JUNE OF 2025. IT WAS PUBLISHED ON OCTOBER 15, 2025.
- $120,823 spent. THE AFRICAN HERITAGE AND HEALTH PROGRAM IS FOCUSED ON BRINGING THE HEALTHY CULINARY TRADITIONS OF THE AFRICAN DIASPORA - THE AFRICAN HERITAGE DIET -- TO AN AMERICAN AUDIENCE. THE AFRICAN HERITAGE DIET IS A WAY OF EATING BASED ON THE HEALTHY FOOD TRADITIONS OF PEOPLE WITH AFRICAN ROOTS. THIS HEALTHY WAY OF EATING IS POWERFULLY NUTRITIOUS AND DELICIOUS, AND NATURALLY MEETS THE GUIDELINES EXPERTS RECOMMEND FOR SUPPORTING GOOD HEALTH. OLDWAYS HAS CREATED A NUMBER OF RESOURCES TO DO THIS, INCLUDING TWO CURRICULA TO TEACH THE AFRICAN HERITAGE DIET: A TASTE OF AFRICAN HERITAGE AND A CHILDREN'S TASTE OF AFRICAN HERITAGE PLUS A DIGITAL VERSION OF A TASTE OF AFRICAN HERITAGE. THERE ARE ALSO A NUMBER OF ONLINE RESOURCES THAT CAN BE DOWNLOADED.
- $645,269 spent. ALL OF OLDWAYS PROGRAMS WORK TOWARD THE MISSION OF INSPIRING PEOPLE TO EMBRACE THE HEALTHY AND SUSTAINABLE JOYS OF CULTURAL FOOD TRADITIONS, WORK THAT HAS BEEN AHEAD OF THE CURVE FOR 33 YEARS. THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET PROGRAM WAS OLDWAYS FIRST PROGRAM, AS WE INTRODUCED THE HEALTH PROFILE, FOODS AND RECIPES OF THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET TO A US AUDIENCE, BEGINNING IN 1993. WE HAVE CREATED A WIDE VARIETY OF RESOURCES TO DO THIS, INCLUDING A 4-WEEK MENU OF MEDITERRANEAN DISHES. SIMILAR TO THE MEDITERRANEAN PROGRAM, WE PROVIDE INFORMATION AND A NUMBER OF RESOURCES ABOUT ASIAN AND LATIN AMERICAN CULTURAL MODELS FOR HEALTHY EATING. ALSO, OLDWAYS HAS A CURRICULUM TO TEACH THE TRADITIONAL LATIN AMERICAN DIET A TASTE OF LATIN AMERICAN HERITAGE. THE PLANT FORWARD PLATES PROGRAM CREATED A SEVEN-DAY VEGAN MENU (SCALED TO 25, 50, 75 AND 100 PORTIONS) FOR HOSPITALS AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS. THE OLDWAYS CHEESE COALITION IS AN OLDWAYS PROGRAM WITH 25 MEMBERS, DESIGNED TO INSPIRE PEOPLE TO EMBRACE THE JOYS OF THE OLD WAYS OF EATING TRADITIONAL CHEESES IN HEALTHY AMOUNTS, INCLUDING NEWSLETTERS, EVENTS AND SOCIAL MEDIA.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since September 1990.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
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