Deep Medicine Circle
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The Deep Medicine Circle is a nonprofit organization dedicated to healing the wounds of colonialism through food, medicine, story and learning. Starting from a place of correcting relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, we cultivate a culture of care to support the health and healing of people, and communities of plants and animals which are critical for our survival and thriving.
- Income
- $794,089
- Spending
- $1.4 million
- Spent on programs
- 82%
- Reserves
- 3.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 83%
- Employees
- 14
- Highest pay
- $91,250, executive dir.
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 (health care, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 3.3 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 6% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 74% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 41% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1582% 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
Good: 71 out of 100. Higher than 40% of charities in its peer group (health care, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
5 of 252 of 4 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a 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
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
6 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)
- $1.1 million spent. The organization primarily focused on food production, with an estimated 50,000 lbs of organic food from our two farms. All of this food was given to an estimated 2000 households experiencing food insecurity in the San Francisco Bay Area through a network of community partnerships. We continued to capture and analyze our data on food production, labor hours, soil quality, water quality, biodiversity and impact of food production and delivery on farmers and community members. The organization also conducted job training for Urban Youth on techniques to grow food and steward land through agroecology and traditional ecological knowledge. Our educational programs also involved bringing pediatrics medical residents to the farm to learn about food as medicine and farming techniques that increase the nutritious quality of food as well as hosting 60 Oakland Technical High School students in learning about urban agroecology in their Environmental Sciences class. We continued to convene advisors to deepen our programming to bridge Indigenous and non-Indigenous relationships and supported the work of the Confederation of Ohlone People, a nonprofit organization dedicated to uplifting Ohlone culture in the Bay Area as they build their capacity to take over land ownership at the 38-acre rural farm we will continue stewarding. Finally, we continued our practices in storytelling circles and art practices that are related to plants and the earth.
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 June 2021.
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.