Re Sources
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It reported loans to or from officers, directors or other insiders.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
RE Sources mobilizes people of Northwest Washington to build just and thriving communities and to protect the land, water, and climate on which we all depend.
- Income
- $2.3 million
- Spending
- $2.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 70%
- Reserves
- -6.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 53%
- Employees
- 38
- Volunteers
- 290
- Highest pay
- $94,340, co-executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 42 out of 100. Higher than 6% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 65% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 1% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 0% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1570% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 21 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 75 out of 100. Higher than 19% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2510 of 10 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
0 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
0 of 10Reports at least one of: diversion of assets, excess benefits, loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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)
- $808,355 spent. More than a retail space, The RE Store (a project of RE Sources) is a hub for second chances and reinvention. In 2024, we diverted 2.28 million pounds of materials from the landfill through Salvage Services deconstruction jobs, store donations, and item pickups. We launched a new Manufacturing Waste Diversion partnership with Samson Rope, saving nearly 4,000 pounds of high-quality rope from disposal in its first year. The RE Store also supported jobseekers through the Community Jobs Training Program-90% of participants who completed their terms over the past several years found employment or enrolled in college. In partnership with Sustainable Connections, we maintained the Freedge, a refrigerated mini food pantry on campus that provided perishables to the community while diverting 8,000 pounds of food waste.
- $163,360 spent. Educating for the Environment: Young people and educators are essential for building a climate-resilient future. In 2024, our Youth for the Environment & People (YEP!) program connected 31 high school students with over 825 hours of local climate action, from energy audits to forest protection projects. Surveys showed a 34% increase in student confidence in their ability to create change. We also partnered with ClimeTime and local nonprofits to provide 78 teachers with professional development on integrating climate change into their classrooms and created a lending library of classroom "action kits." In addition, we conducted 11 school waste assessments, each resulting in tailored action plans to help schools reduce waste and conserve resources.
- $640,642 spent. Environmental Advocacy and Science: From forests to shorelines, our advocacy and science programs address the root causes of pollution and climate change. In 2024, we helped protect 627 acres of mature forests in Whatcom County through Climate Commitment Act funds, and convened monthly strategy sessions with 30+ Forest Watch coalition members. Our community science program trained 18 volunteers, who collected more than 4,000 water quality measurements across 150 stormwater sites in Bellingham, helping form a new collaborative with local agencies to tackle pollutants. With the support of 145 volunteers, we removed nearly 1,200 pounds of trash from local beaches during 9 cleanups. We also expanded our stormwater monitoring model regionally through the Salish Sea Stormwater Monitoring Project, linking Bellingham's efforts to seven other Puget Sound cities.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 September 1985.
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.