Thistle Farms
Thistle Farms reported $14.7 million in revenue and $13.3 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $80.11 went to program services, $15.08 to management and general costs and $4.81 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 60.9% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $163,122 (CEO). 5 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 117% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $13MFor context, the median across 2,433 covered unclassified charities: $88.27 programs, $11.68 management, $0.05 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $15MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 80.1% | 86.7% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 15.1% | 11.5% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 4.8% | 0.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.07 | $0.01 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 60.9% | 29.9% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 2.4% | 3.8% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 32.9% | 58.9% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $163,122 | $301,601 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.23% | 1.38% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 5 | 6 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 9.5 | 6.8 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 21 of 21 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseResidential services - our 2-year residential program is based in nashville, tennessee. We are able to house up to 28 residents at a time in a therapeutic setting that offers women survivors a peaceful place where they can experience transformative, sustainable recovery through two years of rent-free housing, healthcare, counseling, employment, and community building. When entering the program, our residents help create their own personalized plan for their healthcare and therapeutic needs. For the first 4-6 months, residents focus on recovery, attending group meetings, medical appointments…
Social enterprises - residents and graduates of our residential program are employed in one of our social enterprises. Here the women can learn new job skills and make a living wage to support themselves. Body & home, Thistle Farms' largest nonprofit social enterprise, creates natural bath and body products that are as healing for our customers as they are for the women who create them. What started with just a few volunteers in a church kitchen has grown into a national brand that produces more than 20 different product lines. Everything we produce is hand poured in small batches by women…
National network - the Thistle Farms national network is comprised of like-minded organizations committed to connecting survivors of prostitution, trafficking, and addiction to hope, healing, and empowerment. To date, over 90 organizations throughout the country have programs based on Thistle Farms' model of recovery; 57 of these organizations have residential programs to house women survivors, while the other half are in the early stages of development
Highest reported compensation
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEO Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $162,455 | $0 | $667 | $163,122 |
| CFO Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $135,585 | $0 | $667 | $136,252 |
| FOUNDER/PRES Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $134,337 | $0 | $654 | $134,991 |
| SENIOR DIREC Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $111,882 | $0 | $11,447 | $123,329 |
| CULTURE DIRE Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $102,060 | $0 | $4,699 | $106,759 |
5 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Thistle Farms (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $299K (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b21 · 21 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4No
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bYes
- Employees Part I, line 5168
- Volunteers Part I, line 62,500
Private foundation grants it received
63 private foundations reported grants to Thistle Farms totaling $3.2M on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Thistle Farms's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Thistle Farms, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Thistle Farms spent in FY2025, $80.11 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Questions people ask
How much of Thistle Farms's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Thistle Farms reported that 80.1% of its $13.3 million in expenses went to program services, 15.1% to management and general and 4.8% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Thistle Farms pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Thistle Farms reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $163,122, for the role of CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Thistle Farms get its money?
Of $14.7 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 60.9% came from contributions and grants (including 2.4% from government grants) and 32.9% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Thistle Farms a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 58-2050089 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, object 202601359349303070 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202541259349300349 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202411239349300816 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202321339349300532 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202143079349302279 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202120349349301242 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 58-2050089: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.