Center for Ecoliteracy
Smart, Hopeful, and Vital Education
Learn how to support this organization
Center for Ecoliteracy
EIN: 94-2911417
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
We envision a world where all students experience and understand how nature sustains life and are inspired to live in ways that benefit people and the environment. All schools can do this by committing to cultivating ecological literacy through transformational experiences in the cafeteria, classroom, and garden that educate students about the food system and its connection to the environment.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
California Food for California Kids®
The California Food for California Kids® initiative builds the capacity and commitment of public school districts to provide all students with fresh, locally-grown school meals and create connections between the cafeteria, classroom, and garden. californiafoodforcaliforniakids.org
Plant-Forward School Meal Resources
Recipes, culinary techniques, and student engagement materials for success in crafting plant-forward school meals. ecoliteracy.org/download/plant-forward-school-meal-resources
School Meals for All
In 2021, California made history becoming the first state in the nation to transform school food by permanently providing free school meals to all K–12 public school students. As co-sponsors of the Free School Meals for All Act of 2021, the Center for Ecoliteracy advocates for policies and state funding that support school nutrition programs. ecoliteracy.org/article/school-meals-all
Rethinking School Lunch
Rethinking School Lunch is a planning framework based on a positive vision: healthy children ready to learn, “food literate” graduates, invigorated local communities, sustainable agriculture, a healthy environment. The Rethinking School Lunch Guide, published in 2004 and revised in 2010, is a downloadable pdf that explains the rationale for reforming school food and explores the ten pathways that constitute this planning framework. ecoliteracy.org/download/rethinking-school-lunch-guide
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of children served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
California Food for California Kids®
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
students reached in the California Food for California Kids® network
Total number of organization members
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
California Food for California Kids®
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
school districts in the California Food for California Kids® network
Number of children reached with a meal each school day
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
School Meals for All
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
million California students receive free breakfast and lunch at school
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
We envision a world where all students experience and understand how nature sustains life and are inspired to live in ways that benefit people and the environment. All schools can do this by committing to cultivating ecological literacy through transformational experiences in the cafeteria, classroom, and garden that educate students about the food system and its connection to the environment.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Our California Food for California Kids® initiative builds the capacity of public school districts to provide students with fresh, locally-grown food and reinforce connections between the classroom, cafeteria, and garden. With a network of over 100 public school districts across the state, California Food for California Kids advances practical solutions that transform school food systems and how students learn about the food they eat.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
To serve its mission to advance education for sustainable living, the Center for Ecoliteracy leads systems changes initiatives, creates original books and resources, facilitates conferences and professional development, and provides strategic consulting. The Center for Ecoliteracy conducts programs on multiple levels of scale, including local, regional, statewide, national, and international efforts. As a thought leader for the field, the Center for Ecoliteracy develops systems change frameworks, like the proven "Rethinking School Lunch Planning Guide" and "Making the Case for Fresh, Healthy School Meals," and resources for educators, like "BIG IDEAS: Linking Food, Culture, Health, and the Environment" and "Understanding Food and Climate Change: A Suite of Educational Resources."
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
An internationally recognized leader in K-12 school food reform and education linking classrooms, school gardens, and cafeterias, the Center for Ecoliteracy was an early recipient of a USDA Community Food Projects grant for the Food Systems Project (named among the program's “top ten" projects in their first decade) and created the "Model Wellness Policy Guide" and the "Rethinking School Lunch Planning Guide" used by schools across the nation. In 2009, the Center for Ecoliteracy launched the California Food for California Kids® initiative. As co-sponsors of the Free School Meals for All Act of 2021, the Center for Ecoliteracy, along with the California Association of Food Banks, NextGen California, TomKat Ranch, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, built a broad coalition of over 200 supporting organizations. Together, the School Meals for All coalition successfully advocated for California to adopt free school meals for all.
Financials
Financial documents
Download audited financialsRevenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2022 info
3.47
Months of cash in 2022 info
5.8
Fringe rate in 2022 info
20%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
Financial data
Center for Ecoliteracy
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.
Fiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
This snapshot of Center for Ecoliteracy’s financial trends applies Nonprofit Finance Fund® analysis to data hosted by GuideStar. While it highlights the data that matter most, remember that context is key – numbers only tell part of any story.
Created in partnership with
Business model indicators
Profitability info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | $198,769 | $52,542 | -$5,014 | $269,704 | $311,195 |
As % of expenses | 10.3% | 2.5% | -0.3% | 14.6% | 16.5% |
Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | $186,453 | $43,629 | -$15,041 | $259,482 | $300,674 |
As % of expenses | 9.6% | 2.1% | -0.9% | 14.0% | 15.8% |
Revenue composition info | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $2,005,780 | $2,121,205 | $1,709,254 | $2,092,210 | $2,198,126 |
Total revenue, % change over prior year | -22.5% | 5.8% | -19.4% | 22.4% | 5.1% |
Program services revenue | 0.2% | 1.6% | 0.6% | 0.8% | 2.4% |
Membership dues | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Investment income | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
Government grants | 18.2% | 17.2% | 8.4% | 23.5% | 29.3% |
All other grants and contributions | 81.5% | 81.1% | 91.0% | 75.7% | 68.2% |
Other revenue | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Expense composition info | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total expenses before depreciation | $1,930,281 | $2,085,363 | $1,748,434 | $1,841,640 | $1,886,931 |
Total expenses, % change over prior year | -18.8% | 8.0% | -16.2% | 5.3% | 2.5% |
Personnel | 65.6% | 60.1% | 75.2% | 71.1% | 71.4% |
Professional fees | 14.0% | 9.5% | 10.7% | 12.7% | 13.4% |
Occupancy | 6.3% | 6.1% | 6.6% | 6.2% | 6.3% |
Interest | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.0% |
Pass-through | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
All other expenses | 14.1% | 24.3% | 7.5% | 9.8% | 8.9% |
Full cost components (estimated) info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total expenses (after depreciation) | $1,942,597 | $2,094,276 | $1,758,461 | $1,851,862 | $1,897,452 |
One month of savings | $160,857 | $173,780 | $145,703 | $153,470 | $157,244 |
Debt principal payment | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $50,991 |
Fixed asset additions | $0 | $0 | $0 | $11,880 | $0 |
Total full costs (estimated) | $2,103,454 | $2,268,056 | $1,904,164 | $2,017,212 | $2,105,687 |
Capital structure indicators
Liquidity info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Months of cash | 4.7 | 5.4 | 6.2 | 7.1 | 5.8 |
Months of cash and investments | 4.7 | 5.4 | 6.2 | 7.1 | 5.8 |
Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | 4.6 | 4.5 | 5.3 | 6.7 | 8.5 |
Balance sheet composition info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cash | $754,834 | $933,168 | $900,623 | $1,090,293 | $919,501 |
Investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Receivables | $200,381 | $130,757 | $297,507 | $375,013 | $656,060 |
Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $133,117 | $138,997 | $146,983 | $133,979 | $46,229 |
Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 82.1% | 83.6% | 84.5% | 81.8% | 65.8% |
Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 7.8% | 9.1% | 22.1% | 20.1% | 14.8% |
Unrestricted net assets | $761,625 | $805,254 | $790,213 | $1,049,695 | $1,350,369 |
Temporarily restricted net assets | $244,560 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Permanently restricted net assets | $0 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Total restricted net assets | $244,560 | $227,860 | $193,694 | $174,560 | $174,560 |
Total net assets | $1,006,185 | $1,033,114 | $983,907 | $1,224,255 | $1,524,929 |
Key data checks
Key data checks info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Material data errors | No | No | No | No | No |
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
Executive Director
Alexa Norstad
Alexa Norstad previously served as the organization's Director of Programs where she oversaw all program efforts across the organization, designing, developing, and directing some of the most successful programs in the Center for Ecoliteracy’s history. Her insight and compassion have nurtured our relationships with staff and partners to advance education for the sustainability of people and the planet. A Vassar graduate with a background in publications, she served in the corporate offices of Condé Nast Publications in New York, experience that lends editorial excellence to the organization’s publications and communications work. A farming apprenticeship in Vermont left her with a deep appreciation of one’s food system and the importance of connecting to place.
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
Center for Ecoliteracy
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
Center for Ecoliteracy
Highest paid employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
Center for Ecoliteracy
Board of directorsas of 08/17/2023
Board of directors data
Malo André Hutson
University of Virginia
Wendy Williams
No Affiliation
Nancy Skinner
Elected Public Official
Alexa Norstad
Center for Ecoliteracy
Andra Yeghoian
Ten Strands
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
-
Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Contractors
Fiscal year endingProfessional fundraisers
Fiscal year endingSOURCE: IRS Form 990 Schedule G