At TerraFuture, we believe that an organization that asks communities to trust data should hold itself to the same standard. Every year, we publish a comprehensive impact report that quantifies our outcomes across every program area, verified by an independent evaluator. This is not a marketing document. It is an accountability tool, and we invite scrutiny of every number in it.
2024 was our sixth year of operations and our strongest to date across nearly every metric we track.
Financial Overview
TerraFuture's total revenue in 2024 was 4.82 million dollars, a 28 percent increase over 2023. Revenue sources were distributed as follows: foundation grants at 38 percent, government contracts at 24 percent, individual donations at 19 percent, earned revenue from training programs and consulting at 12 percent, and corporate partnerships at 7 percent.
Total program expenditures were 3.94 million dollars, representing 81.7 percent of total spending. Administrative costs were 11.2 percent and fundraising costs were 7.1 percent. Our program-to-overhead ratio exceeds the 75 percent benchmark used by most charity evaluators.
Community Reach
In 2024, TerraFuture programs directly engaged 18,400 unique community members, up from 14,200 in 2023. This includes 3,840 participants in hands-on programs such as community gardens, restoration events, composting, and monitoring networks; 2,180 attendees at public events and workshops; 680 students in youth education programs; 250 participants in workforce training; and 11,450 individuals reached through our community solar and energy efficiency programs.
Our volunteer network contributed 14,600 hours of service, equivalent to approximately 7 full-time employees. At Oregon's independent sector volunteer value rate of 31.80 dollars per hour, this represents 464,000 dollars in contributed labor.
Environmental Outcomes
We track environmental outcomes using standardized metrics that allow year-over-year comparison and aggregation.
Carbon emissions reduced or avoided totaled an estimated 2,840 metric tons of CO2 equivalent. This figure includes emissions avoided through our community solar installations at 1,020 metric tons, weatherization program savings at 284 metric tons, composting program methane avoidance at 126 metric tons, tree planting and habitat restoration carbon sequestration at 92 metric tons, and workforce training graduates' professional contributions at an estimated 1,318 metric tons based on the clean energy installed by our graduates in their first year of employment.
Habitat restored totaled 38 acres across 14 sites. Native plants installed totaled 6,200 individuals across restoration events and the biodiversity corridor project. Water quality monitoring produced 4,400 sampling events across 34 sites. Air quality monitoring produced 2.6 million hourly readings across our sensor network.
Impact measurement is not about claiming credit. It is about understanding what works, what does not, and where to invest next. Every number in this report represents a decision about where resources should flow.
Research and Policy
TerraFuture published 6 peer-reviewed research papers in 2024, covering soil carbon dynamics, urban heat island effects, microplastic contamination, community garden benefits, transit equity, and environmental justice mapping. Our research was cited 47 times in academic literature and referenced in 3 government reports.
Our advocacy efforts contributed to two measurable policy outcomes: the inclusion of environmental justice criteria in Portland's Climate Action Plan revision and the allocation of 2.1 million dollars in state funding for stormwater infrastructure informed by our water quality data.
Youth Education
Our youth programs served 680 students across 22 schools. The Youth Climate Fellows program produced one peer-reviewed policy brief. The Youth Climate Art Exhibition attracted 4,200 visitors. Post-program assessments showed average knowledge gains of 34 percent on climate science concepts and a 41 percent increase in self-reported civic engagement intention.
Workforce Development
The Green Workforce Pipeline graduated 250 participants in 2024, with an 83 percent job placement rate and an average starting wage of 22.40 dollars per hour. Participant diversity metrics showed 62 percent people of color, 28 percent formerly incarcerated individuals, and 14 percent women.
What We Are Watching
Not every metric moved in the right direction. Volunteer retention declined from 72 percent to 68 percent, which we attribute to volunteer fatigue and insufficient recognition programming. We are addressing this in 2025 with a restructured volunteer engagement model.
Our community garden program wait lists grew to 340 households, indicating that demand significantly exceeds our current capacity. Expanding the garden network is a top priority for 2025.
Transparency demands acknowledging where we fell short alongside where we succeeded. Both inform the path forward.
