Non Profit: Farm Aid

By Chris Knowlton

About Farm Aid

Farm Aid artists and board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews host an annual concert to support Farm Aid's work with family farmers and to inspire people to choose food from family farms.

Since 1985, Farm Aid has raised $48 million to support programs that help farmers thrive and take action to change the dominant system of industrial agriculture, and promote food from family farms.

Recent Farm Aid Shows

2008 – Mansfield, Massachusetts (20,000) 2009 – St. Louis, Missouri (20,000) 2010 – Milwaukee, Wisconsin (35,000) 2011 – Kansas City, Kansas (15,000) 2012 – Hershey, Pennsylvania (30,000) 2013 – Saratoga Springs, New York (25,000) 2014 – Raleigh, North Carolina (20,000) 2015 – 30th Anniversary Show TBA (California?)

The Beginning

Vintage poster of the first Farm Aid Concert, back in 1985

80,000 people in attendance and roughly $9 million raised

Today

Farm Aid 2014 in NC

General Information

Farm Aid is 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization as defined by the IRS.

Office location in Cambridge, Massachusetts 30 total staff members Farm Aid has answered 1-800-FARM-AID to provide

immediate and effective support services to farm families in crisis.

Mission, Vision, Values

Farm Aid's mission is to build a vibrant, family farm-centered system of agriculture in America.

In order for family farmers to thrive we have to create more markets for them, giving more people the opportunity to access family farm food. Farm Aid fosters connections between farmers and eaters by growing and strengthening local and regional markets and working to get family farm food in urban neighborhoods, grocery stores, restaurants, schools and other public institutions.

Values include: Public health, healthy opportunity, local and sustainable farming, agricultural structure

Financial Statements

Continued...

Continued...

Where Does the Money Come From?

Most Recently Audited Financials (2013)

Income $2,587,533

Program Expenses

Promoting Food from Family Farms $527,464

Growing the Good Food Movement $227,323

Helping Farmers Thrive $527,897

Taking Action to Change the System $360,878

Fundraising $189,860

Administration $163,230

Total Spending $1,996,652

End of Year Assets $2,422,790

Grant Programs

Growing the Good Food Movement Creating and implementing innovative programs that build local and regional food

systems, connecting farmers directly to consumers and creating new markets for family farmers.

Helping Farmers Thrive Providing farmers with the tools and resources they need to access new markets,

grow sustainably, produce renewable fuels and survive natural disasters.

Taking Action to Change the System Working to promote fair farm policies and grassroots organizing campaigns to

defend and bolster family farm-centered agriculture.

How Does Farm Aid Spend Its Money? (2013)

How Does Farm Aid Spend Its Money?

Audited Expenditures - 1985 through 2013

Program Services: $34,279,821 (79%)

Fundraising & Management: $9,193,316 (21%)

Total Expenditures: $43,473,137

Comparable Organizations

Center For Food Safety Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund Wholesome Wave Food First

Organizations

CFS (Center for Food Safety)

Founded in 2000 “Working to protect human health and the environment by

curbing the use of harmful food production technologies Offices in Washington DC, San Francisco, Portland

FTCLDF (Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund)

Started in 2007 “Defending the rights and broadening the freedoms of family

farms and protecting consumer access to raw milk and nutrient dense foods.”

Falls Church, Virginia

Organizations (cont..)

Wholesome Wave

Founded in 2007 “Enables underserved consumers to make healthier food choices

by increasing affordable access to fresh, local, and regional food” Bridgeport, Connecticut

Food First

Began in 1975 The mission of the Institute for Food and Development Policy,

better know as Food First, is to end the injustices that cause hunger”

Oakland, California

Debt Ratios for 2013

Farm Aid

2013 Liabilities/Assets $210,296/$2,633,086 = 7.9%

CFS = 6.7% FTCLDF = 2.5% Wholesome Wave = 26% Food First = 5.5%

Revenues vs. Expenses

Revenues vs. Expenses

SWOT Analysis

Strengths

-History and tenure-Strong following-Celebrity backed-Good cause

Weaknesses

-Low publicity-Little public advertising-Young people-Only annual

Opportunities

-New states and venues-Young generations-Programs and support-Branching out to uneducated

Threats

-Major food companies-Other concerts/special events-Consumers-Food industry influences

Suggestions?

The End