Eco Center Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE ECOLOGY CENTER IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT EDUCATES AND ENGAGES THE COMMUNITY IN REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE, SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS, AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP. THROUGH ITS WORKING FARM, HANDS-ON LEARNING EXPERIENCES, COMMUNITY PROGRAMS, SCHOOL AND FAMILY EDUCATION, AND FOOD ACCESS INITIATIVES, THE ORGANIZATION PROMOTES HEALTHY, RESILIENT, AND EQUITABLE COMMUNITIES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
- Income
- $6.5 million
- Spending
- $5.6 million
- Spent on programs
- 53%
- Reserves
- 1.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 54%
- Employees
- 123
- Volunteers
- 1,000
- Highest pay
- $235,698, exec 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
Fair: 53 out of 100. Higher than 16% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.7 months of spending.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 63% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 14% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 36% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1553% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 17 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 31% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 259 of 9 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
0 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 (2)
- $3.0 million spent. Education Designed for families in search of a holistic framework for their education, our education programs are an exceptional outlet for learning core academic subjects through the lens of nature. Under the guidance of our Waldorf-inspired teachers, with input from experts and artisans in our Village, TEC uses the patterns of nature, the philosophy of regenerative agriculture, and the practices of our 4 seasonal rotations to instruct and illustrate on a variety of topics.
- Design and OthersCapital Campaign - Development The Ecology Center's infrastructure build-out towards our forthcoming Eco-Village. This 5+ year program is designed to increase the educational and farming capacity of the property, creating more public engagement opportunities, improving infrastructure, and building necessary structures to accommodate our future farming, culinary, and educational needs.Community Engagement From our Seasonal Taste Festivals to weekend Farm Tours to our Membership Program, we are open to the public 7-days each week with a variety of educational, DIY, tours, speaker series, volunteerism, and deeper engagement opportunities.
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 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 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 March 2009.
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.