Stop Foodborne Illness Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
As the voice of people affected by foodborne illness, we collaborate with partners in academia, the food industry, and government to prevent foodborne illness. We advocate for effective food safety policy and facilitate culture change to increase food safety.
- Income
- $123,692
- Spending
- $1.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 88%
- Reserves
- 5.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 8
- Volunteers
- 12
- Highest pay
- $152,239, ceo
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: 48 out of 100. Higher than 14% of charities in its peer group (food and agriculture, under $250k).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 5.4 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 2% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 731% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 94% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1588% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 41 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 73% of charities in its peer group (food and agriculture, under $250k).
Independent board
25 of 2516 of 16 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
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
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 (5)
- $851,616 spent. Support and Resources for ConsumersSTOP has become the leading resource for consumers who experience foodborne illness or are seeking more information about food safety. On its website, STOP offers consumers an e-recall option that customizes recall notices or other food safety alerts geographically and by interest, so that consumers receive just the alerts that are pertinent to them for greater impact. The number of consumers who have signed up for these e-alerts has grown exponentially over the last few years as consumers recognize the importance of being better-informed about food safety issues. STOP also provides a forum for those who have suffered from or lost a loved one to foodborne illness to tell their stories and raise awareness among the public about the short- and long-term impact foodborne illnesses can have and how they might be prevented. STOP helps these constituent advocates tell their stories to industry and government leaders who have within their power the ability to make real and lasting changes to food safety culture in the United States. Advocacy and Food Safety Policy One significant area of work for STOP is that of advocacy for better food safety regulation and policy at the federal, state, and local levels to protect consumers. STOP provides a voice for those who have been harmed by bacteria that are legally allowed to be in foods put into commerce. We believe that feeding your family should not be a high-risk activity; therefore, we focus on issues that will impact the full spectrum of consumers. Currently, STOP is working to reduce harmful Salmonella in poultry products, is campaigning to include Cronobacter sakazakii on the reportable diseases list, and working collaboratively with the food industry, associations, and other advocacy organizations to move FDA to a proactive regulatory agency rather than continuing its culture of reactivity.Alliance to Stop Foodborne IllnessThe Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness has been instrumental in forming vital relationships between stakeholders in the field of food safety. Through the Alliance, STOP has become a trusted resource for information and training materials to be utilized with organizations of every size to influence a companys food safety culture through focusing on continually developing food safety knowledge, beliefs, and practices. The Alliance is made possible by the increasingly recognized need for more cooperative approaches to food safety and the importance of strong, mature food safety cultures across food producers and distributors, and at every step of the food production chain. The shift from disconnected to collaborative action is grounded in the common goals of many industry food safety leaders and consumer advocates to prevent illness through best practices, continuous improvement, and strong corporate food safety cultures. Dave Theno FellowshipSince 2018, the Alliance has offered the Dave Theno Food Safety Fellowship to one recent graduate (within five years) with a food science, animal science, political science, or public health undergraduate or graduate degree from an accredited college or university with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. Preference will be given to those seeking a career in the food industry or food regulation. The Fellow completes a 12-credit Online Food Safety Certificate with Michigan State University, is mentored by the Alliance, and works with Stop Foodborne Illness in Chicago, IL.
- $33,562 spent. The Alliance to Stop Foodborne IllnessThe Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness focuses on promoting positive, mature food safety cultures across industry.The Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness is a program of Stop Foodborne Illness (STOP), that brings together STOP constituents, leading food companies, and other like- minded organizations deeply committed to the goal of preventing foodborne disease. Developed in 2018, the Alliance was born out of a shared understanding of the crucial role food safety culture plays in ensuring that food is safe, and consumers are protected.
- $18,870 spent. The Dave Theno Food Safety Fellowship was created after the food safety revolutionary's untimely death in 2017. Mr. Theno's response to the unprecedented 1993 deadly E. coli O157:H7 outbreak transformed food practices, standards, management, and leadership in the beef industry.The Fellowship's focus is to fuel the passion for food safety in young, accomplished scientists and to develop and encourage careers in food safety. Stop Foodborne Illness, along with Michigan State University, has the honor of supporting the Dave Theno Food Safety Fellowship.
- Recall Modernization Research ProjectThe goal of the project is to create templates for communicating essential information to consumers about recalls, market withdrawals, and public health alerts that work in the current communications environment.Rutgers University and STOP will work together to create templates written in plain language that are harmonized across the FDA and USDA, meeting any specific agency requirements, which can be tailored to incidents involving pathogens, allergens, chemical contamination, or foreign objects. AFDO contract directly with Stop Foodborne Illness (STOP), which would then subcontract directly with Drs. William Hallman and Katherine Oganyanova, who would then subcontract with a research assistant to help code social media data. STOP has agreed to a 20% indirect cost structure (vs. the Rutgers rate of 57%) and has agreed to help us identify key informants through the Alliance and to help coordinate interviews/surveys with them.Carrying out this research will positively position STOP, its Recall Modernization Committee, and the researchers involved to seek funding from FDA, USDA, and industry partners to carry out planned quantitative testing of the templates using prior and prospective recalls during Phase 3.
- Research -One health project with AUBURN UNIVERSITY
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 March 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.