Fulton Market Association Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- Only 22% of its spending went to programs.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
FULTON MARKET ASSOCIATION OPERATES THE FULTON STALL MARKET AS A FARMERS PUBLIC MARKET FOR LOCAL FARM AND FOOD PRODUCTS CONNECTING FAMILY FARMERS AND SMALL-SCALE FOOD PRODUCERS IN NEW YORK AND ADJACENT STATES WITH LOWER MANHATTAN RESIDENTS AND WORKERS TO ENABLE LOCAL FARMERS AND PRODUCERS TO SUSTAIN THEIR FARM AND FOOD ENTERPRISES THROUGH DIRECT MARKETING AND MEET CONSUMERS NEED FOR HIGH-QUALITY FRESH AND AFFORDABLE FOOD. WE SEEK TO PROVIDE CONSUMERS WITH ENHANCED ACCESS TO FRESH, LOCALLY GROWN, HIGH QUALITY SEASONAL PRODUCE AND LOCALLY PROCESSED SMALL-BATCH FOOD PRODUCTS IN A MULTI-VENDOR PUBLIC MARKET THAT ALSO EDUCATES THE COMMUNITY ABOUT LOCAL FARMERS AND FOOD PRODUCERS, THE DIVERSITY, QUALITY AND NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF LOCAL FOOD PRODUCTS, AND THE ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPORTANCE OF LOCAL AGRICULTURE & STRENGTHENING OUR REGIONAL FOOD SYSTEM. WE ARE COMMITTED TO ENHANCING HEALTHY AFFORDABLE FRESH FOOD ACCESS FOR LOW-INCOME NUTRITIONALLY AT-RISK FAMILIES LIVING IN THE VICINITY OF
- Income
- $116,938
- Spending
- $114,441
- Spent on programs
- 22%
- Reserves
- 3.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- other income, 46%
- Employees
- 4
- Volunteers
- 3
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: 51 out of 100. Higher than 22% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, under $250k).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 3.2 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 29% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 2% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 25% on the year before.
Spending floor
0 of 1522% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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: 81 out of 100. Higher than 67% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, under $250k).
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
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.
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)
- $16,057 spent. Program #1 - Fulton Stall Market and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Program This program operates the Fulton Stall Market, a year-round multi-vendor indoor farmers market offering a wide variety of healthy, affordable fresh seasonal farm produce and processed food products sold on consignment for small-scale local farmers and food producers directly to Lower Manhattan residents, workers and visitors. The market is officially designated as a Farmers Market by New York State, and in 2024 economically supported 115 local farmers and small-batch food processors, showcasing and selling their food products to consumers six days a week, thereby enhancing their brand visibility in Lower Manhattan and New York City and increasing their income from farm and food production. The market's producers included 50 family farmers and 65 food processors, primarily from NY State, including many women and minority-owned start-ups utilizing shared-use incubator kitchens. All need direct marketing outlets like farmers markets due to lack of the large product volumes to profitably market via traditional retail food stores. In 2024, the market operated on a six day a week schedule established during the 2020-2022 pandemic, when we functioned as a NYS designated Essential food source for Lower Manhattan residents and an economic lifeline for local farmers and producers. In addition to offering consumers traditional shopping, in 2024 the market continued to operate its year-round Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program established in 2017. This program enables consumers to purchase 12-week "farm share subscriptions" for a wide variety of fresh, high-quality locally grown and produced foods from selected farmers and producers. The CSA farm share options offered during each 12-week season (spring, summer, fall and winter), included vegetables, fruit, sprouts, eggs, mushrooms, cheese, dairy, bread, pasta, beef, chicken, pork, ocean seafood and aquaculture (trout). Both the indoor farmers market and the CSA program generated crucial income for the market's 115 local farmers and producers, helping them rebound from pandemic losses and increasing costs of production, including materials, labor, energy and transportation, by providing a significantly higher economic return from our direct-to-consumer sales. In 2024 the market maintained its status as a licensed Farmers Market retailer by USDA under the Supplemental Food Assistance Program (SNAP), enabling SNAP participants who shop at the market, participate in the CSA Farm Share program and/or shop at the Two Bridges Youth Market (See Program #3) to continue to utilize their SNAP EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) cards to access fresh, affordable local produce and other nutritious foods unavailable at other retail food outlets in Lower Manhattan. In 2024 the market was approved for participation as a food retailer of New York farm and food products under the New York State Grown and Certified Program and the Taste NY Program, both operated by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. Number of persons benefited: 115 local farmers and small-scale food producers; 10,000 residents, workers and visitors (est.) served by the indoor farmers market; 165 families in the CSA farm share program.
- $705 spent. Program #2- Fulton Stall Market Two Bridges Youth Market This program supports a youth-operated outdoor farmers market (Youth Market) that we initiated in 2022 at 50 Madison St. in the Two Bridges neighborhood of the Lower East Side as a satellite of the Fulton Stall Market to provide low-income residents living in public housing with convenient access to fresh, organically grown, affordable produce, create opportunities for eight local teenagers involved in a youth development program and benefit two farmers by expanding their sales via an additional direct marketing outlet. Two Bridges Youth Market was developed in 2022 in collaboration with the Lower East Side nonprofit social service agency Hamilton-Madison House and two of the Fulton Stall Market's fresh produce farmers. In 2024 it operated every Sunday from May 26 to December 15 (31 consecutive weeks), offering a wide variety of fresh-picked locally grown vegetables and fruit for the community, including many low-income families and elderly residents of the adjacent NYC Housing Authority's Alfred E. Smith Houses (12 apartment buildings housing 5,000+ residents), and other nearby housing developments. As an authorized farmers market in the New York State WIC and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) and the USDA SNAP program, the Youth Market was able to provide hundreds of local families, including many participants in the NYS Woman, Infants, Children (WIC) program and Senior Nutrition program, with convenient access to fresh nutritious local produce on a weekly basis. In addition, by participating in the NYC Department of Health's "Health Bucks" Program, the Youth Market was able to issue a 100% bonus for SNAP participants' use of SNAP EBT cards up to $10 per day in the $2 Health Bucks, thereby increasing their buying power, incentivizing shopping for fresh local produce and enhancing the participating farmers overall sales and income. The Youth Market was widely advertised in the Two Bridges community with flyers in English, Spanish and Chinese. On-site education in the preparation of locally grown seasonal fresh produce, including both culturally familiar and unfamiliar varieties, was provided weekly by nutrition educators from the NYC Department of Health's "Stellar Farmers Market" Program. Operating under multiple tents in front of Hamilton-Madison House's Community Center, the market was able to move indoors in rainy/cold weather. The market benefited from community outreach from Program #4 below which reached the entire residential population of the Gov. Alfred E. Houses projects (12 apartment buildings). Number of persons benefited: 100-300 consumers per week; 8 youth (market staff); 2 NY farmers supplying produce
- $278 spent. Program #3 - Two Bridges Community Healthy Local Food Access Project In 2023-24, utilizing a $48,930 grant awarded by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, we operated a "Two Bridges Community Healthy Local Food Access" project to provide all 1,950 low-income households in the Gov. Alfred E. Smith Houses of the NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA) with a one-time package ($20 value) of seasonal fresh vegetables and fruit from two NY farmers. The objectives of the project were: (1) to provide a nutrition benefit to low-income NYCHA residents in the form of healthy fresh NY produce; (2) to introduce residents to the high-quality produce available at the nearby Two Bridges Youth Market where SNAP EBT, NYC Health Bucks and other nutrition benefits can be used; and (3) to support NY farmers through direct procurement of fresh produce for delivery to nutritionally at-risk low-income families. The project involved collaboration with the two farmers supplying the Two Bridges Youth Market and the Gov. Alfred E. Smith Houses Resident Association, whose Board members and volunteers assisted with the distribution of the fresh produce weekly on six Saturdays in October and November 2024. Grant funds were received in 2023 and 2024. Number of persons benefited: 1,950 low-income households (5,000+ residents); 2 NY farmers supplying produce
- $7,841 spent. OTHER PROGRAM NOT LISTED ABOVE
- PROGRAM #4- "Meet the Farmer and Chef" School Workshops This program presents monthly educational workshops for elementary school classes from NYC public schools, primarily in low-income areas of the city's five boroughs. The three hour workshops introduce the classes to a local farmer, who describes his/her work producing and marketing healthy food for city residents, and to the NYC Farm-to-School Program Chef/Coordinator, who prepares lunch from the farmer's produce, demonstrating how locally grown produce can be used to make fresh, delicious and heathy meals. The farmers show slides or photos of their farm and bring samples of fresh produce to show and taste. Market staff speak about the Fulton Stall Market's operations to support local farmers and provide consumer access to the full range of local foods, the seasonality of local food and the economic and environmental importance of local farming. The workshops take place monthly in the Spring and Fall. Participating school classes are selected by the NYC Department of Education Office of Nutrition from the approximately 600 schools with school gardens who participate in the DOE's citywide Garden-to-Caf program and in response to requests by teachers. The class trips are authorized by the school principal and the market secures the participation of NY farmers whose products are sold in the market. The "Meet the Farmer and Chef" workshop program began in 2016. With the ending of the 2020-2021 pandemic-era restrictions on school travel and participation we resumed the workshops in 2023 with support from a NYC Council Discretionary Grant through NYC Department of Youth and Community Development. In 2024 we continued the program without NYC grant support as a result of the voluntary participation by local farmers and participation of NYC DOE's Farm-to-School Program Chef/Coordinator in his salaried educational role. During 2024 we hosted an orientation to the "Meet the Farmer and Chef concept" for 32 NYC DOE "Chef Ambassadors" representing all 32 NYC School Districts. Number of persons benefited: 125 NYC elementary school children, six participating NY farmers, 30 NYC DOE "Chef Ambassadors" representing all 32 NYC School Districts. Other PROGRAM NOT INCLUDED ABOVE ---------------------------------- Revenue- $1 Expenses- $7,841
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 2017.
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.
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