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The Pop Tech Institute

EIN 01-0518900 · Camden, ME

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak13 out of 100GovernanceFair69 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

Points to look into

  • It reported loans to or from officers, directors or other insiders.
  • It owes more than it owns.

These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.

What it says it does

POPTECH'S MISSION IS TO ACCELERATE THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF WORLD-CHANGING PEOPLE, PROJECTS AND IDEAS. FOUNDED IN 1996 BY BOB METCALFE (INVENTOR, ETHERNET) AND JOHN SCULLEY (APPLE, PEPSI), POPTECH ORIGINALLY PROVIDED A FORUM TO CRITICALLY DEBATE THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ON SOCIETY. TODAY, THE ORGANIZATION ENCOMPASSES A MUCH BROADER MISSION TO EXPLORE AND ACT ON A PORTFOLIO OF INITIATIVES FOCUSED ON ADVANCING PROGRESS ON SOCIAL JUSTICE, PEACE AND SECURITY, GLOBAL HEALTH AND INCOME EQUITY. THE ORGANIZATION IS SUPPORTED BY A DIVERSE NETWORK OF INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT INCLUDE NOBEL LAUREATES, PROGRESSIVE POLITICIANS, INVENTORS, ARTISTS, FORTUNE 100 COMPANIES, PHILANTHROPISTS, AS WELL AS 180 ALUMNI OF THE POPTECH SOCIAL INNOVATION AND SCIENCE FELLOWS PROGRAM. ALL HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON, A PASSIONATE INTEREST IN SOLVING CHALLENGES CONFRONTING HUMANITY. CENTRAL TO POPTECH'S MISSION IS A BELIEF IN THE POWER OF NETWORKED COLLABORATION AS A TOOL FOR SOCIAL CHANGE. WE CONSISTENTLY LEVE

Income
$309,245
Spending
$502,597
Spent on programs
65%
Reserves
-22 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 73%
Employees
2
Volunteers
9

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Weak: 13 out of 100. Higher than 0% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    0 of 35

    Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.

  • Debt

    0 of 20

    It owes 19653% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 63% of income.

  • Income trend

    5 of 15

    Income fell 17% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    8 of 15

    65% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 3 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Fair: 69 out of 100. Higher than 50% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    8 of 9 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    0 of 10

    Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Independent check of accounts

    6 of 15

    Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    0 of 10

    Reports at least one of: diversion of assets, excess benefits, loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (1)
  1. $324,543 spent. IN 2024 POPTECH CONTINUED ITS COMMITMENT TO THE FIELD OF SOCIAL INNOVATION, FUTURES STRATEGY AND TRAINING. OUR PROGRAMMING AND OUTCOMES ARE FOCUSED ON EXPLORING SECTORS THAT ARE UNDERGOING RAPID CHANGE, EXPERIENCING DISRUPTION OR CONTRIBUTING POSITIVELY OR NEGATIVELY TO THE MAJOR CHALLENGES CONFRONTING HUMANITY. IN 2024 OUR PORTFOLIO OF PROJECTS WAS PRIMARILY FOCUSED TRAINING AND MENTORSHIP OF EARLY CAREER SCIENTISTS AND CONVENINGS FOCUSED ON THE IMPACT OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGY ON SOCIETY. WE DELIVER ON OUR MISSION THROUGH ROBUST RESEARCH, DESIGNING AND FACILITATING SOLUTION- GENERATING CONVENINGS AND THROUGH THE IDENTIFICATION AND TRAINING OF EMERGING INNOVATORS AND SCIENTISTS. OUR FINDINGS AND DISCOVERIES ARE SHARED WITH VARIOUS CONSTITUENTS THROUGH A VARIETY OF MULTI-MEDIA FORMATS, AS WELL AS AT THE ANNUAL POPTECH THOUGHT FORUM, A GLOBALLY REGARDED GATHERING OF THOSE DEDICATED TO EQUITABLE HUMAN ADVANCEMENT. DURING 2024, WE UTILIZED A BLEND OF VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON CONVENING FORMATS. THE ANNUAL POPTECH FORUM WAS A LIVE EVENT IN 2024, TAKING PLACE AT THE KENNEDY CENTER IN WASHINGTON, DC. POPTECH'S SOCIAL INNOVATION FELLOWS AND SCIENCE FELLOWS PROGRAMS REPRESENT CORE MISSION COMMITMENTS OF POPTECH. THE PROGRAMS WERE FOUNDED IN 2008 AND 2010 RESPECTIVELY. THE GOAL OF THE PROGRAMS IS TO ACCELERATE THE IMPACT OF FUTURE LEADERS, INNOVATORS AND SCIENTISTS THROUGH TRAINING, MENTORSHIP AND RECOGNITION. THE PROGRAMS HAVE PRODUCED A 200-MEMBER ALUMNI NETWORK WHOSE WORK HAS POSITIVELY AFFECTED ROUGHLY 700 MILLION PEOPLE IN OVER 120 COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE. POPTECH FELLOWS HAVE ACHIEVED THEIR IMPACT BY: 1) CREATING TRANSFORMATIONAL TECHNOLOGY PLATFORMS THAT ARE DEPLOYED WORLDWIDE; 2) DEVELOPING NEW DISTRIBUTION MODELS THAT ALLOW A PRODUCT, SERVICE OR HUMANITARIAN AID TO BE WIDELY DEPLOYED; AND 3) UTILIZING HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN PRINCIPLES TO GENERATE SOLUTIONS THAT SCALE AND REPLICATE. POPTECH'S COMMITMENT TO TRAINING EMERGING LEADERS THROUGH ITS FELLOWS PROGRAMS AND ITS LONGSTANDING INTEREST IN EXPLORING GLOBAL CHALLENGES THROUGH INCUBATED INITIATIVES, EXPLORATORY CONVENINGS AND CONSULTING PROJECTS ARE EXEMPLARY OF THE ORGANIZATION'S ABILITY TO FACILITATE UNCONVENTIONAL CROSS-SECTOR COLLABORATION. THROUGH THESE ACTIVITIES AND MORE, POPTECH CONTINUES TO BE RECOGNIZED AS A LEADING PARTICIPANT IN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL INNOVATION AND POSITIVE GLOBAL CHANGE. POPTECH INITIATIVES ARE EXEMPLAR OF OUR ABILITY TO FACILITATE UNCONVENTIONAL CROSS-SECTOR COLLABORATION. IN ADDITION, POPTECH EXPLORES UNIQUE AREAS OF GLOBAL INTEREST THROUGH POPTECH EXPLORATORIES, CONSULTING PROJECTS, AS WELL AS ITS ANNUAL THOUGHT LEADERSHIP FORUM. PROGRAMS ARE PROVIDED IN BOTH VIRTUAL AND LIVE FORMATS, DEPENDENT ON THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT. THE PRODUCTION OF IMPACT AND SOCIAL CHANGE MEDIA IS A KEY TO POPTECH'S MISSION. THIS CAPACITY ENABLES US TO DO UNIQUE REPORTING ON PROJECTS AND SHARE INSIGHTS, IN ADDITION TO CAPTURING OUR OWN WORK; WE ROUTINELY CREATE DOCUMENTARY BODIES OF WORK FOR SELECT PARTNERS. WE MAINTAIN A MULTI-DECADE ARCHIVE OF THOUGHT LEADERSHIP TALKS AND DOCUMENTARY PROJECTS ON THE POPTECH YOUTUBE CHANNEL THAT RECEIVES 1000S OF UNIQUE VISITS EACH WEEK. WE ROUTINELY MAKE THIS CONTENT AVAILABLE FREE OF CHARGE TO A VARIETY OF ORGANIZATIONS AND INSTITUTIONS FOR EDUCATIONAL AND RESEARCH PURPOSES. THROUGH THESE ACTIVITIES AND MORE, POPTECH CONTINUES TO BE RECOGNIZED AS A STANDOUT ORGANIZATION IN THOUGHT LEADERSHIP, FUTURES FORECASTING AND CROSS-SECTOR COLLABORATION WITHIN THE SOCIAL INNOVATION SPACE. IN 2024 POPTECH CONTINUED ITS COMMITMENT TO THE FIELD OF SOCIAL INNOVATION, FUTURES STRATEGY AND TRAINING. OUR PROGRAMMING AND OUTCOMES ARE FOCUSED ON EXPLORING SECTORS THAT ARE UNDERGOING RAPID CHANGE, EXPERIENCING DISRUPTION OR CONTRIBUTING POSITIVELY OR NEGATIVELY TO THE MAJOR CHALLENGES CONFRONTING HUMANITY. IN 2024 OUR PORTFOLIO OF PROJECTS WAS PRIMARILY FOCUSED TRAINING AND MENTORSHIP OF EARLY CAREER SCIENTISTS AND CONVENINGS FOCUSED ON THE IMPACT OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGY ON SOCIETY. WE DELIVER ON OUR MISSION THROUGH ROBUST RESEARCH, DESIGNING AND FACILITATING SOLUTION- GENERATING CONVENINGS AND THROUGH THE IDENTIFICATION AND TRAINING OF EMERGING INNOVATORS AND SCIENTISTS. OUR FINDINGS AND DISCOVERIES ARE SHARED WITH VARIOUS CONSTITUENTS THROUGH A VARIETY OF MULTI-MEDIA FORMATS, AS WELL AS AT THE ANNUAL POPTECH THOUGHT FORUM, A GLOBALLY REGARDED GATHERING OF THOSE DEDICATED TO EQUITABLE HUMAN ADVANCEMENT. DURING 2024, WE UTILIZED A BLEND OF VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON CONVENING FORMATS. THE ANNUAL POPTECH FORUM WAS A LIVE EVENT IN 2024, TAKING PLACE AT THE KENNEDY CENTER IN WASHINGTON, DC. POPTECH'S SOCIAL INNOVATION FELLOWS AND SCIENCE FELLOWS PROGRAMS REPRESENT CORE MISSION COMMITMENTS OF POPTECH. THE PROGRAMS WERE FOUNDED IN 2008 AND 2010 RESPECTIVELY. THE GOAL OF THE PROGRAMS IS TO ACCELERATE THE IMPACT OF FUTURE LEADERS, INNOVATORS AND SCIENTISTS THROUGH TRAINING, MENTORSHIP AND RECOGNITION. THE PROGRAMS HAVE PRODUCED A 200-MEMBER ALUMNI NETWORK WHOSE WORK HAS POSITIVELY AFFECTED ROUGHLY 700 MILLION PEOPLE IN OVER 120 COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE. POPTECH FELLOWS HAVE ACHIEVED THEIR IMPACT BY: 1) CREATING TRANSFORMATIONAL TECHNOLOGY PLATFORMS THAT ARE DEPLOYED WORLDWIDE; 2) DEVELOPING NEW DISTRIBUTION MODELS THAT ALLOW A PRODUCT, SERVICE OR HUMANITARIAN AID TO BE WIDELY DEPLOYED; AND 3) UTILIZING HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN PRINCIPLES TO GENERATE SOLUTIONS THAT SCALE AND REPLICATE. POPTECH'S COMMITMENT TO TRAINING EMERGING LEADERS THROUGH ITS FELLOWS PROGRAMS AND ITS LONGSTANDING INTEREST IN EXPLORING GLOBAL CHALLENGES THROUGH INCUBATED INITIATIVES, EXPLORATORY CONVENINGS AND CONSULTING PROJECTS ARE EXEMPLARY OF THE ORGANIZATION'S ABILITY TO FACILITATE UNCONVENTIONAL CROSS-SECTOR COLLABORATION. THROUGH THESE ACTIVITIES AND MORE, POPTECH CONTINUES TO BE RECOGNIZED AS A LEADING PARTICIPANT IN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL INNOVATION AND POSITIVE GLOBAL CHANGE. POPTECH INITIATIVES ARE EXEMPLAR OF OUR ABILITY TO FACILITATE UNCONVENTIONAL CROSS-SECTOR COLLABO

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since January 1999.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.