Women for Healthy Rural Living
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
We advance and promote the health and well-being of the woman, her family, and her community.
- Income
- $391,371
- Spending
- $353,642
- Spent on programs
- 85%
- Reserves
- 9.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 92%
- Employees
- 5
- Volunteers
- 250
- Highest pay
- $52,311, coo
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
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 73% of charities in its peer group (health care, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 9.6 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 12% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 10% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 17% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1585% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 6 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
Strong: 91 out of 100. Higher than 72% of charities in its peer group (health care, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 2513 of 13 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
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 (5)
- $125,677 spent. Incredible Edible Milbridge (IEM) is our community's response to the ongoing food security challenges, inflation, and supply chain mishaps. Public gardens produced vegetables for 30,000 meals, building a stronger, healthier, and more food-independent community. Sharing organic vegetables with everyone ensures our neighbors have access to nutritious food. We hosted 5 Incredible Edible workshops with 52 attendees. Our bi-lingual seed library at the Milbridge Public Library gave community members the information and resources to start their own vegetable gardens at home. Summit for a Cause: Katahdin, a guided hike up Katahdin raised $12,719 for Incredible Edible Milbridge. Through Harvest Table Cooking classes, we teach how to cook what we harvest while developing culinary skills.
- $75,249 spent. Group programming encompasses a variety of initiatives designed to Connect For the Health of It, a 2024 initiative to help combat the epidemic of loneliness and isolation. Programs included our Book Discussion Series Banned Books, art programmingsix sessions with participants overall, Connecting Through Handcrafts and Art with a weekly Community Craft Circle, a monthly Mending Caf, monthly Soul Collage meetings, What Do You See art camp for children ages 8-11, and special workshops such as Mending with Patches, Sock Darning, Stab Binding Journal Making, and Creating a Felt Ornament. WHRLigig, a playgroup for children and their caregivers, commenced in February and met weekly, often at Milbridge Commons Wellness Park in good weathera partnership with Sunrise Opportunities Prevention Council. In late 2024, we hosted the local Acoustic Caf, bringing community members together to enjoy and create music. In 2024, Movement Programming included twice weekly Bone Builders osteoporosis intervention classes, Chair Yoga, Evening Yoga, Tai Chi, Zumba, and the introduction of a Walking Group. Day-long Women's Retreats, Connections: Nature, Inspiration, and Creativity, were introduced in 2024 with four art retreats held at the summer home of the American modernist artist John Marin.
- $57,597 spent. Outdoor Women Lead strengthens women's and girls confidence in the outdoors and life through monthly Outing Club with educational hikes or canoe outings, OWLettea summer camp for girls ages 11 to 14, and family skill-building workshops, including Wilderness First Aid, an Orienteering Workshop, and a mother-daughter mapping program. We partnered with the Maine Island Trail Association for an outing club hike and the OWLette camp.
- $39,598 spent. Milbridge Commons Wellness Park, a partnership with Maine Coast Heritage Trust, offers thousands of visitors each year opportunities for physical activity through the walking track and children's playground, nutritious food from our largest Incredible Edible Garden, connections to nature and one another. A shade canopy and Adirondack chairs were added in 2024 along with a Children's Discovery Center. Events at Milbridge Commons included the second annual Butterfly Festival, a self-guided spring event for children, and a summer scavenger hunt. WHRL maintains a children's Little Free Library at the Commons and introduced a Chronolog-Citizen Science monitory tool to track environmental changes.
- $2,794 spent. Through the Elaine Hill Memorial Nursing Scholarship, we invest in a healthy future by supporting local students pursuing a nursing career. We awarded two $2,500 scholarshipsone to a new scholar and one to a returning scholar as the scholarships are renewable for up to three years.
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 February 2005.
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.