Verde Vida
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Verde Vida is a charitable organization dedicated to reducing food insecurity and improving equitable access to fresh, nutritious, and culturally relevant food in underserved communities. The organization operates community-based food access programs, including client-choice produce distributions, food rescue initiatives, nutrition and culinary education, and community outreach. Verde Vida works primarily in communities experiencing persistent barriers to affordable healthy food and partners with schools, nonprofit organizations, food businesses, volunteers, and community stakeholders to recover and distribute nutritious food that might otherwise go to waste. Its programs are designed to preserve dignity by allowing participants to select foods that meet their household needs and cultural preferences without unnecessary administrative barriers. Verde Vida also promotes education, community engagement, and advocacy around hunger, food waste, nutrition, and equitable food systems.
- Income
- $175,130
- Spending
- $163,973
- Reserves
- 0.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
We do not score finances when yearly spending is very small or the return has too little detail. The ratios stop meaning much at that size.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
This organization files the short tax form, which does not ask about boards, policies or audits. That is normal for a small charity and is not a mark against it.
Source: Form 990EZ 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 (3)
- $160,410 spent. Community Food Access During 2025, Verde Vida expanded access to fresh and nutritious food for families experiencing food insecurity in Northern Manhattan, Harlem, the Bronx, and surrounding communities. Through recurring client-choice food distributions, the organization distributed approximately 84,300 pounds of food, with an emphasis on fresh produce and culturally relevant ingredients. Verde Vida's client-choice model allows participants to select the foods that best meet the needs of their households rather than receiving predetermined packages. Programs were designed to reduce barriers to accessing nutritious food while maintaining dignity, choice, and respect. Distributions were conducted in partnership with community organizations, schools, food rescue partners, volunteers, and other local stakeholders, allowing Verde Vida to reach families in trusted and accessible community settings.
- $100 spent. Food Rescue and Waste Reduction Verde Vida strengthened its food rescue activities during 2025 by recovering fresh produce and other nutritious food from food businesses, suppliers, and community partners and redirecting those products to families instead of allowing usable food to go to waste. The organization coordinated transportation, volunteers, food handling, and community distribution to efficiently move recovered food from donors and suppliers into neighborhoods experiencing food insecurity. Food rescue supported Verde Vida's charitable food access programs while advancing the organization's environmental goal of reducing unnecessary food waste. Recovered products were incorporated into client-choice distributions so community members could select fresh items based on household preferences and needs. These activities allowed Verde Vida to simultaneously address hunger, food waste, and inequities in access to nutritious food.
- $3,453 spent. Education and Community Engagement During 2025, Verde Vida continued developing community-centered programming designed to address food insecurity beyond emergency food distribution. The organization engaged residents, volunteers, schools, nonprofit partners, and other community stakeholders around nutrition, healthy food access, food rescue, and the needs of families experiencing food insecurity. Verde Vida used its food distribution activities as opportunities to strengthen relationships with residents, identify community needs, connect participants with available resources, and build greater awareness of hunger and food waste. The organization also continued developing educational, culinary, and advocacy initiatives intended to complement its direct food access work and support a longer-term approach to improving community food security. Volunteer engagement remained an important component of these activities and helped increase community participation in Verde Vida's charitable mission.
Source: Form 990EZ 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 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 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 2025.
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.
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.