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Food Connects

EIN 46-2372533 · Brattleboro, VT

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak37 out of 100GovernanceGood85 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

To cultivate healthy farm and food connections in classrooms, cafeterias, and communities.

Income
$2.0 million
Spending
$2.1 million
Spent on programs
90%
Reserves
0.9 months of spending
Largest source of income
other income, 42%
Employees
41
Volunteers
7
Highest pay
$73,217, executive 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

Weak: 37 out of 100. Higher than 4% of charities in its peer group (food and agriculture, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    4 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 0.9 months of spending.

  • Debt

    5 of 20

    It owes 51% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    8 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 4% of income.

  • Income trend

    5 of 15

    Income fell 11% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    90% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 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

Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 48% of charities in its peer group (food and agriculture, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    8 of 8 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    0 of 15

    Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports 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 (3)
  1. $1.7 million spent. The Food Hub saw a 27% Year over year increase - nearly $4M - in operational revenue in 2024. We grew our network of partners to over 150 vendors and 350 customers, 116 of those customers being school accounts. In the process we funneled over $3M directly back to the region's farmers and producers, boosting our regional economy. We stayed true to our roots promoting farm to schools, selling $723,059 - an 80% Year over year increase - to regional schools, from Kindergarten to higher education. That includes $206,679 towards summer food boxes, which provided 280,000 free regionally sourced meals to students in Southern VT and Keene, NH. We continued the expansion of a new 10,000sqft warehouse space, which will house 1600sqft of added refrigerated and frozen storage capacity in early 2025.
  2. $186,416 spent. The Farm to School program provides coaching and technical assistance to educators and food service directors. Our program is a leader in the regional farm to school movement to connect classrooms, cafeterias and communities to local food. In 2024 our team served 16 member schools, helping those schools' farm to school teams achieving meaningful farm to classroom connections for their students. Our Farm to School program also leads Vermont's statewide Harvest of the Month program, which provides educational material and hands-on learning opportunities connecting K-12 students to a specific monthly harvest. Our Farm to School team also offered program-related Professional Development to teachers, Trauma and Food Workshops that advance knowledge and practices on the ways food and trauma are intertwined. Lastly, Farm to School continued its sprout kit initiative, delivering 1,308 sprout kts to member schools. Each student in participating classrooms received their own tray, soil, seeds for planting, and watched their plants come to life.
  3. $3,795 spent. The Catalyst program provides food systems leadership, consulting and technical assistance services to other Food Hubs, food businesses and producers working to transform local food systems.

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

  1. 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 September 7, 2026.

  2. 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 September 30, 2026.

  3. 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 September 10, 2026.

  4. 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 September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since August 2014.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. 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 7, 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.