Impact & Measurement
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
Seed Savers Exchange
Decorah IA | IRS ruling year: 1981 | EIN: 43-1214133 
An EIN is a unique nine-digit number that identifies a business for tax purposes.
An EIN is a unique nine-digit number that identifies a business for tax purposes.Organization Mission
Seed Savers Exchange (SSE) stewards America's culturally diverse and endangered garden and food crop legacy for present and future generations. We educate and connec ... (More)
Rating Information
Not currently rated
Ratings are calculated from one or more beacon scores. Currently, we require either an Accountability & Finance beacon or an Impact & Measurement beacon to be eligible for a Charity Navigator rating. Note: The absence of a rating does not indicate a positive or negative assessment; it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated this organization.
See rating report below to learn why this organization is not currently eligible.
Historical Ratings 
Historical Ratings 
Charity Navigator's ratings previously did not consider Leadership & Adaptability, Culture & Community, or Impact & Measurement. The historic rating mainly reflects a version of today’s Accountability and Finance score. More information on our previous rating methodologies can be found on our rating methodology page.
| Date Published | Overall Rating | ||
| 12/1/2021 |  | ||
| 12/23/2020 | | ||
| 12/21/2018 | | ||
| 2/1/2018 | | ||
| 4/1/2017 | | ||
| 6/1/2016 | | ||
| 12/1/2015 | | ||
 This organization received multiple star ratings within this fiscal year, due to an update to its Accountability and Transparency data and/or the receipt of an amended Form 990. | |||
| 5/1/2015 | | ||
| 10/1/2013 | | ||
| 2/1/2013 | | ||
| 12/20/2012 | | ||
| 12/1/2012 | | ||
| 2/1/2012 | | ||
| 9/20/2011 | | ||
| 2/1/2011 | | ||
| 4/1/2010 | | ||
| 11/1/2008 |  | ||
| 11/1/2007 |  | ||
| 12/1/2006 | | ||
| 7/1/2006 | | ||
Rating Report
Accountability & Finance
Not Currently Scored
Unknown Reason
Charity Navigator is unable to evaluate this nonprofit at this time. Please see our Encompass Rating methodology for more information.
Additional Information
Total Revenue and Expenses - Data Available
Total Revenue and Expenses - Data Available
This chart displays the trend of revenue and expenses over the past several years for this organization, as reported on their IRS Form 990.
Salary of Key Persons - Data Available
Salary of Key Persons - Data Available
Presented here are up to five of this organization's highest compensated employees. This compensation data includes salary, cash bonuses, and expense accounts and is displayed exactly how it is reported to the IRS. The amounts do not include nontaxable benefits, deferred compensation, or other amounts not reported on Form W-2. In some cases, these amounts may include compensation from related organizations. Read the IRS policies for compensation reporting
Lynne Rilling, Vice Preside
$83,346
Alex Brandt, Treasurer/se
$48,139
Emily Rose Haga, President
$34,009
Denise Costich, Director
$0
Oona Coy, Former Direc
$0
Source: IRS Form 990 (page 7), filing year 2020
IRS Published Data (Business Master File) - Data Available
IRS Published Data (Business Master File) - Data Available
Below are some key data points from the Exempt Organization IRS Business Master File (BMF) for this organization. Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website
Foundation Status:
Organization that normally receives no more than one-third of its support from gross investment income and unrelated business income and at the same time more than one-third of its support from contributions, fees, and gross receipts related to exempt purposes. 509(a)(2) (BMF foundation code: 16)
Affiliation:
Independent - the organization is an independent organization or an independent auxiliary (i.e., not affiliated with a National, Regional, or Geographic grouping of organizations). (BMF affiliation code: 3)
Data Sources (IRS Forms 990) - Data Available
Data Sources (IRS Forms 990) - Data Available
The Form 990 is a document that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS annually. We leverage accountability and finance data from it to form Encompass ratings. Click here to search for this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website (if any are available). Simply enter the organization's name (Seed Savers Exchange) or EIN (431214133) in the 'Search Term' field.
Impact & Measurement
Not Currently Scored
Seed Savers Exchange cannot currently be evaluated by our Impact & Measurement methodology because either (A) it is eligible, but we have not yet received data; (B) we have not yet developed an algorithm to estimate its programmatic impact; (C) its programs are not direct services; or (D) it is not heavily reliant on contributions from individual donors.
Note: The absence of a score does not indicate a positive or negative assessment, it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated the organization.
Note: The absence of a score does not indicate a positive or negative assessment, it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated the organization.
Culture & Community
Score
93
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's culture and connectedness to the community it serves.
Metrics
Full Credit
Partial Credit
No CreditConstituent Feedback - Data Available100/100 points
Constituent Feedback - Data Available100/100 points
33.33% of beacon score
This organization reported that it is collecting feedback from the constituents and/or communities it serves. The methodology leveraged for Constituent Feedback is based on The Core Principles of Constituent Feedback, which describes listening and responding well to feedback. Charity Navigator participates in a consortium with other feedback experts and leading nonprofit infrastructure platforms to drive Constituent Feedback's advancement, promotion, and data collection.
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
What challenges does your organization face in collecting feedback from the people you serve?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Equity Practices - Data Available89/100 points
Equity Practices - Data Available89/100 points
66.67% of beacon score
This organization's score of 89 is a passing score. The organization reported that it is implementing 9 Equity Practices.
The Equity Strategies Checklist, developed by Equity in the Center, consists of practices and policies that promote racial equity in operations and programs. This data is collected in partnership with Candid.
| Equity Practices (4/7) | |
We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race. | |
We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and/or portfolios. | |
We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization/'s programs, portfolios, and the populations served. | |
We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support. | |
We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders. | |
We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured | |
We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization. | |
| Equity Policies and Procedures (5/7) | |
We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity. | |
We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions. | |
We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization. | |
We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board. | |
We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability. | |
We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team. | |
We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization. | |
Leadership & Adaptability
Score
100
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's leadership capacity, strategic thinking and planning, and ability to innovate or respond to changes in constituent demand/need or other relevant social and economic conditions to achieve the organization's mission.
- Strategic Partnerships
- Networks of Collective Impact Efforts
- Thought Leadership
- Raising Awareness
- Community Building
- Policy Advocacy
Metrics
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditMission 10/10 points
Mission 10/10 points
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization's mission
Note: The organization did not respond to this question.
Vision 10/10 points
Vision 10/10 points
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
Note: The organization did not respond to this question.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Goals 20/20 points
Goals 20/20 points
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: Actively engaging diverse communities through their seed legacy and stories to illuminate the value of the broad cultural heritage that Seed Savers is dedicated to preserving and sharing.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Two: Building a resilient, resourced, connected community that amplifies the impact of our mission through expanded educational offerings and collaborative partnerships as well as through the Exchange.
Goal Type: Focus on core programs to achieve mission and scale back on programs not seen as core.
Goal Three: Responding to environmental change and its impacts on food systems by stewarding our collection and our farm to contribute to resilient food systems.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Leadership Development 15/15 points
Leadership Development 15/15 points
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
Describe an investment in leadership
Seed Savers Exchange contracts with with a consultant to provide tools and expertise around hiring and retaining staff and offers monthly professional development opportunities for leadership staff.
Mobilizing for Mission 15/15 points
Mobilizing for Mission 15/15 points
The nonprofit provides evidence of leadership through focusing externally and mobilizing resources for the mission.
This organization mobilizes for mission in the following ways:
What are this organization’s external mobilizaton efforts?
Seed Savers Exchange is working with a growing number of 700+engaged gardeners who are participating in the ADAPT program, trialing varieties along with SSE's support in gardens around the country. Seed Savers Exchange is also striving to meet gardeners where they are through virtual programming through education and membership while continuing to maintain it's Heritage Farm headquarters, an 890 acre organic seed farm and visitor center located in Northeast Iowa.
Adaptability Story 30/30 points
Adaptability Story 30/30 points
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
During the height of the pandemic Seed Savers Exchange saw its community turn to gardening and seed as a source of resilience. Seeing a 60% spike consecutive years following the height of the pandemic, the nonprofit is now returning to its strategic plan to determine how best preserve our bank, boost access to healthy food, and keep its bank of over 20,000 heritage varieties "climate ready" by keeping them growing in gardens across North America.