Attach to Form 990 or Form 990-EZ.
Go to
www.irs.gov/Form990 for instructions and the latest information.
| (i) Name of supported organization | (ii) EIN | (iii) Type of organization (described on lines 1- 10 above (see instructions)) | (iv) Is the organization listed in your governing document? | (v) Amount of monetary support (see instructions) | (vi) Amount of other support (see instructions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | |||||
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Total |
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Calendar year
(or fiscal year beginning in)
![]() |
(a) 2020 | (b) 2021 | (c) 2022 | (d) 2023 | (e) 2024 | (f) Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gifts, grants, contributions, and membership fees received. (Do not include any "unusual grant.") .. | 2,868 | 101,000 | 155,852 | 394,450 | 513,185 | 1,167,355 |
| 2 | Tax revenues levied for the organization's benefit and either paid to or expended on its behalf .... | ||||||
| 3 | The value of services or facilities furnished by a governmental unit to the organization without charge.. | ||||||
| 4 | Total. Add lines 1 through 3 | 2,868 | 101,000 | 155,852 | 394,450 | 513,185 | 1,167,355 |
| 5 | The portion of total contributions by each person (other than a governmental unit or publicly supported organization) included on line 1 that exceeds 2% of the amount shown on line 11, column (f) .. | 245,672 | |||||
| 6 | Public support. Subtract line 5 from line 4. | 921,683 | |||||
Calendar year
(or fiscal year beginning in)
![]() |
(a) 2020 | (b) 2021 | (c) 2022 | (d) 2023 | (e) 2024 | (f) Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Amounts from line 4.. | 2,868 | 101,000 | 155,852 | 394,450 | 513,185 | 1,167,355 |
| 8 | Gross income from interest, dividends, payments received on securities loans, rents, royalties and income from similar sources... | ||||||
| 9 | Net income from unrelated business activities, whether or not the business is regularly carried on.. | ||||||
| 10 | Other income. Do not include gain or loss from the sale of capital assets (Explain in Part VI.).. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5,880 | 5,880 |
| 11 | Total support. Add lines 7 through 10 | 1,179,115 | |||||
Calendar year (or fiscal
year beginning in) ![]() |
(a) 2020 | (b) 2021 | (c) 2022 | (d) 2023 | (e) 2024 | (f) Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gifts, grants, contributions, and membership fees received. (Do not include any "unusual grants.") . | ||||||
| 2 | Gross receipts from admissions, merchandise sold or services performed, or facilities furnished in any activity that is related to the organization's tax-exempt purpose | ||||||
| 3 | Gross receipts from activities that are not an unrelated trade or business under section 513 ..... | ||||||
| 4 | Tax revenues levied for the organization's benefit and either paid to or expended on its behalf... | ||||||
| 5 | The value of services or facilities furnished by a governmental unit to the organization without charge | ||||||
| 6 | Total. Add lines 1 through 5 | ||||||
| 7a | Amounts included on lines 1, 2, and 3 received from disqualified persons | ||||||
| b | Amounts included on lines 2 and 3 received from other than disqualified persons that exceed the greater of $5,000 or 1% of the amount on line 13 for the year. | ||||||
| c | Add lines 7a and 7b.. | ||||||
| 8 | Public support. (Subtract line 7c from line 6.) | ||||||
Calendar year
(or fiscal year beginning in)
![]() |
(a) 2020 | (b) 2021 | (c) 2022 | (d) 2023 | (e) 2024 | (f) Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Amounts from line 6... | ||||||
| 10a | Gross income from interest, dividends, payments received on securities loans, rents, royalties and income from similar sources.. | ||||||
| b | Unrelated business taxable income (less section 511 taxes) from businesses acquired after June 30, 1975. | ||||||
| c | Add lines 10a and 10b. | ||||||
| 11 | Net income from unrelated business activities not included on line 10b, whether or not the business is regularly carried on. | ||||||
| 12 | Other income. Do not include gain or loss from the sale of capital assets (Explain in Part VI.) .. | ||||||
| 13 | Total support. (Add lines 9, 10c, 11, and 12.).. | ||||||
| Section A - Adjusted Net Income | (A) Prior Year |
(B) Current Year (optional) |
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| 1 | Net short-term capital gain | 1 | ||||
| 2 | Recoveries of prior-year distributions | 2 | ||||
| 3 | Other gross income (see instructions) | 3 | ||||
| 4 | Add lines 1 through 3 | 4 | ||||
| 5 | Depreciation and depletion | 5 | ||||
| 6 | Portion of operating expenses paid or incurred for production or collection of gross income or for management, conservation, or maintenance of property held for production of income (see instructions) | 6 | ||||
| 7 | Other expenses (see instructions) | 7 | ||||
| 8 | Adjusted Net Income (subtract lines 5, 6 and 7 from line 4) | 8 | ||||
| Section B - Minimum Asset Amount | (A) Prior Year |
(B) Current Year (optional) |
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| 1 | Aggregate fair market value of all non-exempt-use assets (see instructions for short tax year or assets held for part of year): | 1 | ||||
| a | Average monthly value of securities | 1a | ||||
| b | Average monthly cash balances | 1b | ||||
| c | Fair market value of other non-exempt-use assets | 1c | ||||
| d | Total (add lines 1a, 1b, and 1c) | 1d | ||||
| e |
Discount claimed for blockage or other factors (explain in detail in Part VI): |
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| 2 | Acquisition indebtedness applicable to non-exempt use assets | 2 | ||||
| 3 | Subtract line 2 from line 1d | 3 | ||||
| 4 | Cash deemed held for exempt use. Enter 0.015 of line 3 (for greater amount, see instructions). | 4 | ||||
| 5 | Net value of non-exempt-use assets (subtract line 4 from line 3) | 5 | ||||
| 6 | Multiply line 5 by 0.035 | 6 | ||||
| 7 | Recoveries of prior-year distributions | 7 | ||||
| 8 | Minimum Asset Amount (add line 7 to line 6) | 8 | ||||
| Section C - Distributable Amount | Current Year | |||||
| 1 | Adjusted net income for prior year (from Section A, line 8, Column A) | 1 | ||||
| 2 | Enter 85% of line 1 | 2 | ||||
| 3 | Minimum asset amount for prior year (from Section B, line 8, Column A) | 3 | ||||
| 4 | Enter greater of line 2 or line 3 | 4 | ||||
| 5 | Income tax imposed in prior year | 5 | ||||
| 6 | Distributable Amount. Subtract line 5 from line 4, unless subject to emergency temporary reduction (see instructions) | 6 | ||||
| Section D - Distributions | Current Year | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Amounts paid to supported organizations to accomplish exempt purposes | 1 | |
|
2
Amounts paid to perform activity that directly furthers exempt purposes of supported organizations, in excess of income from activity |
2 | |
| 3 Administrative expenses paid to accomplish exempt purposes of supported organizations | 3 | |
| 4 Amounts paid to acquire exempt-use assets | 4 | |
| 5 Qualified set-aside amounts (prior IRS approval required - provide details in Part VI) | 5 | |
| 6 Other distributions (describe in Part VI). See instructions | 6 | |
| 7Total annual distributions. Add lines 1 through 6. | 7 | |
|
8
Distributions to attentive supported organizations to which the organization is responsive (provide details in Part VI). See instructions |
8 | |
| 9 Distributable amount for 2024 from Section C, line 6 | 9 | |
| 10 Line 8 amount divided by Line 9 amount | 10 | |
| Section E - Distribution Allocations (see instructions) |
(i) Excess Distributions |
(ii) Underdistributions Pre-2024 |
(iii) Distributable Amount for 2024 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Distributable amount for 2024 from Section C, line 6 | ||||
|
2
Underdistributions, if any, for years prior to 2024 (reasonable cause required-- explain in Part VI).
See instructions. |
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| 3 Excess distributions carryover, if any, to 2024: | ||||
| a From 2019....... | ||||
| b From 2020....... | ||||
| c From 2021....... | ||||
| d From 2022....... | ||||
| e From 2023....... | ||||
| fTotal of lines 3a through e | ||||
| g Applied to underdistributions of prior years | ||||
| h Applied to 2024 distributable amount | ||||
|
i
Carryover from 2019 not applied (see instructions) |
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| j Remainder. Subtract lines 3g, 3h, and 3i from line 3f. | ||||
| 4Distributions for 2024 from Section D, line 7: | ||||
| $ | ||||
| a Applied to underdistributions of prior years | ||||
| b Applied to 2024 distributable amount | ||||
| c Remainder. Subtract lines 4a and 4b from line 4. | ||||
|
5
Remaining underdistributions for years prior to 2024, if any. Subtract lines 3g and 4a from line 2. If the amount is greater than zero, explain in Part VI. See instructions. |
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6
Remaining underdistributions for 2024. Subtract lines 3h and 4b from line 1. If the amount is greater than zero, explain in Part VI. See instructions. |
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7 Excess distributions carryover to 2025. Add lines 3j and 4c. |
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| 8 Breakdown of line 7: | ||||
| a Excess from 2020..... | ||||
| b Excess from 2021..... | ||||
| c Excess from 2022..... | ||||
| d Excess from 2023..... | ||||
| e Excess from 2024..... | ||||
| Facts And Circumstances Test |
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| Return Reference | Explanation |
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| Part II, line 10 | | S.No:, Amount:, Description:| 1, 5880.00, 522210| |
| Software ID: | |
| Software Version: |
| Return Reference | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Part III, line 2 | In 2024 Fundamental Needs piloted its Social Entrepreneurship Program providing students with hands-on experience in business fundamentals problem-solving and real-world applications. A key outcome was the student-led conceptualization of the Cortez Makerspace a project designed to provide technical training workforce development and business support for the community. While full implementation of the makerspace is pending funding Fundamental Needs has established partnerships with Fort Lewis College Pueblo Community College and local businesses to lay the groundwork for future workforce development programs. In the interim limited technical training and entrepreneurship workshops have been introduced ensuring progress toward the long-term vision. |
| Part V, line 3b | The organization did not file Form 990-T because it had no unrelated business income during the tax year. All revenue-generating activities were substantially related to the organizations exempt purpose. |
| Part VI, Line 2 | | Employee:, Relationship:, Employee:| Justice Ramos, Family Relationship, Jennie Ramos| Justice Ramos, Family Relationship, Joe Ramos| Jennie Ramos, Family Relationship, Joe Ramos| |
| Part VI, Section A, Line 8b | The organization does not have any committees with independent authority to act on behalf of the governing body. All major decisions are made by the full board of directors. The organization documents its board meetings through contemporaneous written minutes which are reviewed and maintained for transparency and accountability. |
| Part VI, Section B, Line 11b | The Executive Director and board chairwoman review the draft Form 990 for accuracy and completeness. The draft is then circulated to all voting board members for review before submission. Feedback is collected and any necessary corrections are made prior to filing. |
| Part VI, Section B, Line 12c | The organization maintains a written Conflict of Interest Policy requiring all officers directors employees and contractors to disclose actual or potential conflicts. Disclosures are reviewed by the board and documented in a Conflict Register. Appropriate measures-such as recusal from decisions reassignment of duties or approval with safeguards-are implemented based on severity and risk. The policy is reviewed periodically to ensure alignment with best practices. |
| Part VI, Section C, Line 19 | The organization makes its Form 990 and relevant governance documents available to the public via its public profile on GuideStar https: www.guidestar.org profile 85-3603760 and provides additional documentation upon request. |
| Part VII, List Of Officers | | Employee Name:, Description:| Justice Ramos, Justice Ramos Executive Director was compensated in 2024 as an independent contractor and received 1099 payments for services rendered to the organization. Based on a review of IRS worker classification guidelines the organization determined this position should have been classified as a W-2 employee. However all compensation for 2024 is reported under Fees for services non-employees in Part IX as that reflects how payments were made during the tax year. No W-2 wages were issued in 2024. The organization has taken corrective action and transitioned the Executive Director to W-2 employee status in 2025.| Jennie Ramos, Jennie Ramos served as Board Chairwoman in 2024 and also provided project management services as an independent contractor. All compensation was paid via 1099 and is reported under Fees for services non-employees in Part IX Line 11g. No W-2 wages were issued and she does not meet the IRS definition of a Key Employee. The organization has a formal Conflict of Interest Policy in place and this dual role was disclosed and reviewed in accordance with that policy to ensure transparency and proper oversight.| Kashon Harrison, Kashon Harrison served as a board member in 2024 and also provided project management services as an independent contractor for the organizations New Mexico-based programs. All compensation for these services was paid via 1099 and is reported in Part IX Line 11g. The organization reviewed IRS worker classification guidelines and determined that his role was appropriately structured as an independent contractor. A formal Conflict of Interest Policy is in place and this dual role was disclosed and reviewed to ensure transparency and compliance with nonprofit governance best practices.| |
| Part IX, line 11g | | Description:, Amount:| Student apprenticeship stipend - Tristan Begay, $2760| Student apprenticeship stipend - Lucerro Bennally, $900| Student apprenticeship stipend - Kanin Curtis, $1590| Student Supervisor - Madelena James, $4804| Student apprenticeship stipend - Ryer James, $2635| Student apprenticeship stipend - Maris Johnjay, $2220| Student Supervisor - Nathaniel Spencer, $1380| Student Stipend - Makaio Tsosie, $2740| Student Supervisor - AmoryWhite, $4980| Entrepreneruship TA - Timothy, $2400| Entrepreneuship Teacher, $3200| Misc contractors 2, $1030| Mentor, $1000| Student Supervisor - Alterina, $740| Student Supervisor - Alberina, $740| Student apprenticeship stipend - Mckenzie, $450| Student apprenticeship stipend - Simone, $751| Student Supervisor - Lisa Curley, $781| Student Apprenticeship Stipend - Jason, $425| Student Apprenticeship Stipend - Devon, $410| Student Apprenticeship Stipend - Damien, $775| Student Apprenticeship Stipend - Dathan, $665| Student Apprenticeship Stipend - Brayden, $545| Student Apprenticeship Stipend - Kayden, $535| Student Apprenticeship Stipend - Kayla, $585| Entrepreneurship Stipend 8 students, $1247| |
| Part XI, Line 9 | | Description:, Explanation:, Amount:| Adjustment to prior year fixed asset and depreciation balances, The organization revised its internal accounting records to reflect a corrected equipment cost and depreciation balance. In 2023 equipment was reported at $68,000 with $6,800 in accumulated depreciation. Upon reconciliation in 2024 the actual equipment cost was determined to be $69,400 with $7,868 in accumulated depreciation. The $332 difference has been recorded as an accounting adjustment to align beginning net assets with updated internal records., $332| |
| Part VII,line A | | Explanation:| In 2024 the Executive Director Justice Ramos was paid as a 1099 contractor. Based on a review of IRS classification guidelines this individual should have been classified as a W-2 employee. The organization is taking corrective action beginning in 2025 to properly classify this role and issue payroll through standard employment channels. The compensation reported in Part IX is shown under Fees for services non-employees to reflect how payments were actually made during the 2024 tax year. The organization had no W-2 employees in 2024. All individuals performing services for the organization were classified as independent contractors and compensated accordingly. This included the Executive Director who will transition to W-2 employee status in 2025 |
| Part X & XI,line 23 | | Explanation:| In 2022 Fundamental Needs Inc. filed a Form 990-EZ that inadvertently excluded certain capital equipment and a related vehicle loan from the organizations balance sheet Part II. Specifically the following items were omitted: A $47,000 auto loan used to finance the purchase of a truck for field operations. Two additional capital assets: a $5,000 water hauling trailer and a $2,400 equipment trailer. These assets totaling $54,400 were properly recorded in the organizations internal accounting but not reflected in the originally filed 990-EZ. As a result the net assets reported in 2022 were overstated by approximately $7,400. This error was fully corrected in the 2023 Form 990 where all long-term assets and liabilities were accurately recorded and depreciation was tracked internally. The organization uses the cash basis of accounting and no depreciation expense was reported on Part IX consistent with this method. No revenue or expense figures from 2022 were affected by the omission. Fundamental Needs has since implemented stronger internal controls including: Development of an internal asset register and capitalization policy. Consistent board review of financial reports and Form 990 prior to submission. Strengthened documentation procedures including formal governance policies and board meeting minutes. A plan to engage a financial advisor in 2025 to support continued improvements and prepare for a potential audit if needed. This Schedule O note is intended to document the discrepancy transparently and confirm that the issue has been resolved. At this time the organization does not plan to amend the 2022 filing as the correction has been reflected accurately in subsequent financials. |
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