Skip to the page content
Your donations
Passes our checks

Black Sustainability Inc

EIN 85-3364819 · Atlanta, GA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood79 out of 100GovernanceWeak38 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

To connect people of Afrikan descent in sustainability fields to resources and development opportunities.

Income
$498,578
Spending
$560,477
Spent on programs
50%
Reserves
17.7 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 89%
Employees
1

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

Good: 79 out of 100. Higher than 53% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 17.7 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes -0% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    4 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 12% of income.

  • Spending floor

    8 of 15

    50% 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

Weak: 38 out of 100. Higher than 9% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    5 of 25

    0 of 3 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    0 of 15

    Reports no 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.

  • 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 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 (5)
  1. $140,447 spent. All Other Programs (Education/Digital Platform, SBSR, Eco-Building/GWA, Community Development, 10x$10k, Alt. Economics, Green Lifestyle, Learning Journey, Sustainable Agriculture): BSI advanced its mission through multiple program areas including: the Black Sustainability eInstitute (BSeI) online learning platform and State of Black Sustainability Report (SBSR), a community-owned research publication spanning 12 industry houses; the Global Workforce Academy (GWA), a nationally registered apprenticeship program providing clean energy and construction credentials; Community Development programming including the Red, Black & Green Fund Regranting Initiative; and education and convening across Sustainable Agriculture, Alternative Economics, Green Lifestyle, and Learning Journey programs connecting people of Afrikan descent to sustainability resources and development opportunities.
  2. $61,291 spent. AfroEcology: AfroEcology is a movement, practice, and philosophy that merges ancestral African/diasporic agricultural wisdom with regenerative, climate-smart farming to build Black food sovereignty, community resilience, and ecological balance. It operates at the intersection of environmental justice, Black liberation, and land stewardship, focusing on reclaiming agrarian traditions to heal land and community.
  3. $55,618 spent. Annual Black Sustainability Summit: BSI hosted its 10th Annual Black Sustainability Summit as a multi-day in-person convening held in Ghana, West Africa (October 1527, 2025), bringing together practitioners, entrepreneurs, and enthusiasts of Afrikan descent from across the global diaspora. The Summit provided a platform for networking, knowledge exchange, and collaborative strategy development across 12 sustainability industry houses. Participants engaged in beginner through advanced sessions on sustainable community development, land use, clean energy, food sovereignty, and cultural preservation. The event advanced BSIs mission to build interrelationships among Afrikans working across sustainability fields and to accelerate the development of sovereign, sustainable communities throughout the Afrikan diaspora and the continent.
  4. $17,180 spent. Alternative Energy: BSI advanced clean energy education, workforce development, and community access within the Black community through its Alternative Energy industry house, including programming aligned with its 12-pillar sustainability framework. Activities included research, convening, and knowledge-sharing connecting Black sustainability practitioners with clean energy resources, career pathways, and community-based energy solutions across the Afrikan diaspora.
  5. $5,996 spent. Waste: BSI implemented waste reduction and circular economy initiatives within Black communities, including the Atlanta Shoe Deconstruction Training Program a 4-month hybrid course developed in partnership with Shoe Waste, LLC training participants in footwear deconstruction, material recovery, upcycling, and green job creation within the salvage economy. BSI also developed and deployed Zero Waste Event Strategies to assist Black-owned businesses and event organizers in eliminating single-use plastics, styrofoam, and aluminum foil in favor of biodegradable alternatives, advancing zero-waste goals within the Black community.

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

  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 October 13, 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 December 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 December 2020.

    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 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.