Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
To help local farms thrive, link farmers to markets and supporters, and build healthy communities through connections to local food.
- Income
- $2.8 million
- Spending
- $2.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 86%
- Reserves
- 1.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 57%
- Employees
- 22
- Volunteers
- 58
- Highest pay
- $98,067, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 65 out of 100. Higher than 30% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.2 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 37% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 20% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 34% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1586% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 5 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 60% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 258 of 8 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 December 31, 2024, 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 (3)
- $1.9 million spent. ASAPs three programmatic areas are the Local Food Campaign, Growing Minds program and Local Food Research Center. The Local Food Campaigns capacity building work gives farmers and buyers skills, tools, resources, and connections they need to succeed. The Appalachian Grown regional branding and certification program certified over 850 farms. Those farms gain access to promotional and packaging materials to identify farm products as certified local. More than 450 partner businesses including grocers, restaurants, distributors, hospitals, colleges, and public schools also participate in the program. Local Food Campaign organizers help make connections between farmers and buyers, share stories about food and farms in our communities, and promote local food where consumers shop and dine. This includes events such as ASAPs Annual Farm Tour and publishing the Local Food Guide, of which 70,000 copies were printed and distributed. The program hosts its annual ASAP Business of Farming Conference, delivering over a dozen workshops to hundreds of participants. ASAP operates a weekly farmers market in downtown Asheville and assists more than 100 farmers markets to understand best practices for management, promotion, and navigation of the regulatory environment. To expand participation in the local food movement, ASAP operates two incentive programs, including Double SNAP for Fruits and Vegetables and a Farm Fresh Produce Prescription program to provide eligible participants with weekly incentives for local fresh fruits and vegetables at farmers markets. In 2024 the program supported farms with relief and recovery resources in response to Hurricane Helene, including offering immediate need funds and and reinstating Appalachian Farms Feeding Families to connect farmers with alternative market outlets.
- ASAPs Growing Minds program connects education, health, and wellness programming with local agriculture. This program provides support and resources in order to create healthy food environments and experiences to better the health of all members of our community, including children, their parents, teachers, and school staff. The program provides workshops and other training to educators so that they can integrate local food, healthy eating, and farm-based activities into their work. Implementation is supported through tools, resources, materials, and funds distributed to teachers and community health professionals across the region. This helps to facilitate the creation/maintenance of school gardens, provide cooking demonstrations, support local procurement for classrooms and cafeterias, or take farm field trips. The program facilitates positive local food and farm experiences for thousands of children throughout our service region. Dietetic Interns from partner colleges and universities are trained to implement farm-to- school activities in their future professions. ASAP continued the Growing Minds @ Community Colleges to embed farm to preschool into NC Community College early childhood education programs. Growing Minds co-facilitates the NC Farm to Preschool Network and serves on the advisory committee for the Farm to School Coalition of North Carolina.
- The Local Food Research Center (LFRC) examines the social, economic, and environmental impacts of localizing food systems. The center researches and tests ASAPs theory of food system change. ASAPs theory is that creating democratic and responsive food systems will increase community well-being, build resilient economies, and support environmental sustainability. Closer connections and knowledge developed through food system experiences empowers citizens to consciously create a just and sustainable food system. LFRC provides research and support for ASAPs ongoing programming for farmers and the community, content and context for the Local Food Guide, ASAPs annual report, and more. Research findings also support ASAPs fundraising efforts and research staff provides content, framing, and writing support for several proposals. LFRC also provides ongoing evaluation assistance to other ASAP programs and administers ASAPs annual survey to farmers, which informs the work of the Local Food Campaign.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since December 2002.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.