THE FLAME TREE INITIATIVE
Cite this
Plain text THE FLAME TREE INITIATIVE. furp.org, nonprofit organization profile, tax years 2017–2021. https://furp.org/org/the-flame-tree-initiative-352347770. Retrieved 2026-11-01.
APA furp.org. (n.d.). THE FLAME TREE INITIATIVE [Nonprofit organization profile; tax years 2017–2021]. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://furp.org/org/the-flame-tree-initiative-352347770
MLA “THE FLAME TREE INITIATIVE.” furp.org, tax years 2017–2021, https://furp.org/org/the-flame-tree-initiative-352347770. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.
Retrieved 2026-11-01; covers tax years 2017–2021. Data: furp.org, CC BY 4.0.
2021 · Form 990EZ · revenue $111K · expenses $99K · assets $23K
- EIN
- 35-2347770
- Address
- 5630 E Shadow View CT, Tucson, AZ 85750
- Website
- www.flametreeinitiative.org
- NTEE code
- -
- Exempt type
- -
- Ruling date
- -
- IRS status
- Terminated (its 2025 Form 990-N says so) IRS data ↗
- Principal officer
- Wayne R Decker (its 2025 Form 990-N)
- Form 990-N e-postcards
- 1 filed, 2025 (organizations with gross receipts normally $50,000 or less file this instead of a full Form 990) IRS data ↗
- Cross-check
- ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer
Mission
Flame Tree Initiative is a non-profit organization providing training mentoring, and support to development entrepreneurs in East Africa.
Each tax year counts once: when a return was amended, only the latest return for that period is used below (superseded returns stay listed, greyed, under Finances).
People paid by the organization
8 people paid across every filing: current people first, then by total pay from this organization. Organizations counts every nonprofit each person appears on.
| Name | Latest title | Years | Latest year pay | Total pay from here | Organizations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grace Hargis | Marketing and Development Coordinator | 2020-2021 | $18,330 | $18,918 | 1 |
| Cynthia Morseth | Finance & Admin Advisor | 2020-2021 | $13,200 | $13,420 | 1 |
| Chifuniro Kandaya | Program Manager | 2020-2021 | $7,200 | $7,550 | 1 |
| Kristen Fornito Chmielewski (former) | Lead, External Funding & Strategic Partnerships | 2019 | $57,885 | $57,885 | 1 |
| Patricia Repolda (former) | Lead Development and Administrative Strategist | 2018 | $33,846 | $33,846 | 1 |
| Kristen Fornito (former) | Lead, External Funding and Strategic Partnerships | 2018 | $32,577 | $32,577 | 1 |
| Lauren Simonis (former) | Lead on Special Projects | 2017 | $30,400 | $30,400 | 1 |
| Angel Allen (former) | Lead Grants and Mentorship | 2017 | $10 | $10 | 1 |
Officers and directors, no compensation reported
1 person listed on the returns with $0 (or no amount) in every compensation column: current people first. Hours are as filed on the latest return each person appears on.
| Name | Latest title | Years | Hrs/wk (latest) | Compensation | Organizations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne Decker | President | 2017-2021 | 25 | $0 reported | 1 |
People by year
2021 · 4 people listed · 3 paid, $39K
| Name | Title | Hrs/wk | From org | From related | Other | Total | Orgs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grace Hargis | Marketing and Development Coordinator | 25 | $18,330 | - | $0 | $18,330 | 1 |
| Cynthia Morseth | Finance & Admin Advisor | 12 | $13,200 | - | $0 | $13,200 | 1 |
| Chifuniro Kandaya | Program Manager | 40 | $7,200 | - | $0 | $7,200 | 1 |
| Wayne Decker | President | 25 | $0 | - | $0 | $0 | 1 |
2020 · 4 people listed · 3 paid, $1K
| Name | Title | Hrs/wk | From org | From related | Other | Total | Orgs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grace Hargis | Marketing and Development Coordinator | 25 | $588 | - | $0 | $588 | 1 |
| Chifuniro Kandaya | Programme Manager | 40 | $350 | - | $0 | $350 | 1 |
| Cynthia Morseth | Finance and Admin Advisor | 10 | $220 | - | $0 | $220 | 1 |
| Dr Wayne Decker | Founder and President | 40 | $0 | - | $0 | $0 | 1 |
2019 · 2 people listed · 1 paid, $58K
| Name | Title | Hrs/wk | From org | From related | Other | Total | Orgs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kristen Fornito Chmielewski | Lead, External Funding & Strategic Partnerships | 40 | $57,885 | - | $0 | $57,885 | 1 |
| Wayne Decker | Founder and President | 40 | $0 | - | $0 | $0 | 1 |
2018 · 3 people listed · 2 paid, $66K
| Name | Title | Hrs/wk | From org | From related | Other | Total | Orgs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patricia Repolda | Lead Development and Administrative Strategist | 40 | $33,846 | - | $0 | $33,846 | 1 |
| Kristen Fornito | Lead, External Funding and Strategic Partnerships | 40 | $32,577 | - | $0 | $32,577 | 1 |
| Wayne Decker | President and Founder | 40 | $0 | - | $0 | $0 | 1 |
2017 · 3 people listed · 2 paid, $30K
| Name | Title | Hrs/wk | From org | From related | Other | Total | Orgs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lauren Simonis | Lead on Special Projects | 0 | $30,400 | - | $0 | $30,400 | 1 |
| Angel Allen | Lead Grants and Mentorship | 0 | $10 | - | $0 | $10 | 1 |
| Wayne Decker | Founder and President | 0 | $0 | - | $0 | $0 | 1 |
Highest-paid independent contractors
No independent contractors reported.
Who gave
Contributor names are not public for this form type.
Public charities filing Form 990 or 990-EZ report large donors on Schedule B, but the IRS withholds their names and addresses from public copies. Private foundations (990-PF) are different: their contributors are public.
Finances
Newest first. Each filing: its name on one row, its figures on the row beneath. Greyed filings are superseded by a later return for the same period and are left out everywhere else on this page.
| Revenue | Expenses | Assets | Net assets | Contributions | Program revenue | Officer pay | Employees | Volunteers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 · Form 990EZ | ||||||||
| $111,461 | $99,427 | $22,958 | $22,915 | $104,625 | $6,672 | - | - | - |
| 2020 · Form 990EZ | ||||||||
| $114,871 | $112,243 | $10,970 | $10,881 | $109,986 | $4,872 | - | - | - |
| 2019 · Form 990EZ | ||||||||
| $144,108 | $149,546 | $8,253 | $8,253 | $144,108 | $0 | - | - | - |
| 2018 · Form 990EZ | ||||||||
| $107,758 | $98,313 | $13,691 | $13,691 | $107,758 | $0 | - | - | - |
| 2017 · Form 990EZ | ||||||||
| $60,518 | $56,780 | $4,246 | $4,246 | $60,518 | $0 | - | - | - |
Funders of this organization
2 grantors reported grants to this organization, $16,260 in all, tax years 2016 to 2019. Exact: the grantor wrote this organization's EIN. Fuzzy: the grantor wrote only a name (foundations' 990-PF has no EIN field), matched to the same or a near-identical name in the same state; the name as filed is shown. From the latest return for each grantor and year, so amended returns aren't counted twice. CSV
| Grantor | Type | Match | Years given | Grants | Total | Latest year | Latest year's amount | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE ANNENBERG FOUNDATION | Private foundation | Fuzzy filed as “The Flame Tree Initiative” | 2016 | 1 | $10,000 | 2016 | $10,000 | show |
| GLOBALGIVING FOUNDATION INC | DAF sponsor | Exact | 2019 | 1 | $6,260 | 2019 | $6,260 | show |
Nearby + Similar BETA
Organizations like this one: what they do and who they are linked to
Same category: NTEE code and revenue
Ranked without any AI: same NTEE code first, then the same NTEE group; then revenue within 2x, 5x or 10x; then the same state; then similar name and mission text. Same state only
| Organization | State | NTEE | Latest revenue | Latest expenses | Top-paid title | Top pay | Why similar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE E2 INITIATIVE | TX | X20 | $220,472 | $194,509 | Director | $0 | Similar name, revenue within 2x |
| THE FELLOWS INITIATIVE | VA | X20 | $217,365 | $216,419 | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | $78,750 | Similar name, revenue within 2x |
| THE HUME INITIATIVE INC | NY | Not reported | $155,500 | $128,075 | PRESIDENT | $0 | Similar name, revenue within 2x |
| THE JAMES INITIATIVE INC | AR | Not reported | $67,943 | $99,647 | DIRECTOR | $0 | Similar name, revenue within 2x |
| THE FOOD INITIATIVE | TN | Not reported | $94,639 | $136,396 | PROGRAM DIRE | $25,000 | Similar name, revenue within 2x |
| THE INITIATIVE | MA | X20 | $81,374 | $92,286 | President | $0 | Similar name, revenue within 2x |
| THE FORGE INITIATIVE INC | NC | B99 | $144,055 | $171,928 | BOARD OF DIR | $0 | Similar name, revenue within 2x |
| The Ezer Initiative | VA | Not reported | $99,686 | $100,556 | Executive Dir. | $0 | Similar name, revenue within 2x |
| THE FULL FRAME INITIATIVE INC | MA | Not reported | $455,319 | $1,885,592 | PRESIDENT & CEO | $483,409 | Similar name, revenue within 5x |
| THE FLY INITIATIVE | RI | P80 | $1,140,087 | $1,145,919 | CEO | $112,692 | Similar name, revenue differs more than 10x |
| THE M25 INITIATIVE | NJ | Not reported | $2,533 | $202,526 | VICE PRESIDE | $0 | Similar name, revenue differs more than 10x |
| The Freekick Initiative Inc | MA | Not reported | $100 | $0 | Director | $0 | Similar name, revenue differs more than 10x |
| THE FONGS INITIATIVE | TX | Not reported | $8,285 | $6,995 | CEO | $0 | Similar name, revenue differs more than 10x |
Who funds organizations like this
Grantors that funded the 13 most similar organizations. Ranked by total given to them. Foundations (990-PF) and donor-advised fund sponsors only. Same matching as Funders above (by EIN, or by name for foundations).
The full list · all similar organizations
Where the money went
Every expense line on each return, biggest first: Form 990 Part IX (with its program, management and fundraising columns), 990-EZ Part I, or 990-PF Part I. Event marks lines the organization itself describes as events. “Events” in each summary adds those lines, conferences and meetings, and the direct costs of fundraising events. Unusual is not the same as improper. Many of these patterns have ordinary explanations. Check the filing.
2021 · Form 990EZ · $99,427 spent · pay $53,956 · grants $7,229 · events $0
| Line | As described | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salaries, other pay and benefits | $53,956 | 54.3% | |
| Occupancy, rent, utilities, maintenance | $13,742 | 13.8% | |
| Other expenses (detail on Schedule O) | $10,101 | 10.2% | |
| Fees to independent contractors | $9,884 | 9.9% | |
| Grants and similar amounts paid | $7,229 | 7.3% | |
| Printing, publications, postage | $4,515 | 4.5% | |
| Total | $99,427 | 100% |
2020 · Form 990EZ · $112,243 spent · pay $64,081 · grants $14,105 · events $0
| Line | As described | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salaries, other pay and benefits | $64,081 | 57.1% | |
| Other expenses (detail on Schedule O) | $31,633 | 28.2% | |
| Grants and similar amounts paid | $14,105 | 12.6% | |
| Fees to independent contractors | $1,950 | 1.7% | |
| Occupancy, rent, utilities, maintenance | $442 | 0.4% | |
| Printing, publications, postage | $32 | 0.0% | |
| Total | $112,243 | 100% |
2019 · Form 990EZ · $149,546 spent · pay $89,106 · grants $5,018 · events $0
| Line | As described | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salaries, other pay and benefits | $89,106 | 59.6% | |
| Other expenses (detail on Schedule O) | $39,399 | 26.3% | |
| Fees to independent contractors | $12,491 | 8.4% | |
| Grants and similar amounts paid | $5,018 | 3.4% | |
| Occupancy, rent, utilities, maintenance | $2,900 | 1.9% | |
| Printing, publications, postage | $632 | 0.4% | |
| Total | $149,546 | 100% |
2018 · Form 990EZ · $98,313 spent · pay $73,305 · grants $0 · events $0
| Line | As described | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salaries, other pay and benefits | $73,305 | 74.6% | |
| Other expenses (detail on Schedule O) | $14,726 | 15.0% | |
| Occupancy, rent, utilities, maintenance | $4,800 | 4.9% | |
| Fees to independent contractors | $4,305 | 4.4% | |
| Printing, publications, postage | $1,177 | 1.2% | |
| Total | $98,313 | 100% |
2017 · Form 990EZ · $56,780 spent · pay $40,800 · grants $0 · events $0
| Line | As described | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salaries, other pay and benefits | $40,800 | 71.9% | |
| Other expenses (detail on Schedule O) | $11,780 | 20.7% | |
| Occupancy, rent, utilities, maintenance | $4,200 | 7.4% | |
| Total | $56,780 | 100% |
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