Vindeket
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO EMPOWER EACH OF US TO TAKE OWNERSHIP IN THE FOOD CYCLE TO RESTORE OUR EARTH, OUR COMMUNITIES, AND OURSELVES.
- Income
- $5.2 million
- Spending
- $4.9 million
- Spent on programs
- 97%
- Reserves
- -1.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 98%
- Employees
- 4
- Volunteers
- 643
- Highest pay
- $83,345, executive di
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
Fair: 55 out of 100. Higher than 21% of charities in its peer group (food and agriculture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 49% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 7% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 15% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1597% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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: 55 out of 100. Higher than 15% of charities in its peer group (food and agriculture, $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
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
0 of 10Did not give 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.
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, 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 (1)
- $4.7 million spent. 2025 WAS A YEAR TO BE REMEMBERED. WE INCREASED THE AMOUNT OF FOOD RESCUED TO 2,228,545.85 POUNDS. WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE INTO OUR NEW HOME THAT WE PURCHASED AT THE END OF 2024 AFTER WE COMPLETED A REMODEL AND BROUGHT THE FACILITY UP TO CODE. TESTIMONIALS FROM OUR PARTICIPANTS: "A GEM AND AN INVALUABLE RESOURCE THAT SAVES LIVES, NOT JUST FOOD. I WOULD SAY A GOOD 80% OF MY GROCERIES PER MONTH COME FROM VINDEKET. I'VE BEEN SHOPPING HERE ALMOST A YEAR, STAFF IS AMAZING, FOOD QUALITY IS GOOD AND WORTH IT IN EVERY WAY TO YOU/YOUR COMMUNITY. SO MUCH MORE THAN A GROCERY STORE THIS IS A COMMUNITY HUB, WHERE GOOD- HEARTED, CONSCIENTIOUS PEOPLE VOLUNTEER, SHOP, CONNECT, AND MAKE AN IMPACT BY LIVING IN ALIGNMENT WITH THEIR VALUES. WHETHER YOU'RE AN ENVIRONMENTALIST, FRUGALIST, CREATIVE COOK, STRESSED CARETAKER, VOLUNTEER, OR CONCERNED CITIZEN, VINDEKET IS FOR YOU. COME HELP REDUCE FOOD WASTE, REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT, SAVE MONEY, INSPIRE CREATIVITY, EXPERIMENT WITH NEW FOODS, MAKE A DONATION, AND CONNECT TO THE COMMUNITY. LYRIC FROM THE FORT COLLINS RESCUE MISSION (ONE OF OUR NON-PROFIT PARTNERS) COOKS FOOD FOR RESIDENTS AT THEIR SHELTER FOR MEN EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. SHE IS ABLE TO SAVE ON THEIR FOOD BUDGET AS WELL AS SURPRISE THE RESIDENTS WITH UNIQUE FOODS AND RECIPES UTILIZING OUR RESCUED FOOD. OUR SERVICE PARTICIPANTS (VOLUNTEERS) HAVE AGAIN BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN OUR SUCCESSES IN 2025. IN 2025, WE HAD 643 VOLUNTEERS, WITH 420 OF THEM BEING REPEAT VOLUNTEERS (WORKING MORE THAN ONE SHIFT). WE HAVE 240 ACTIVE VOLUNTEERS AT ANY GIVEN TIME - WITH ABOUT 140 VOLUNTEER SLOTS PER WEEK THAT ARE 94% FILLED. THEIR COMMITMENT TO VINDEKET IS ESSENTIAL AND ALIGNS WITH OUR LARGER MISSION AND CHARITABLE PURPOSES. WE ARE ENERGIZED AND BEYOND GRATEFUL TO SEE OUR COMMUNITY STEP UP ITS EFFORTS TO PREVENT WASTE IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS PROVIDE CHARITY TO ONE ANOTHER. ADDITIONALLY, THE LARGER AMOUNTS AND GREATER VARIETY OF FOOD RESCUED ALLOWED US TO BETTER SERVE OUR NON-PROFIT PARTNERS AND MEET MORE OF THEIR NEEDS IN 2025. WE WERE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH AND GREW TO SERVE FOOD TO 35 DIFFERENT NON-PROFITS HERE IN NORTHERN COLORADO. 2025 WAS A YEAR TO BE REMEMBERED. WE INCREASED THE AMOUNT OF FOOD RESCUED TO 2,228,545.85 POUNDS. WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE INTO OUR NEW HOME THAT WE PURCHASED AT THE END OF 2024 AFTER WE COMPLETED A REMODEL AND BROUGHT THE FACILITY UP TO CODE. TESTIMONIALS FROM OUR PARTICIPANTS: "A GEM AND AN INVALUABLE RESOURCE THAT SAVES LIVES, NOT JUST FOOD. I WOULD SAY A GOOD 80% OF MY GROCERIES PER MONTH COME FROM VINDEKET. I'VE BEEN SHOPPING HERE ALMOST A YEAR, STAFF IS AMAZING, FOOD QUALITY IS GOOD AND WORTH IT IN EVERY WAY TO YOU/YOUR COMMUNITY. SO MUCH MORE THAN A GROCERY STORE THIS IS A COMMUNITY HUB, WHERE GOOD- HEARTED, CONSCIENTIOUS PEOPLE VOLUNTEER, SHOP, CONNECT, AND MAKE AN IMPACT BY LIVING IN ALIGNMENT WITH THEIR VALUES. WHETHER YOU'RE AN ENVIRONMENTALIST, FRUGALIST, CREATIVE COOK, STRESSED CARETAKER, VOLUNTEER, OR CONCERNED CITIZEN, VINDEKET IS FOR YOU. COME HELP REDUCE FOOD WASTE, REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT, SAVE MONEY, INSPIRE CREATIVITY, EXPERIMENT WITH NEW FOODS, MAKE A DONATION, AND CONNECT TO THE COMMUNITY. LYRIC FROM THE FORT COLLINS RESCUE MISSION (ONE OF OUR NON-PROFIT PARTNERS) COOKS FOOD FOR RESIDENTS AT THEIR SHELTER FOR MEN EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. SHE IS ABLE TO SAVE ON THEIR FOOD BUDGET AS WELL AS SURPRISE THE RESIDENTS WITH UNIQUE FOODS AND RECIPES UTILIZING OUR RESCUED FOOD. OUR SERVICE PARTICIPANTS (VOLUNTEERS) HAVE AGAIN BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN OUR SUCCESSES IN 2025. IN 2025, WE HAD 643 VOLUNTEERS, WITH 420 OF THEM BEING REPEAT VOLUNTEERS (WORKING MORE THAN ONE SHIFT). WE HAVE 240 ACTIVE VOLUNTEERS AT ANY GIVEN TIME - WITH ABOUT 140 VOLUNTEER SLOTS PER WEEK THAT ARE 94% FILLED. THEIR COMMITMENT TO VINDEKET IS ESSENTIAL AND ALIGNS WITH OUR LARGER MISSION AND CHARITABLE PURPOSES. WE ARE ENERGIZED AND BEYOND GRATEFUL TO SEE OUR COMMUNITY STEP UP ITS EFFORTS TO PREVENT WASTE IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS PROVIDE CHARITY TO ONE ANOTHER. ADDITIONALLY, THE LARGER AMOUNTS AND GREATER VARIETY OF FOOD RESCUED ALLOWED US TO BETTER SERVE OUR NON-PROFIT PARTNERS AND MEET MORE OF THEIR NEEDS IN 2025. WE WERE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH AND GREW TO SERVE FOOD TO 35 DIFFERENT NON-PROFITS HERE IN NORTHERN COLORADO.
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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since June 2020.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 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.