Grow Some Good
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Grow Some Good, a 501(c)(3) non-profit based in Maui, passionately promotes a local, thriving, and sustainable food system. The organization's Farm to School Program creates interactive, outdoor learning opportunities in school gardens, forging vital connections between students and their food sources while inspiring healthier nutrition choices. In addition, Grow Some Good has launched a pioneering initiative called Na Mala Kaiaulu that is designed to construct sustainable, intergenerational community food forests that offer educational opportunities, workshops, and social enterprise programs to serve underprivileged communities across Maui.
- Income
- $823,986
- Spending
- $771,934
- Spent on programs
- 72%
- Reserves
- 7.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 51%
- Employees
- 22
- Volunteers
- 577
- Highest pay
- $90,000, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 89 out of 100. Higher than 66% of charities in its peer group (food and agriculture, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 7.2 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 16% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 6% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 11% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1572% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 16 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 97 out of 100. Higher than 93% of charities in its peer group (food and agriculture, $250k to $1m).
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
12 of 15Its accounts were reviewed or compiled by an independent accountant, but not audited.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 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 (3)
- $369,614 spent. Our Farm to School Garden Program currently serves 75% of the Title 1 schools in Maui County. As such, 5,000 of the 8,000 students we educate are considered financially disadvantaged, as defined by an average of 57% of them living below the poverty level. Additionally, 4,300 of those students are eligible and enrolled in the Free and Reduced Lunch Program, which supports the nutritional needs of this vulnerable population. Of those 8,000 students, roughly 23% identify as Asian, 18% as Hispanic, 16% as White, 27% as Native Hawaiian, and the remaining 16% as Other. Furthermore, the curriculum used in the project is in part place-based and addresses the traditional plants and foods of Native Hawaiians and other local ethnic groups.
- $35,898 spent. The Kumu Mea Kanu project is designed to reconnect and strengthen students' relationships with their land, food, and community via hybrid garden learning. By increasing student exposure to various modalities of garden learning, we strive to spark an interest in students to pursue education in agricultural fields and support local agriculture. This fiscal year, Grow Some Good distributed 3422 student garden learning kits to 123 teachers across 20 schools on Maui. These kits connect students to their food and community through an impactful project and place-based learning experience that generated 3,967 student-grown organic food plants. These plants were then donated to the community through partnerships with the Maui Family YMCA, the Maui Farm, and Hungry Heroes, which cultivated, harvested, and incorporated the produce into tens of thousands of nutritious meals for families in need.
- $151,379 spent. Grow Some Good's Na Mala Kaiaulu Program (Community Food System Program) aims to improve food security and promote sustainable practices in Maui by creating a more equitable and sustainable food system through various activities such as youth apprenticeship programs, educational workshops, community-supported agriculture programs, and job training opportunities in sustainable agriculture and related fields, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable and resilient future for Hawaii's communities.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 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 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 July 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 February 2016.
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.