New Markets Lab
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE CORPORATION IS ORGANIZED FOR THE CHARITABLE AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE OF: ADVANCE THE SPREAD OF SUSTAINABLE AND EQUITABLE COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE ALONG AFRICA'S "DEVELOPMENT CORRIDORS" IN WAYS THAT MEASURABLY IMPROVE THE INCOME OF SMALL FARMERS AND INTEGRATE THEM INTO A DYNAMIC, INTERNATINALLY COMPETITIVE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR.
- Income
- $577,192
- Spending
- $585,896
- Spent on programs
- 85%
- Reserves
- 2.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 3
- Volunteers
- 20
- Highest pay
- $240,000, president & dir
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: 58 out of 100. Higher than 26% of charities in its peer group (human services, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 2.4 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 12% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 2% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 20% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1584% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 8 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
Weak: 46 out of 100. Higher than 13% of charities in its peer group (human services, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 254 of 5 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
0 of 15Reports no written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
0 of 10Did not give 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
6 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, 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 (1)
- $494,952 spent. In 2024, the New Markets Lab (NML) partnered with new and existing organizations to further its mission of advancing the spread of sustainable and equitable commercial agriculture to the benefit of small farmers and communities and leveraging law and regulation as a tool to advance economic and social development in an evolving global market.International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI): In 2024, NML continued its collaboration with IFPRI under the CGIAR Breeding for Tomorrow/Seed Equal Research Initiative. The Initiative aims to support the delivery of seed of improved, climate-resilient, market-preferred and nutritious varieties of priority crops that embody a high rate of genetic gain to farmers, ensuring equitable access for women and other disadvantaged groups. NML designed and documented an empirical mapping methodology for cross-country analysis of seed regulatory systems, structured around four core domains: (i) public varietal research, development, and transfer; (ii) seed variety registration and release; (iii) seed certification and quality assurance; and (iv) seed trade. The resulting comparative study featured Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Uganda for the Agricultural Systems Special Issue on Designing, Assessing and Scaling Approaches for Integrated Seed Sector Development (Walter de Boef, ed.). Using the methodology, NML conducted and expanded comparative assessments for Kenya, Tanzania, covering four domains: (i) public varietal research, development, and transfer; (ii) seed variety registration and release; (iii) seed certification and quality assurance; and (iv) seed trade. NML also added and significantly updated maps for Kenya and Tanzania and refreshed previously developed maps to reflect current statutes, regulations, and institutional practice.International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMYYT): In 2024, NML partnered with CIMMYT, an international CGIAR Research Center, focused on creating a more productive, inclusive, and resilient agri-food system (under the Accelerated Varietal Improvement and Seed Delivery of Legumes and Cereals in Africa (AVISA) Project, now the Dryland Legumes and Cereals Project). NML developed a suite of legal toolsincluding model licensing agreements, annotated guides, and customized frameworks for Ghana, Nigeria, and Tanzaniathat provide national agricultural research and extension services (NARES) with the practical foundation to operationalize licensing. Building on these tools, NML delivered targeted capacity building workshops in Ghana and Tanzania, strengthening institutional capacity to apply licensing concepts, comply with plant breeders rights and other relevant laws, and align with regional approaches across sub-Saharan Africa.Consortium Independent Study on Moratorium on Customs Duties on Electronic Transmissions: In 2024, NML wrapped up its work under the independent, partly self-funded study with a consortium of partners including AWS and SIA, entitled The MSME Moratorium: Stories from MSMEs in South Africa and Kenya on the WTO Moratorium on Customs Duties on Electronic Transmissions. The study relied on extensive fieldwork carried out in Kenya and South Africa to evaluate the potential effects of the Moratoriums expiration on micro-, small, and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs). The findings underscore the importance of inclusive trade policymaking, engaging stakeholders in consultations, and considering the voices of MSMEs in crafting new trade rules that affect digital trade.Nathan Associates LLC (now Cadmus Group LLC): In 2024, the Cadmus Group re-engaged the NML team to work on a project focused on analyzing the gender impacts of legal and policy changes that resulted from the implementation of the ASEAN Australia New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA). Under the project, NML was tasked with generating evidence at the national level, developing a research brief to inform and guide future activities of the Trade and Gender Incubator, and equipping government officials and trade negotiators with practicable information about priority gender issues that could be used to inform future trade agreements. Cornell University: In 2024, NML continued its work on a project with Cornell, Feed the Future, and the broader international development community on management of intellectual assets developed under federally funded projects. The project was co-led through the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Crop Improvement (ILCI) based at Cornell. Based on analysis, interviews, and case studies, the study highlighted common challenges in intellectual asset management, scaling, and dissemination, leading to recommendations on how to strengthen agricultural technology dissemination and scaling and suggestions for developing a tailored U.S. framework on management of agricultural technology. The findings of the study were presented at a conference in Spring of 2024. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Texas A&M Universitys Center for Education Technologies (TAMU): Building on its collaboration with USDA and TAMU to develop a companion toolkit to the WTO Standards and Trade and Development Facility (STDF) Good Regulatory Practices (GRP) toolkit on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures, NML led a series of workshops to test the digitized GRP SPS tool 2024. The workshops were attended by about 300 stakeholders in Nigeria, Zambia, Kenya, Gabon, and Botswana, including regulators from SPS regulatory agencies and the private sector.
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 August 2012.
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.