Battlefield Farm & Gardens
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Battlefield Farm & Gardens fights food insecurity through community.
- Income
- $146,839
- Spending
- $71,660
- Spent on programs
- 52%
- Reserves
- 38 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 4
- Volunteers
- 120
- Highest pay
- $60,020, chief executive officer
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 92 out of 100. Higher than 70% of charities in its peer group (food and agriculture, under $250k).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 38.0 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 1% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 51% of income.
Spending floor
8 of 1552% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 9 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Fair: 59 out of 100. Higher than 47% of charities in its peer group (food and agriculture, under $250k).
Independent board
25 of 256 of 6 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
0 of 15Reports no 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.
Pay set independently
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
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, 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)
- $17,795 spent. Battlefield Farm & Gardens improves access to affordable healthy food through mobile vegetable distribution. Utilizing a converted mini-bus named for Civil Rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer Battlefield distributes fresh fruit and vegetables for free to five low-income low access subsidized housing units in and around the 37915 ZIP code. In 2025 the Veggie Van went out approximately 30 times serving 45-50 people per trip.
- $15,197 spent. Battlefield Farm & Gardens fights food insecurity through the operation and maintenance of an urban farm and several community gardens. Our urban farm hosts 50 raised beds a hoop house some chickens and a beehive. Produce grown onsite is freely distributed to low-income low access subsidized housing units in and around the 37915 ZIP code. Beyond the urban farm Battlefield Farm & Gardens creates launches and maintains community gardens. In 2025 we oversaw the annual maintenance of The Pastor Richard S. Brown Jr. Community Garden 100 raised beds the Concrete Garden 27 raised beds and two plots of plowed land each approximately 3,750 square-feet in size.
- $4,394 spent. We cannot distribute our way out of food insecurity. We must invest in the infrastructure to transform a food desert into a food oasis. In 2025 Battlefield Farm & Gardens began the preparation phase of a new initiative to convert a vacant dollar store into a full-fledged grocery store providing healthy affordable foods at only a nickel above whole-sale cost. Located in the heart of the 37915 ZIP code this store will sit at the intersection of three census tracts each designated as low-income low access areas by the USDA. Acquisition and renovations of this property will take place in 2026.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 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 December 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 December 2024.
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.