International Biochar Initiative
EIN: 56-2675394
Programs and results
Reports and documents
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Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
The IBI Biochar Training Course
IBI’s online biochar course, Biochar Training for Environmental Sustainability and Economic Development—is an intensive training series on all aspects of biochar, presented by leading biochar experts. The students get the opportunity to learn about best-science updates on biochar to promote the uptake of biochar production and use, and actions necessary to overcome the barriers to commercialization of the biochar industry. They also study biochar production technologies; physicochemical properties; standards, classification, and certification; biochar effects when used as a soil amendment; biochar carbon persistence in soils, carbon accounting, and climate change; and commercialization of the biochar industry.
The students receive a certificate of completion, provided that they have completed at least 80% of the modules and the quizzes.
IBI Biochar Academy
Biochar as a sustainable and multi-purpose climate solution technology can help build the resilience of local communities that are high-risk and sensitive to the impact of climate change. The two-week in-person Biochar Academy, the first of which will be held during the last two weeks in June 2023 in Upstate New York, will provide skills training to a global and diverse cohort of participants and enable them to apply this knowledge for the benefit of their local communities and also to train more people in their surroundings - contributing towards building a global biochar workforce.
The academy will introduce students to biochar, biochar production, climate change mitigation and adaptation through the use of biochar, feedstocks used for biochar production, co-products from thermochemical conversion, sampling techniques, standards and various applications and markets for biochar.
Learn more: https://biochar-international.org/event/biochar-academy/
Nationally Determined Contributions Framework for Biochar
A tool for countries to estimate how biochar can help them meet their climate goals based on local feedstocks and other factors. This framework can help countries to determine biochar’s potential to increase climate ambitions for both mitigation and adaptation.
Biochar Technology Podcasts and Webinars
Sessions led by industry experts to talk about the latest news and research in the global biochar industry and also to diving into biochar production, use, and carbon markets.
Biochar Standard and Certification Program
This program helps producers prove the high value of their biochar products.
Where we work
External reviews

Financials
Revenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2022 info
Months of cash in 2022 info
Fringe rate in 2022 info
%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
International Biochar Initiative
Revenue & expensesFiscal Year: Jul 01 - Jun 30
SOURCE: IRS Form 990
International Biochar Initiative
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Jul 01 - Jun 30
SOURCE: IRS Form 990
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: Jul 01 - Jun 30
SOURCE: IRS Form 990
This snapshot of International Biochar Initiative’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.
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Business model indicators
Profitability info | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2021 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | $54,331 | $194,750 | -$198,030 | -$58,717 | $348,113 |
As % of expenses | 11.3% | 58.5% | -71.5% | -52.3% | 558.3% |
Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | $54,331 | $194,750 | -$198,030 | -$58,717 | $348,113 |
As % of expenses | 11.3% | 58.5% | -71.5% | -52.3% | 558.3% |
Revenue composition info | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $245,501 | $527,414 | $78,936 | $53,625 | $410,468 |
Total revenue, % change over prior year | -59.5% | 114.8% | -85.0% | -32.1% | 0.0% |
Program services revenue | 0.0% | 4.0% | 0.6% | 0.0% | 2.0% |
Membership dues | 16.4% | 6.7% | 46.0% | 68.9% | 12.7% |
Investment income | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Government grants | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
All other grants and contributions | 83.6% | 89.3% | 53.4% | 31.1% | 85.4% |
Other revenue | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Expense composition info | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total expenses before depreciation | $482,163 | $332,664 | $276,966 | $112,342 | $62,356 |
Total expenses, % change over prior year | 6.9% | -31.0% | -16.7% | -59.4% | 0.0% |
Personnel | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Professional fees | 72.9% | 90.6% | 96.0% | 96.8% | 81.5% |
Occupancy | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Interest | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Pass-through | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
All other expenses | 27.1% | 9.4% | 4.0% | 3.2% | 18.5% |
Full cost components (estimated) info | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2021 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total expenses (after depreciation) | $482,163 | $332,664 | $276,966 | $112,342 | $62,356 |
One month of savings | $40,180 | $27,722 | $23,081 | $9,362 | $5,196 |
Debt principal payment | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Fixed asset additions | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Total full costs (estimated) | $522,343 | $360,386 | $300,047 | $121,704 | $67,552 |
Capital structure indicators
Liquidity info | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2021 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Months of cash | 2.3 | 9.4 | 3.4 | 0.5 | 80.4 |
Months of cash and investments | 2.3 | 9.4 | 3.4 | 0.5 | 80.4 |
Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | 1.7 | 9.4 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 80.0 |
Balance sheet composition info | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2021 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cash | $91,608 | $259,876 | $78,106 | $4,345 | $417,712 |
Investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Receivables | $0 | $20,071 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 27.6% | 6.7% | 19.3% | 0.0% | 1.0% |
Unrestricted net assets | $66,342 | $261,092 | $63,062 | $4,345 | $415,571 |
Temporarily restricted net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | N/A |
Permanently restricted net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | N/A |
Total restricted net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Total net assets | $66,342 | $261,092 | $63,062 | $4,345 | $415,571 |
Key data checks
Key data checks info | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2021 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Material data errors | No | No | No | No | No |
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
Principal Officer
Wendy Lu McGill
Wendy Lu’s professional background and personal passion are centered in stakeholder management and engagement, as well as cause-based marketing, public relations, and communications. She has focused for the decade on climate solutions, with an emphasis on regenerative, climate smart agriculture. Most recently, Wendy Lu led the North American Coalition for Insect Agriculture as it transitioned from a volunteer-led organization into a professional industry association with over 250 members from12 countries. Wendy Lu also spent more than a decade in international development, working with UN agencies, including WHO, UNICEF, UNDP, and IOM, as well as international development organizations such as Habitat for Humanity International. Focusing on multiple sectors, including water and sanitation, anti-human trafficking, rural infrastructure, and climate-smart agriculture, she worked with distributed, multi-country teams in over a dozen countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
International Biochar Initiative
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.
International Biochar Initiative
Board of directorsas of 04/26/2023
Board of directors data
Kathleen Draper
David Wayne
Shell Research
Tom Miles
TR Miles Consulting
Lucia Brusegan
Starter Srl, Padova, Italy
Claudia Kammann
Hochschule Geisenheim University, Geisenheim, Germany
Veronica Agodoa
ASA Initiative, Cape Coast, Ghana
Brenton Mark Ladd
Universidad Científica del Sur, Lima, Peru
Harn Wei Kua
National University of Singapore, Singapore
Johannes Lehmann
Cornell University
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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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 ? Yes -
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
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
No data