Santa Cruz Hub for Sustainable Living
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
A Santa Cruz Resource center for do-it-yourself, human scale technology and an advocate for livable, interconnected communities. Our projects provide access to space, resources, and educational opportunities through demonstration, outreach, and hands on learning. The Santa Cruz Hub for Sustainable Living is a decentralized non-hierarchical community network that builds solidarity with and creates safer spaces for communities facing coercive forces, through creative culture, compassion, and collaboration.
- Income
- $742,317
- Spending
- $572,912
- Spent on programs
- 83%
- Reserves
- 11.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 54%
- Employees
- 26
- Volunteers
- 100
- Highest pay
- $2,079, administrative co-director
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
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 72% of charities in its peer group (environment, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 11.8 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 23% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 39% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1583% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 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: 76 out of 100. Higher than 46% of charities in its peer group (environment, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 254 of 5 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a 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
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
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, 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)
- $173,466 spent. Tenant Sanctuary is a Santa Cruz legal aid organization by tenants for tenants. Volunteers work with an attorney to counsel tenants. Tenant Sanctuary served all City of Santa Cruz residents.
- $163,215 spent. In 2024, California Field School (CFS) provided transformative outdoor experiences for youth through six multi-day educational bike trips, serving approximately 50-60 participants with 23 days of direct programming. We maintained a 100% trip completion rate with zero safety incidents. Our program strengthened community partnerships, expanded collaborations with organizations like Waterside Workshops and Oakland Unified School District, and trained three new Field School leads. Additionally, we improved route options, storage infrastructure, and program logistics. Looking ahead, we are focused on fiscal sustainability through diversified funding, expanding partnerships, and increasing operational efficiency to continue empowering youth through outdoor education.
- $149,226 spent. The Bike Church is a community bicycle shop and tool collective where people can learn to repair their bikes with the help of experienced mechanics. In 2025, we focused on rebuilding, hiring new staff, expanding volunteer engagement, and strengthening community programs. We sold over 259 bikes, launched a Donation-Based Lock Program, and partnered with Ecology Action to host bike maintenance workshops. We also reintroduced volunteer nights, bringing in dedicated community members to help with shop maintenance and bike repairs. In 2026, we aim to expand workshops, grow our volunteer base, and continue making bicycle repair accessible to all.
- Statement of Program Service Accomplishments The remaining program services of the Santa Cruz Hub for Sustainable Living include: 1) The Fabrica is a community workspace where people can learn an share knowledge about textile arts. It is a community textile arts and salvage workshop. This includes sewing, knitting, quilting, embroidery, crochet, and bookbinding, among other arts. The workshop is operated by volunteers and funded by participant donations. The Fabrica has sewing machines, generous amounts of fabric, zippers, notions, and other tools and supplies necessary for most sewing and yarn based projects. No one turned away for lack of funds. 2) SubRosa is a collectively run community space, a place to meet others, challenge our assumptions, and act on our passions. We strive to create a vibrant community for events, classes, meetings, organizing, performance art, studying, and more. No one turned away for lack of funds. 3) The Santa Cruz Climate Action Network seeks to address the current climate change emergency, recognizing that failure to act quick will have devastating effects on future generations of humans other life forms. 4) The Welcoming Network accompanies asylum seekers and recent refugees as they establish their new homes in Santa Cruz County. Volunteers assist New Neighbors in identifying needs and accessing essential resources, with a focus on housing, healthcare, and legal services. On average, we serve 15-20 families at any time. Our goal is to help New Neighbors secure legal status, stable housing, education, healthcare, and employment. This year, we expanded partnerships, launching a free asylum application clinic and strengthening outreach efforts to recruit more volunteers.
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? 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 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 May 2001.
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.