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CHARITY REVIEW
Issued: October 2025 Expires: October 2026

The Vegetable Connection

Accredited Charity
Accredited Charity

Meets Standards

Accreditation seal
913 Kimball Rd
Fort Collins, CO, 80521-3064

Standards For Charity Accountability

Governance

  1. Board Oversight
  2. Board Size
  3. Board Meetings
  4. Board Compensation
  5. Conflict of Interest

Measuring Effectiveness

  1. Effectiveness Policy
  2. Effectiveness Report

Finances

  1. Program Expenses
  2. Fundraising Expenses
  3. Accumulating Funds
  4. Audit Report
  5. Detailed Expense Breakdown
  6. Accurate Expense Reporting
  7. Budget Plan

Fundraising & Info

  1. Truthful Materials
  2. Annual Report
  3. Website Disclosures
  4. Donor Privacy
  5. Cause Marketing Disclosures
  6. Complaints

The Vegetable Connection meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Stated Purpose:
Improve Northern Colorado's food resilience by supporting families in need with increased access to nutritious vegetables from our partner farms and nutrition education.

Year, State Incorporated:
2009, CO

Two programs, Feeding the Families and The Food School work together to provide nutrition education and fresh vegetables to people in our community in the greatest need and increase awareness of local farmers. These programs increase the resilience of the local food system and the families participating in the programs, while addressing a core issue of the working poor in the community, food insecurity. Feeding the Families (FTF) assists low-income families in becoming members at one of its seven local partner Community Supporting Agriculture (CSA) farms for an entire growing season by subsidizing their market-priced shares. It addresses the need for local farmers to establish a broad array of community connections, helping to create sustainable viability. This helps benefit the economy by supporting local agriculture. Families have a difficult time affording fresh vegetables and food banks offer very few options. Many of its families face health issues that are alleviated when they consume food that is grown using sustainable farming methods. Participants contribute toward the share based on their income, increasing the personal investment in eating healthier and providing a sense of empowerment. The Food School provides education to FTF participants during interactive, free workshops on preparing and preserving food and at food tastings at farmers’ markets and farm partners. It brings in a variety of instructors to workshops, sharing their knowledge of food and nutrition. It also offers opportunities to learn about gardening at our community garden. The families receive a weekly e-newsletter with recipes, nutrition information and news from partner farms. Its education component, required of participating families, helps
to provide some of the necessary information and skills to take the steps toward continued healthy eating even when on a tight budget. 

For the year ended December 31, 2024, The Vegetable Connection's program expenses were:

Programs $96,857
Total Program Expenses $96,857

Chief Executive
Nicole Turner-Ravana, Executive Director

Chair of the Board
Claudia DeMarco, Community Volunteer

Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation

Board Size
8

Paid Staff Size
1

Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Invitations to fund raising events, Grant proposals, Internet, Appeals via Social Media (Facebook, etc.)

% of Related Contributions on Fundraising: 7.62%

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.

The following information is based on The Vegetable Connection's IRS Form 990-EZ for the year ended December 31, 2024.

Source of Funds
Contributions, Gifts and Grants $79,500
Fundraising Events $9,234
Program Service Revenue $4,788
Investment Income $58
Total Income $93,580

Programs: 88% Fundraising: 6% Administrative: 6%

Total Income $93,580
Total expenses: $110,379
  Program expenses $96,857
  Fundraising expenses $6,761
  Administrative expenses $6,761
  Other expenses $0
Income in Excess of Expenses $-16,799
Beginning Net Assets $44,109
Other Changes In Net Assets $0
Ending Net Assets $27,310
Total Liabilities $4,487
Total Assets $48,596

An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgment. If the report is about a charity and states the charity meets or does not meet the Standards for Charity Accountability, it reflects the results of an evaluation of information and materials provided voluntarily by the charity. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus.

This report is not to be used for fundraising or promotional purposes.

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Report completed by:
BBB Serving Northern Colorado and Wyoming