Bananas Foster Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
OUR MISSION IS CELEBRATING THE FOSTER CARE COMMUNITY WHILE EDUCATING AND INSPIRING OTHERS TO GET INVOLVED.
- Income
- $273,242
- Spending
- $179,614
- Spent on programs
- 60%
- Reserves
- 12.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 4
- Volunteers
- 1
- Highest pay
- $60,000, 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
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 79% of charities in its peer group (human services, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 12.2 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 3% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 34% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 143% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1560% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 17 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
Weak: 31 out of 100. Higher than 6% of charities in its peer group (human services, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
0 of 252 of 2 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.
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, 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 (4)
- $78,081 spent. GO BANANAS FOR GAMEDAY - BANANAS FOSTER CELEBRATES ONE FAMILY/INDIVIDUAL THAT IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE FOSTER CARE COMMUNITY AT EVERY BANANA BALL GAME. WE GIVE THESE FAMILIES THE VIB TREATMENT BY INVITING THEM TO THE GAME, MEET AND GREET WITH THE PLAYERS AND CAST, AND IN RETURN WE SHARE THEIR STORY WITH A SOLD OUT CROWD. WE HOPE TO INSPIRE THIS CROWD TO TAKE ACTION AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE FOSTER CARE COMMUNITY. THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES TICKETS, MERCHANDISE, AND GIFTS TO THE FAMILIES THAT ARE BEING CELEBRATED. WE PERSONALIZE THE EXPERIENCE FOR THEM AND DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE THEM FEEL LIKE A VIB - VERY IMPORTANT BANANA. IN 2024, WE CELEBRATED 93 FAMILIES/INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE FOSTER CARE COMMUNITY. DURING THE SEASON, WE SHARED THEIR STORIES IN FRONT OF 1 MILLION FANS LIVE AND OVER 30 MILLION FANS ONLINE. WE TOOK THESE CELEBRATIONS COAST-TO-COAST BY CELEBRATING FAMILIES IN 29 STATES AND IN 6 MLB STADIUMS. OUR LONG-TERM GOAL FOR THIS PROGRAM WILL BE TO INSPIRE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE TO GET INVOLVED IN THE FOSTER CARE COMMUNITY. BY CELEBRATING THOSE ON THE FIELD, WE CAN INSPIRE MORE PEOPLE TO GET INVOLVED IN THE FOSTER CARE COMMUNITY AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE WITH ORGANIZATIONS IN THEIR AREA. IN 2024, WE INSPIRED 140 PEOPLE TO REACH OUT TO BANANAS FOSTER DIRECTLY AND EXPRESS AN INTEREST IN BECOMING A FOSTER FAMILY. HOWEVER, WE KNOW THERE ARE OTHERS OUT THERE THAT DID NOT REACH OUT TO BANANAS FOSTER DIRECTLY AND BECAME LICENSED THROUGH THEIR COUNTY DUE TO THE CELEBRATION THEY SAW FROM THE ORGANIZATION. IN THE FUTURE, WE WILL CELEBRATE BFFS (BANANAS FOSTER FAMILIES) AT EVERY BANANA BALL GAME.
- $27,420 spent. POTASSIUM CARE BASKETS - BECAUSE WE ONLY CELEBRATE ONE FAMILY/INDIVIDUAL PER GAME, WE KNOW THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES WE CAN'T SHARE THEIR STORIES. IT'S COMMONLY REFERRED THAT 50% OF FOSTER PARENTS WILL QUIT AFTER THEIR FIRST YEAR DUE TO A LACK OF SUPPORT. WITH THE POTASSIUM CARE BASKET PROGRAM, WE WANT TO SUPPORT EVERYONE IN THE FOSTER CARE COMMUNITY. IF WE KNOW THERE IS A FAMILY IN NEED, WE WANT TO HELP SUPPORT THEM IN THEIR JOURNEY, SO WE SEND THEM A CARE BASKET. IN 2024, WE SENT 75 POTASSIUM CARE BASKETS TO SUPPORT THOSE IN THE FOSTER CARE COMMUNITY. THESE BASKETS WERE PERSONALIZED TO THE NEEDS OF THE FAMILY. FOR EXAMPLE, A FAMILY THAT JUST WELCOMED A TEENAGER INTO THEIR HOME AND NEEDS SOME SUPPORT - THEY WOULD GET A BASKET THAT HAS ESSENTIAL ITEMS FOR THE TEEN BUT ALSO CRAFTS, GAMES, AND ACTIVITIES THAT ARE AGE APPROPRIATE AND HELP MAKE THE TRANSITION OF A NEW HOME MORE BEARABLE. THE POTASSIUM CARE BASKETS ALSO GO TO NEWLY LICENSED FOSTER FAMILIES, TO PROVIDE SUPPORT RIGHT FROM THE START OF THEIR JOURNEY. BANANAS FOSTER WORKS DIRECTLY WITH LICENSING AGENCIES TO SEND BASKETS TO FAMILIES WHEN THEY GET LICENSED AS A WELCOME TO THE COMMUNITY THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE. OUR LONG-TERM GOAL FOR THIS PROGRAM IS TO BE THE FIRST CALL/EMAIL/LETTER WHEN FAMILIES NEED SOMETHING IN THEIR FOSTER CARE JOURNEY. MANY FAMILIES WILL SAY NO TO A CHILD BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF SUPPORT OR NEED FOR SPECIFIC ITEMS, WE WANT THIS PROGRAM TO ELIMINATE ANY NO, AND GIVE FAMILIES THE CONFIDENCE TO SAY YES TO A CHILD IN NEED BECAUSE BANANAS FOSTER WILL BE THERE TO SUPPORT THEM. WE HOPE THAT IN THE FUTURE EVERY FOSTER/BIO/KINSHIP FAMILY THAT COMES INTO CONTACT WITH BANANAS FOSTER WILL BE GIVEN A POTASSIUM CARE BASKET TO FEEL SUPPORTED.
- $1,995 spent. COMMUNITY EVENTS - BANANAS FOSTER WANTS TO SUPPORT THE LOCAL FOSTER CARE COMMUNITY IN SAVANNAH BY DEVELOPING EVENTS WITH OTHER ORGANIZATION. IN 2024, THE CHATHAM COUNTY FAMILY & JUVENILE COURT SYSTEM HOSTED A FIELD DAY FOR CHILDREN INVOLVED IN FOSTER CARE & JUVENILE COURT. BANANAS FOSTER SPONSORED THE LUNCH FOR THE EVENT AND HOSTED THE EVENT AT DAFFIN PARK, SAVANNAH GEORGIA. TOGETHER, THE ORGANIZATIONS BROUGHT YOUTH FROM ACROSS THE COUNTY TO ENJOY THE SUMMER SUN, PLAY GAMES, AND INTERACT WITH ONE ANOTHER. OUR LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO HOST ADDITIONAL EVENTS THAT SUPPORT THE FOSTER CARE COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT CHATHAM COUNTY, GEORGIA.
- THE ORGANIZATION HAS AMENDED ITS FORM 990 TO CORRECT PRIOR REPORTING INACCURACIES AND TO ENSURE FULL COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE IRS REGULATIONS. ON PART VIII, LINES 1H AND 2G, PROGRAM SERVICE REVENUES ORIGINALLY REPORTED ON LINE 2G WERE RECLASSIFIED AS CONTRIBUTIONS AND GRANTS UNDER LINE 1H. THIS RECLASSIFICATION INCREASED THE TOTAL REPORTED CONTRIBUTIONS AND IMPACTED THE PUBLIC SUPPORT PERCENTAGE CALCULATION ON SCHEDULE A, PART II. ADJUSTMENTS WERE ALSO MADE TO PART IX, LINE 25, WHERE TOTAL EXPENSES WERE REDUCED DUE TO THE REMOVAL OF IN-KIND SERVICE EXPENSES. THIS CORRECTION IS REFLECTED IN PART III, LINE 4A, SPECIFICALLY UNDER THE "GO BANANAS FOR GAMEDAY" PROGRAM, AND IS FURTHER DETAILED IN SCHEDULE I, PART III, COLUMNS (B)(F). ADDITIONALLY, PART VII, SECTION A, WAS REVISED TO CORRECTLY STATE THE POSITIONS OF EACH LISTED PERSON AND REMOVE THE PERSON THAT DID NOT MEET ANY REPORTING THRESHOLDS PER THE FORM 990 INSTRUCTIONS. THESE AMENDMENTS DO NOT AFFECT THE ORGANIZATION'S EXEMPT STATUS OR MISSION. THEY WERE MADE FOLLOWING A THOROUGH REVIEW OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION AND REFLECT THE ORGANIZATION'S COMMITMENT TO TRANSPARENCY AND ACCURATE FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE. THE REVISED RETURN PROVIDES A MORE PRECISE REPRESENTATION OF THE ORGANIZATION'S FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES AND PUBLIC SUPPORT.
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 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 November 6, 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 2024.
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 April 2023.
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 November 4, 2026.
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