Planting Justice
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Planting Justice is democratizing access to affordable, nutritious food by empowering disenfranchised urban residents with the skills, resources, and inspiration to maximize food production, economic opportunities, and environmental sustainability in our neighborhoods.
- Income
- $6.0 million
- Spending
- $5.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 84%
- Reserves
- 4.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 76%
- Employees
- 58
- Volunteers
- 50
- Highest pay
- $106,687, 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
Good: 81 out of 100. Higher than 54% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 4.8 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 18% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 14% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 8% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1584% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 3 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: 95 out of 100. Higher than 55% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2511 of 18 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
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
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 (10)
- $2.3 million spent. Commercial Organic Nursery: In fall of 2015, Planting Justice purchased Rolling River Commercial Organic Nursery, in order to create more jobs and demonstrate the organizations ability to promote and manage social benefit enterprises that can accomplish the mission without necessarily requiring charitable support or public funding. In addition to the commercial nursery, Planting Justice will construct and operate aquaponics greenhouses, which can be replicated on urban lots, paved areas, or toxic soils, using an innovative technique to grow vegetables above self-contained fish tanks.
- $559,351 spent. Aquaponics Farm. Planting Justice acquired the historic Neishi Brothers Nursery site at 359 105th Avenue just down the block from PJ nursery, which has been vacant for 15 yrs, as the site for its Aquaponics Incubator Farm. With support from UC Davis Aquaponics program, PJ will build an educational aquaponics farm that is estimated to produce 170,000 lbs of certified organic vegetables herbs and over 150,000 nursery starts, each year, in a community that currently has zero access to organic, affordable produce. Like PJ nursery, this farm will be led by long-term residents in deep East Oakland with barriers to employment, and as an educational incubator farm, its goal is to create a replicable and scalable model for sustainable organic food production, economic justice, re-entry job creation, frontline BIPOC leadership, and cooperative land business ownership in Environmental Justice communities. Upon completion, PJ will open-source its technology and model to support a Producers Cooperative that can replicate this project on empty lots throughout East Oakland, owned and operated by long-term residents most impacted by economic social injustice. This farm is projected to create approximately at least 12 full-time living-wage benfitted jobs for formerly incarcerated youth and adults, recent immigrants, and others with barriers to employment, while serving as an educational center that will serve over 1,000 youth and adults per year with hands-on learning in sustainable urban agriculture.
- $530,272 spent. 5 Acre Farm: With more than 400 trees now planted on contour in earthscape features called swales Planting Justice is now focused on supporting those trees and planting fruiting shrubs in between rows. Planting Justice is approaching the incredible milestone of having 1,000 varieties of edible plants in the soil in El Sobrante.
- $514,102 spent. Food Justice Education: The Planting Justice Education Team leads workshops using its self-designed curriculum in food justice, culinary arts, and permaculture design that empowers participants with the skills and knowledge they need to transform their common spaces into productive and educational organic gardens.
- $314,006 spent. The Good Table
- $110,529 spent. Reentry
- $30,096 spent. Sacramento Nursery
- $2,878 spent. Grass roots canvass Program: The Planting Justice Grass Roots Canvass Team continues to raise over $250,000 per year for Planting Justice's operating budget in small donations from Bay Area community members. Sparking conversations about the prison system, corporate food control, backyard gardening and green job creation the canvass team spoke to over 51,750 people on the streets about food justice issues since its inception in 2012.
- Fiscal Sponsorship: Lead to Life is transforming weapons into shovels for tree planting ceremonies at sites that have been impacted by violence or carry spiritual significance across Atlanta occupied lands of the Cherokee and Creek people and Oakland occupied lands of the Ohlone people. Mycelium Youth Network is dedicated to bridging the gap between increasing climate-related disasters and the abilities of young people to proactively respond.
- Sacramento Nursery
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 November 6, 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 April 2010.
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 November 4, 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.