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Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative

EIN 82-3689165 · Lowell, MI

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood88 out of 100GovernanceGood76 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

GLSI is a network of regional service hubs that develop knowledgeable and active stewards of the Great Lakes region through place-based education and explorations in local communities. GLSIs model for teaching and learning results in vibrant, hands-on experiences that increase student achievement.

Income
$585,415
Spending
$510,850
Spent on programs
81%
Reserves
8 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 32%
Employees
5
Volunteers
10
Highest pay
$90,000, executive director

Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 88 out of 100. Higher than 67% of charities in its peer group (environment, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 8.0 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 3% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 13% of income.

  • Income trend

    10 of 15

    Income fell 3% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    81% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 10 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Good: 76 out of 100. Higher than 46% of charities in its peer group (environment, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    11 of 11 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    0 of 8

    Reports no written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    0 of 7

    Reports no 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

    6 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 August 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 (5)
  1. $15,988 spent. GLSI began planning, marketing and organizing the Nov. 2025 Nat. Place-based Educ. Conference. The National Place-Based Education Conference is the largest conference and gathering point for the field of place-based education. The 3-day conference brings together hundreds of K-12 educators, administrators and students, scholars, non-formal educators, natural resource professionals, community and business leaders, policy makers, and funders from across the U.S. and beyond. Through field experiences in the host community, traditional presentations, and innovative networking structures, the conference is designed to inspire, support, and celebrate the exchange of resources, research, teaching practices, and partnership strategies around the power of place-based learning.
  2. $86,209 spent. GLSI continued to develop and deploy a platform for movement-building and related infrastructure through which educators, community-based organizations, and supporters of place-based education from pre-K through college can network, support one another, and coordinate efforts to lift the visability of place-based learning and spread the practice.
  3. $300,020 spent. GLSI provides programmatic services and technical assistance to schools, school districts, community organizations, and other partners via its central organization and its network of six regional hubs. In 2024-25, GLSI provided educators with professional development, implementation support, and technical assistance in place-based teaching and learning. GLSI also continued development and delivery of virtual programs of professional development and project support using GLSIs model of Place-Based Stewardship Education and the associated Place-Based Education Institute. In this fiscal year, the GLSI began to scale its programs and services to teachers and community partners throughout Michigan and in the broader Great Lakes region. Hubs similarly supported educators in their regions with professional development and implementation support, using a predominantly face-to-face model.
  4. $9,629 spent. The GLSI coordinated a network of six hubs, providing opportunities for hub representatives to access peer-to-peer learning, growth, and exchange of ideas and information related to supporting place-based education in Michigan communities.
  5. The GLSI coordinated a network of six hubs, providing 9629. 0. 17500.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, 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 October 13, 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 November 6, 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 October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending August 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

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

    Recognized by the IRS since November 2018.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 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.