Bread Project
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
WHEN ADULTS HAVE A SECOND CHANCE AND ARE ABLE TO MAKE A SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION TO EMPLOYMENT AND HAVE ONGOING ACCESS TO FURTHER EDUCATION TO INCREASE THEIR ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES, THEY IMPROVE NOT ONLY THEIR OWN LIVES BUT THOSE OF THEIR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES, FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
- Income
- $732,078
- Spending
- $707,551
- Spent on programs
- 75%
- Reserves
- 0.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 43%
- Employees
- 6
- Volunteers
- 23
- Highest pay
- $69,310, executive dir.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 54 out of 100. Higher than 24% of charities in its peer group (employment, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.9 months of spending.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 71% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 3% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 8% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1575% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 19 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 76 out of 100. Higher than 54% of charities in its peer group (employment, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 2514 of 14 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
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 June 30, 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 (3)
- $533,728 spent. BETWEEN JULY 1, 2024, AND JUNE 30, 2025, THE BREAD PROJECT ENROLLED 94 LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS AND GRADUATED 78 OVER A PERIOD OF NINE FOOD PREP & BAKING JOB TRAINING & PLACEMENT PROGRAM SESSIONS. EACH PROGRAM SESSION IS 5 WEEKS LONG AND PROVIDES 150 HOURS OF INSTRUCTION, WITH 9 COHORTS OF 1014 PARTICIPANTS. WITH 78 GRADUATES AT 150 HOURS EACH, THIS REPRESENTS A COMBINED 9,100 HOURS OF INDIVIDUALIZED INSTRUCTION. 100% OF PARTICIPANTS WERE LOW-INCOME, 95% WERE UNEMPLOYED UPON ENROLLMENT, AND 38% WERE RECEIVING SOME FORM OF PUBLIC BENEFITS. GRADUATES FACED SIGNIFICANT BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT: 62% LACKED PERMANENT HOUSING, 87% HAD A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA OR GED AS THEIR HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION, 3% WERE REENTRY OR JUSTICE-INVOLVED, 32% WERE IMMIGRANTS OR REFUGEES, AND 6% HAD A DISABILITY.FOR EMPLOYMENT, 81% OF GRADUATES SEEKING EMPLOYMENT WERE HIRED WITHIN 3060 DAYS OF GRADUATION, 87% WERE STILL EMPLOYED AFTER 90 DAYS, AND THE AVERAGE WAGE WAS $23.99 PER HOUR.DEMOGRAPHICS: 48% FEMALE, 52% MALE. RACIAL/ETHNIC COMPOSITION: BLACK/AFRICAN AMERICAN 49%, HISPANIC/LATINO(A) 16%, ASIAN/PACIFIC ISLANDER 17%, MIDDLE EASTERN 6%, WHITE/CAUCASIAN 4%, MULTIRACIAL 2%, AMERICAN INDIAN/NATIVE ALASKAN 1%, OTHER/UNKNOWN 4%.AGE: 22% AGES 1824, 66% AGES 2545, AND 12% OVER AGE 45.
- OUR COMMUNITY MEAL PROGRAM FOR THE HOMELESS AND FOOD INSECURE WAS ON HOLD WHEN OUR NONPROFIT PARTNER OPERATING A HOMELESS SHELTER LOST ITS FOOD CONTRACT. WE ARE MAKING 50 MEALS PER DAY FOR STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILY TO BRING HOME END OF THE DAY EVERY DAY.
- OUR ENTREPRENEURS INCUBATOR PROGRAM PROVIDED 4 ENTREPRENEURS AND THEIR FOOD STARTUPS WITH TRAINING IN FOOD HANDLING, RECIPE AND PRODUCTION SCALING, AND BUSINESS PLANNING, AS WELL AS KITCHEN SPACE FOR THEIR OPERATIONS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 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 June 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 July 2000.
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.