Seattle Good Business Network
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It owes more than it owns.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
Seattle Good Business Network connects and inspires people to buy, produce, and invest locally, so that everyone has a meaningful stake in the local economy.
- Income
- $2.4 million
- Spending
- $2.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 75%
- Reserves
- -0.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 66%
- Employees
- 15
- Volunteers
- 37
- Highest pay
- $178,555, executive dir.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 45 out of 100. Higher than 15% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
0 of 20It owes 154% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 3% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 30% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1575% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 12 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 39% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 256 of 6 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
0 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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, 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)
- $915,855 spent. Seattle Restored reinvigorates our city by activating vacant storefronts in Seattle's neighborhoods with pop-up shops from local entrepreneurs. These projects benefit neighborhoods, small businesses, artists, and property owners and encourage the public to visit downtown Seattle, and support local businesses and artists. Each entrepreneur is provided with wrap-around support, including a no-cost lease, operating expenses, and business training, setting them up for future success. All Seattle Restored participants are included in a citywide media campaign: online, print, radio, and a digital passport program. In 2025, this program supported 62 participants, 10 of them moved on from the program to secure their own long-term lease of 2+ years. The program facilitated over $2,000,000 in sales in 2025.
- $486,383 spent. In 2025, our Good Food Economy initiatives continued to strengthen the local food chain by creating spaces for connection and collaboration across the Puget Sound, engaging 1,253 businesses and organizations through 1,593 individuals over the course of the year. Our flagship event, Good Food Connections, brought together over 370 producers, buyers, and community food stakeholders. The impact was immediate and tangible, with 71% of participants anticipating sales resulting from over 2,500 meaningful connections made and featuring 70 local producers through catered meals and a food expo. We debuted a new tasting and marketplace event, Taste of the Sound, connecting 70 local producers with over 100 buyers across multiple market channels and directly to the public. Our biannual dining promotion Seattle Restaurant Week drove customer visits to 314 restaurants, providing vital support for small, independent businesses in a slower season. We elevated community voices through focused listening sessions like Nourishing Local Connections, where, with partner organizations, we created a vital bridge between 195 food access organizations and 47 government representatives. This work led to policy recommendations including farm-to-food assistance investments and flexible grants for innovative new models to strengthen regional food security programming. Through ongoing facilitation of Good Food Forum, we continue to grow our community of now 1,600+ members, nurturing a vibrant ecosystem where all food businesses and organizations, including producers, chefs, schools, food assistance organizations, and more can find support, share resources, and collaborate on solutions that advance our regional food system. Through connections made on Good Food Exchange, our partners at Cascadia Produce redistributed 2.3 million pounds of rescued good food to over 70 food assistance organizations. These sales and donations guaranteed this good food was diverted to its highest use to people (95%), animals (4%), and compost (just 0.3%), ensuring no good food goes to waste and producers are paid for their food. Good Food Kitchens directed $69,002.55 to 9 community kitchen partners, sourcing from 34 local farms and producers, to prepare 8,132 nourishing, cultural meals for 13 organizations to distribute to community members.
- $225,971 spent. In 2025 Good Business Network's programs also included Seattle Made, Seattle Explored, and Northwest Sewn: Seattle Made is a collaborative program of hundreds of urban manufacturers and producers who are united to make it in Seattle, expanding opportunities for local ownership. Through an online community, makers share resources: production space & funding opportunities, pop-up sales events, wholesale and retail connections, and more. Seattle Explored provides pathways for locals and visitors alike to take advantage of the unique businesses and experiences Seattle has to offerin a handy digital format available via smartphone. Seattle Explored provides pathways for locals and visitors alike to take advantage of the unique businesses and experiences Seattle has to offerin a handy digital format available via smartphone. Northwest Sewn is a membership based community of peers working together to create the conditions for equitable job creation and meaningful employment, increased local manufacturing capacity, and industry collaboration across the Pacific Northwest.
- $99,650 spent. Sustainability & Circular Economy - We advance a circular economy by helping businesses shift from "take, use, throw away" to systems rooted in reuse, repair, and waste prevention. This approach connects our programs across sectors, building closed-loop systems and making reuse infrastructure accessible throughout our network. What this looks like: - Green Business Support: Through EnviroStars, we provided over 1,300 educational touchpoints with businesses in 2025, helping them reduce environmental impact and operational costs. - Material Reuse: Launching WA Reuses (summer 2026) with 51+ partners statewidea marketplace connecting businesses and organizations to reclaim and exchange materials before they become waste. - Food Recovery: Good Food Exchange has diverted 6 million pounds of food from landfills since 2023, connecting rescued food to businesses and food security organizations. - Community Partnerships: We fiscally sponsor the WA B Corp Collective, supporting businesses committed to social and environmental performance alongside profit. - Circular Textiles: Through NW Sewn's 2025 "Shoddy not Shoddy" design challenge, 15 designers transformed nearly 100 pounds of textile waste from Seattle Central College's Apparel Design program into new products.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 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 October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Worth knowing.
Status was revoked on May 15, 2013 for not filing returns for three years, and reinstated on May 15, 2014.
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 2025.
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 September 2015.
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.