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TEENS FOR FOOD JUSTICE INC
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 453591508 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE P80 · Human Services · Medium ($1M-$10M) · teensforfoodjustice.org
revenue
$3.3M
expenses
$2.8M
net assets
$3.5M
employees
27
volunteers
25
program ratio
73%
mission · from form 990

CREATING ACCESS TO HEALTHY, FRESH, AFFORDABLE FOOD THROUGH YOUTH-LED HYDROPONIC FARMING.

profile · synthesized from sources

Teens for Food Justice builds food-secure communities through school-based hydroponic farms managed by youth. Students grow fresh produce for their cafeterias and neighborhoods while learning about food justice, nutrition, and advocacy. The organization operates primarily in New York City, with a flagship program in Far Rockaway that serves multiple schools and distributes tens of thousands of pounds of food annually.

named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

Community Engagement & Social Impact
Students distribute farm-grown produce through markets and cooking demos, raising awareness about healthy food access and equity.
Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA)
Youth-operated hydroponic farming program teaching students to manage indoor farms, grow produce, and conduct plant science experiments.
Far Rockaway Farm Hub
Regional network of school-based hydroponic farms in Far Rockaway, NY, where students grow fresh produce, engage in food justice education, and distribute food to their communities.
Food Justice & Advocacy
Curriculum and action-based program where students investigate food apartheid and lead advocacy efforts for policy change in their communities.
activities · 5 groups

What they do

  • Youth and Family Cooking Education 1 activity
    • Conducting student-led cooking demonstrations and recipe development
      Facilitates student-led cooking demonstrations and recipe creation using produce from hydroponic farms, connecting food with cultural traditions and family practices. Examples include a saag paneer recipe using hydroponic spinach and mint limeade made with harvested mint.
  • Food Distribution and Hunger Relief 1 activity
    • Distributing student-grown produce to schools and communities
      Distributes fresh produce grown in school hydroponic farms to school cafeterias, local food pantries, and community food distributions, providing access to healthy food in low-income neighborhoods. These efforts have delivered over 36,000 pounds of produce and served over 4,200 students through farm hub programming.
  • Food Policy Advocacy & Nutrition Education 1 activity
    • Engaging students in food justice advocacy and policy education
      Empowers students to investigate the root causes of food apartheid and participate in advocacy efforts, including the development and presentation of a student-led Food Policy Program culminating in public events.
  • Youth Global Leadership & Model UN Programs 1 activity
    • Hosting annual Student Leadership Conference and project fair
      Hosts an annual Student Leadership Conference that brings together student leaders from all participating schools to exchange ideas, present year-long projects, and engage in collective action. The 2026 conference, titled "Roots of Power," included 122 students from 11 schools and featured a project fair showcasing student work.
  • Community-Based Urban Agriculture 1 activity
    • Operating school-based youth-led hydroponic farms
      Operates a network of hydroponic farms inside public schools in New York City, where students grow fresh produce year-round. These farms are part of a regional network advancing food justice, with three operational farms and two additional farms planned by end of 2026, producing over 36,000 pounds of fresh produce annually.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$3.31M
Contributions & grants$2.74M83%
Program service revenue$480K15%
Investment income$95K3%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$2.78M
Program expenses73%
Admin / overhead19%
Fundraising8%
Salaries & benefits$1.99M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$3.56M
Cash$202K
Investments$2.26M
Liabilities$83K
Net assets$3.48M
Liquid reserves10.6 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +32.3%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 2
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
KATHERINE SOLL PRESIDENT 40 $214K
GABRIELLE MOSQUERA DEPUTY DIRECTOR 40 $165K
board members · 13
  • ALEJANDRO MUNOZ-SUAREZ — DIRECTOR
  • BRIDGET ALAMEDA — TREASURER
  • BROOKE BRENNER — DIRECTOR
  • CHANA CHENFELD — VICE CHAIR AND VP
  • IAN FORSTER — DIRECTOR
  • JENNIFER SIEGEL — DIRECTOR
  • JIM LOW — DIRECTOR (THROUGH 10/24)
  • MARCY WARREN — DIRECTOR
  • RANDOLPH STERN — CO-CHAIR
  • RAYMIE FERNANDEZ — DIRECTOR
  • SUSHMA DWIVEDI JINDAL — DIRECTOR
  • TARA SMITH SWIBEL — CO-CHAIR
  • VALERIE SOLL — DIRECTOR
relationships · 35

Who they work with

  • Assembly Member Anderson Partner — Collaborated to bring students to Albany for legislative engagement.
  • B.R.I.D.G.E Family Enrichment Center Partner — Partner organization collaborating with Teens for Food Justice on food distribution or programming.
  • Brownsville Collaborative Middle School Partner — School hosting a Teens for Food Justice hydroponic farm
  • Child Center of New York Partner — Partner organization collaborating with Teens for Food Justice on food distribution or programming.
  • DREAM Charter School Partner — Partner organization collaborating with Teens for Food Justice on food distribution or programming.
  • Denver Food Rescue Partner — Partner organization collaborating with Teens for Food Justice on food distribution or programming.
  • Episcopal Health Services Partner — Increases healthy food access for families through Health Bucks, nutrition education, and produce distribution in partnership with TFFJ's ecosystem.
  • Goddard Riverside/Lincoln Square Neighborhood Center Partner — Partner organization collaborating with Teens for Food Justice on food distribution or programming.
  • Good Shepherd Services Partner — Partner organization collaborating with Teens for Food Justice on food distribution or programming.
  • Gotham Park Partner — Partner organization collaborating with Teens for Food Justice on food distribution or programming.
  • House on the Rock Church Partner — Partner organization collaborating with Teens for Food Justice on food distribution or programming.
  • Impact 100 NYC Funder — Awarded a $100,000 innovation grant to TFFJ.
  • Instagram Partner — Platform used for outreach and engagement, as indicated by "Follow us on Instagram" call to action.
  • JASA Partner — Enhances food access and social support for older adults in Far Rockaway, complementing TFFJ's community food system efforts.
  • Jewish Association Serving the Aging (JASA) Partner — Partner organization collaborating with Teens for Food Justice on food distribution or programming.
  • Kingsbridge Heights Community Center Partner — Partner organization collaborating with Teens for Food Justice on food distribution or programming.
  • Long Beach Soup Kitchen Partner — Partner organization collaborating with Teens for Food Justice on food distribution or programming.
  • Mosholu Montefiore Community Center Partner — Partner organization collaborating with Teens for Food Justice on food distribution or programming.
  • Mount Sinai Partner — Partnership to support cancer patients through hyper-local nutrition initiatives.
  • NY State Assembly Government — Partners with TFFJ on food justice efforts in Far Rockaway, represented by Khaleel M. Anderson.
  • NYC City Council Government — Collaborates with TFFJ on the Far Rockaway Farm Hub initiative, represented by Selvena Brooks-Powers.
  • NYC Food Policy Center at Hunter College Partner — Produces research and resource guides like the Rockaway & Broad Channel Foodscape report to inform food policy and community action alongside TFFJ.
  • NYC Public Schools Partner — Hosts TFFJ's school-based hydroponic farm programs across multiple campuses in Far Rockaway.
  • New Horizon Counseling Center Partner — Partner organization collaborating with Teens for Food Justice on food distribution or programming.
  • Northwell Health Partner — Addresses food insecurity through its Food as Health initiative, connecting residents to food resources and supporting wellness in alignment with TFFJ's mission.
  • QIRT Grab n’ Go Partner — Partner organization collaborating with Teens for Food Justice on food distribution or programming.
  • Queens Borough President Government — Collaborates with TFFJ on the Far Rockaway Farm Hub, represented by Donovan Richards.
  • Rockaway Food Alliance Partner — Partner organization collaborating with Teens for Food Justice on food distribution or programming.
  • S. 183 Richard R. Green Partner — Partner organization collaborating with Teens for Food Justice on food distribution or programming.
  • The Campaign Against Hunger Partner — Partner organization collaborating with Teens for Food Justice on food distribution or programming.
+ 5 more
strategies · 4

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Food Justice Education Fosters Civic Engagement and Structural Change
    methodology: food_justice_education
    By teaching students to analyze systemic inequities like food apartheid, we produce empowered civic actors who lead local advocacy, because understanding root causes transforms passive recipients into change agents within their communities.
  • Integrated Food Distribution Enhances Usability and Equity
    methodology: integrated_food_distribution
    By combining seasonal produce with staple foods in distributions, we increase the practical accessibility of healthy food for families, because pairing perishables with familiar staples reduces waste and supports real-world meal planning in food-insecure households.
  • Interconnection of Food Justice and Climate Action Drives Holistic Solutions
    methodology: food_justice_climate_integration
    By treating food justice and climate action as mutually reinforcing issues, we produce more resilient and equitable food systems, because addressing both together enables youth to design solutions that improve community health while reducing environmental harm.
  • Youth-Led Urban Agriculture as Integrated Learning and Food Access
    methodology: experiential_education_with_youth_agriculture
    By engaging youth in hydroponic farming within schools, we produce both fresh food for underserved communities and transformative educational experiences, because hands-on participation in food production fosters leadership, STEM learning, and civic agency while directly addressing food insecurity.