Real School Gardens

“Authority to act on behalf of governing body: there are no committees with authority to act on behalf of the governing body.”

“Review of form 990: the form 990 is initially reviewed by the director of finance and operations and the executive director. The document is refined, if necessary, and then provided to the board of directors - finance chair for review and comment. The document is refined, if necessary, and then distributed to the full board of directors for review and comment. The form 990 is then finalized and submitted to the internal revenue service.”

“Conflict of interest: all new employees are briefed about the conflict of interest policy as part of an orientation about standards of professional conduct for the organization. The conflict of interest policy is reviewed with all employees and the board of directors each october. At this time, each director, officer, and employee is asked to acknowledge in writing their understanding of the policy. In addition, each director, officer and employee is asked to complete a disclosure form that identifies any relationships, positions, or circumstances that might represent a conflict of interest. The director of finance and operations serves as the compliance officer for the organization, investigating any reported violations to the conflict of interest policy. Findings are presented to the board of directors, including the executive director, and appropriate corrective actions are determined.”

“Review of compensation: the board of directors, led by the board chairman, establishes compensation and benefits for the executive director and director of finance and operations at real school gardens. A compensation survey or study is used during this process (i.e., philanthropy roundtable's compensation report) to determine a market range, as in benchmarking with select non-profits, including those with an outdoor learning mission focus. Compensation is finalized within the market rate range based on experience, earnings history, and results the selected candidate demonstrated in recent roles. The board of directors approves the compensation and benefits package for the executive director and director of finance and operations. The executive director and director of finance and operations establishes compensation and benefits for other key employees in the organization, based on market rate range, experience, earnings history, and results demonstrated by the candidate. The executive director presents employee promotion and compensation recommendations to the board of directors for approval. A review was conducted in 2013.”

“Availability of documents: the organization's governing documents, conflict of interest policy, and financial statements are made available to the public upon request. These documents are provided either electronically or via us mail, based on the preference of the requestor.”

“Description of other program services: real school gardens, real results at real school gardens, our vision is to enrich every child's education through learning gardens. To achieve this, we build learning gardens in low-income schools and train teachers how to use them so that students become smarter, healthier, and more environmentally aware. Smarter after giving children hands-on outdoor lessons in science, math and language arts, real school gardens teachers have seen a marked increase in student engagement, a key indicator in long-term academic success. Studies show that real school gardens increase student test scores, a priority for low-income schools. Child-education experts have designed our curriculum to effectively engage students so that they understand their lessons more fully. Outdoor learning sparks children's natural curiosity, bringing back the joy of discovery they crave. Healthier in addition to the academic benefits of learning outdoors, real school gardens allows children to grow their own produce. Studies show that children who grow their own food are more likely to eat more fruits and vegetables, show higher levels of knowledge about nutrition and are more likely to continue healthy eating habits throughout their lives. Simply spending time outside working in the garden increases students' vitamin d levels, reduces symptoms of add and adhd, reduces stress, and improves student behavior and social interactions. Environmentally aware every real school garden is designed to improve the school's environmental impact by collecting rainwater, preventing runoff and erosion, creating compost and supporting native plants and wildlife. In addition to impact of each project, every real school garden student will be immersed in an engaging curriculum that promotes environmental stewardship for years to come. Children in low-income schools often have little access to a green environment, and know little about their role in keeping their environment green and healthy. Their real school garden gives them a sense of their place in the world, and a sense of pride in taking care of it.”

“Oversight committee: the board of directors assumes responsibility for oversight of the audit and selection of the independent accountant. This process has not changed from the prior year.”