Massachusetts · Nonprofit
THE URBAN FARMING INSTITUTE OF BOSTONINC
THE URBAN FARMING INSTITUTE OF BOSTONINC (Massachusetts) receives grants from 83 organizations whose IRS filings report $9,956,417 to it, the largest being THE BROMLEY CHARITABLE TRUST ($1,385,920). 46 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- Revenue FY2024
- $3.3M
- Funders on record
- 83
- Grants received
- $10.0M
- Net assets
- $7.7M
What The Urban Farming Institute of Bostoninc does
Mission
Organizations mission the urban farming institute's (ufi) mission is to develop and promote urban farming to engage individuals in growing food locally and building a healthy community. Vision: thriving, resilient communities where individuals and families have access to healthy food, a deeper connection to the land, and strengthened social networks. Training and engagement of bipoc individuals so that our community is anchored and committed to a vision of the future that is healthy, empowered, and safe.
As stated on its FY2024 Form 990.
Programs
Education: fit around the farm (fatf): ufi develops programming for seniors that focus on healthy eating, healthy cooking and exercise. Twice a week there were 67 participants for chair yoga, dancing, fitness and demonstrations by guest chefs. Our seniors volunteer, grow food, attend our farm stand for healthy vegetables and herbs, participate in all our events. Ufi has created an environment to promote health through local access to fresh food. Mindfulness in nature, a 6 week program was added through our partners at age strong boston. The men's black gathering: a new program was added to the black men's gathering called barbershop talk. Men are encouraged to stop by for a meal and a free haircut by one of 3 senior barbers. This program increases networking among senior men, staves off isolation and creates a safe space to learn about ways to increase their overall health. Average attendance between 20-30 men. Men continue to gather twice a month for tai chi, general fitness, healthy food and discussion of healthy eating. Farmer training program: ufi has revamped the well-known farmer training program to expand. The program kicks off in 2026. Participants will learn about…
$352,271 spent$12,494 earned by the program29% of program spendingCommunity programs/npo partner outreach/ corporate connections: "live music: over 16 plus jazz, afro-latin jazz, bomba performances occurred at the ufi farm stand to attract the community and provide a safe place to shop, and participate in arts & crafts. "ufi completed building and installing additional 26 grow boxes in 2024. That means that people are growing healthy food in their backyards, front yards and porches. Guidance occurred for these at the seedling sale and in-person at fcef. Ufi created a 'grow series' to teach residents all the steps of growing food. Ufi hosted 10 saturday/sunday 'how to grow' classes. "over 6700 servings of food through our community meal bags. Funded by donors committed to fighting hunger and food insecurity the meals were prepared by bipoc chefs and consisted of fresh vegetables, starch, and a protein with enough food for a family of three. All meals were culturally relevant as well (callaloo, haitian stew, jerk chicken, yucca and more) "the 2024 thanksgiving / indigenous people's celebration food distribution of 475 turkeys (with the fixings) for families in need nominated by partner organizations, schools and neighbors. "the ufi food day and…
$243,745 spent20% of program spendingFarm operations ufi's farm operations (growing and distributing food and seedlings) from june to november encompasses: "growing food to distribute from all six farming locations 131 glenway street, astoria quarter acre farm, garrison trotter farm, and fcef farmland. Ufi also manages two growing sites with our partner victory program/revision house. The partnership comes with 2 additional greenhouses allowing ufi to boost its seedling production. "ufi grew and distributed over 15,794 pounds of food. Distribution of total of 40,000 pounds of food included 4,500 pounds of donated food and additional food brought in via our rural partners to bring in additional fruit and other items ufi does not traditionally grow in the city. "distribution of food through 60 community supported agriculture boxes (csa) with our collaborating community partner abcd. Produce provided from over 130 plus crop varieties. "running a weekly farmstand that served an amazing increase of community shoppers from 2500 customers in 2023 to shy of 3000 in 2024 (20% increase) many of whom were from low-income families that relied upon hip/snap, wic and city of boston farm market coupons. Ufi also continued its own…
$597,886 spent$131,886 earned by the program49% of program spendingCompleting capital campaign to purchase fowler clark epstein farm after a successful two-and-a-half-year capital campaign ufi purchased the historic fowler clark epstein farm in mattapan in january of 2024. This means that the farmland, historic house and barn, are now owned by ufi. Zero mortgage was required to purchase the property based on the successful capital campaign. Ufi has become a critical steward of the historic landmark property. At a time when gentrification abounds in our community ufi will be able to operate as the hub of urban farming, farmer training, education, health & wellness, youth development, and community- building well into the future. The greenhouse was previously built and opened for operation in 2019 by ufi. The greenhouse is owned outright as well. The above decisions will allow for a sustainable future. Fcef will also continue to serve as ufi's community headquarters. Our doors are open to the community promoting health and wellness for all ages.
$30,086 spent2% of program spending
The 4 programs described on its FY2024 Form 990, listed largest first by expense. Program spending in total: $1,223,988.
The organization over time
Each line starts at 100 in 2018, so what you read is the shape rather than the size: 150 means half as much again as 2018, 50 means half. The number beside each label in the key is where it ended. The shaded band is where the middle 50% of its peers' revenue would sit, given their growth.
Balance sheet
Total assets and total liabilities at each year end, in dollars. The largest one-year move in total assets was 2021 to 2022, from $2.7M to $5.0M (+84%).
How it's funded, over time
Each bar is one year's revenue split into where it came from, and every bar is the same height — these are shares, not amounts, so a year that raised twice as much looks the same size. Hover a bar for the split.
Government-grant reliance: 2018 7% · 2019 23% · 2020 4% · 2021 5% · 2022 0% · 2023 5% · 2024 2%. Grants only. Government contracts and fees sit inside program revenue.
92% of THE URBAN FARMING INSTITUTE OF BOSTONINC’s revenue is contributions — more donation-reliant than the typical peer (61% for the typical peer).
Surplus & reserves
Operating surplus or deficit each year, and months of liquidity in hand. 0 of the last 7 reported years ran a deficit.
reserve
Leadership and staff
The officers, directors, trustees and key employees listed on each return. Joined and no longer listed compare each filing with the year before, matching people by surname and first initial; a year after a gap, or a roster under three people, has no comparison.
Chief executive
Patricia Spence
Exec dir/ pr
Board chair
Shoma Haque
Board chair
As listed on its FY2024 Form 990.
Who funds it, year by year
2017 → 2023: the base broadened from 9 funders to 33 funders, grant income rose $170k → $1.4M.
13 of 83 of your funders are donor-advised or pass-through sponsors (tagged DAF) — 23% of grant dollars received. That money is really individual donors directing a sponsor; the institutions to cultivate are the non-DAF funders.
From the IRS filings of THE URBAN FARMING INSTITUTE OF BOSTONINC’s funders (the co-funder graph). Top 30 of 83 funders by total. Association, not causation. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How concentrated its funding is
THE URBAN FARMING INSTITUTE OF BOSTONINC has a broad base — no single funder exceeds 14% of grant income, and it takes 8 funders to reach half.
the vertical line marks half of all grant income — 8 funders to its left
34% of the income these shares are computed over arrives through pass-through sponsors or from payers whose filings do not say what kind of payment it is. Concentration is still measured over all of it, because the money is real; what it does not support is a claim about how many institutions have chosen to fund THE URBAN FARMING INSTITUTE OF BOSTONINC.
Largest funder’s share by year: 2017 29% · 2018 48% · 2019 37% · 2020 23% · 2021 11% · 2022 26% · 2023 14% — diversifying over time.
“Effective funders” = inverse Herfindahl index (1 / Σ shareᵢ²) — the number of equal-sized funders that would give the same concentration. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How long its funders stay
41% of THE URBAN FARMING INSTITUTE OF BOSTONINC's funders are still giving 3 years after their first grant; 55% give in more than one year at all.
Share of funders still giving k years after their first recorded grant, pooled across every acquisition cohort. A funder counts as retained in a year only if it made a grant that year. Measured to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving — a funder cannot be counted as lapsed in a year most filers have not reached.
Where its funders are
89% of THE URBAN FARMING INSTITUTE OF BOSTONINC's grant income comes from Massachusetts funders.
In-state vs out-of-state, by year
Funder states come from each funder’s own filing. $2.3M arriving through sponsors registered in 9 states is excluded from the map and the split above: a sponsor holds money on a donor’s behalf, so its registered address would place those dollars somewhere no donor need ever have been. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Against its field
THE URBAN FARMING INSTITUTE OF BOSTONINC runs a healthier operating margin than three-quarters of the 4,203 community improvement nonprofits its size.
this organization peer median middle 50% of peers· 4,203 community improvement nonprofits $1M–$10M, FY2024
Government funding THE URBAN FARMING INSTITUTE OF BOSTONINC receives
Grants and contracts to this organization from federal (USASpending) and state checkbooks, reconciled to its EIN. $207k on record.
- (PP) STATE AID/POL SUB$207k
Federal grants vs contracts are distinguished; state line items keep their reported category. Matched by name + geography (the BMF), so coverage is partial and precision-first.
Organizations like THE URBAN FARMING INSTITUTE OF BOSTONINC
Organizations whose mission and program text most resemble this one, by semantic similarity over every organization in the US filings — the closest peers, and often the clearest route to shared or prospective funders.
In Massachusetts
Nationally
Read directly from this organization’s own Form 990, as neutral context.
Where the money goes
66% of spending goes to programs.
Governance
Public support
75%
Share of support from the public (Schedule A) — the basis for its public-charity status.
Footprint & structure
Files a return copy in 1 state
Screen this organization
A dated, signed PDF of the compliance screen for THE URBAN FARMING INSTITUTE OF BOSTONINC: IRS status (Business Master File, Publication 78, auto-revocation), the OFAC sanctions lists, the Internal Revenue Bulletin, and California registration, with the Rev. Proc. 2018-32 §8.01 reliance elements stated element by element. Generated from the current files at the moment you download it.
Screens are triage, not determinations; a source that cannot be read reports not screened, never clear. Screen this nonprofit · How the screen works · on the API as GET /api/screening/{ein}?format=pdf
Questions and answers
- Who funds THE URBAN FARMING INSTITUTE OF BOSTONINC?
- THE URBAN FARMING INSTITUTE OF BOSTONINC (Massachusetts) receives grants from 83 organizations whose IRS filings report $9,956,417 to it, the largest being THE BROMLEY CHARITABLE TRUST ($1,385,920). 46 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- How many funders does THE URBAN FARMING INSTITUTE OF BOSTONINC have?
- IRS filings report 83 organizations giving $9,956,417 in grants to THE URBAN FARMING INSTITUTE OF BOSTONINC, 46 of which have funded it in more than one year.
- Who is the largest funder of THE URBAN FARMING INSTITUTE OF BOSTONINC?
- THE BROMLEY CHARITABLE TRUST is the largest funder on record, with $1,385,920 in grants. The full list of funders is on this page.
- How can an organization like THE URBAN FARMING INSTITUTE OF BOSTONINC find more funders?
- Start with the funders already giving here, then look at the foundations that back similar organizations in Massachusetts. The funding by cause and by state pages list the largest funders for a given area and how to approach them.
Play a game about who funds Urban Farming Institute of Bostoninc →
These figures are read directly from IRS Form 990 / 990-PF e-file XML: this organization’s own return for FY2024 (financials across 2018–2024), and the filings of 83 funders that report grants to it. “On record” means captured in the filings we have parsed — a funder that does not e-file, or whose grant detail is not itemized, will not appear. Filings run roughly 12–24 months behind. Trends on this page end at FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving; later years are shown and marked, and move no figure. Data on this page was exported October 14, 2026. What this page cannot tell you · view filing