Montana Meth Project
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The Montana Meth Project is a large-scale prevention program aimed at reducing first-time teen methamphetamine use through public service messaging and educational outreach. Known for our media campaigns that communicate the risks of Meth use including NOT EVEN ONCE and ASK ME as well as large-scale community outreach programs like Paint the State, the Meth Project is credited with steady declines in first-time teen Meth use, reported by the Office of Public Instructions Montana Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Our Meth Prevention Lesson Video is used by teachers in classrooms and homeschool families around the state, and it is the only Meth prevention curriculum endorsed by the national Red Ribbon Campaign.
- Income
- $405,668
- Spending
- $579,315
- Spent on programs
- 87%
- Reserves
- 0.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 99%
- Employees
- 2
- Volunteers
- 5,000
- Highest pay
- $267,010, executive director
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: 39 out of 100. Higher than 12% of charities in its peer group (mental health, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.4 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 9% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 43% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 40% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1587% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 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
Good: 84 out of 100. Higher than 70% of charities in its peer group (mental health, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 255 of 5 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
6 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or 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)
- $506,557 spent. The Montana Meth Project aims to serve all Montanans as the only fully dedicated Meth prevention program in the state. Our prevention efforts are credited with steady declines in first-time teen Meth use in Montana. In response to the growing Fentanyl crisis, we expanded our program last year to include Fentanyl prevention education.Founded in 2005 by businessman Thomas M. Siebel as a private-sector response to a critical public health issue, the Meth Project has been cited by the White House as one of the most effective prevention programs and a model for the nation in addition to being named the 3rd most effective philanthropy in the world by Barrons in its global ranking.As the solely dedicated Meth prevention program in the state, our efforts are vital to ensuring Montana teens are armed with the facts about Meth. In Montana, it has never been more important to keep our Meth prevention message and outreach front and center. According to the Montana Department of Justices Forensic Science Division, Meth remains the drug most frequently encountered by law enforcement and the largest drug threat in Montana. Additionally, the most recent data from the CDCs National Vital Statistics Rapid Release report from May 2023 reports that the rate of drug overdose deaths involving Meth more than quadrupled during the study period from 2016 to 2021. According to the Montana Department of Health and Human Services, in 2020 Meth was found in 48% of drug overdose deaths and $48.5 million was charged by Montana hospitals to treat 4,804 patients for Meth-related admissions and emergency department visits.All Montanans exposed to Meth are at risk if they are not armed with the devastating facts about Meth use. Meth does not discriminate based on age, gender, culture, or race, yet our rural and Native communities are particularly vulnerable as the state is flooded with supply. The days of locally produced Meth in homemade labs are over, and the supply has never been more abundant. The cartels inundate our state with the lowest cost, highest-purity, and most addictive Meth ever seen.Raising awareness about the dangers of Meth and Fentanyl remains critical. These drugs continue to flood Montana at alarming rates. The most recent publicly available data from the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area reports that in the first quarter of 2024, 163,184 Fentanyl dosage units were seized in Montanamore than double the 65,142 seized during the same period in 2023. We deploy our prevention efforts with media campaigns, including NOT EVEN ONCE and ASK ME, that communicate the risks of Meth use; daily social media engagement with our more than 225,000 followers across Instagram, Facebook, and other platforms with content and open discussion about the risks of Meth use; and distribution of the Montana Meth Prevention Lesson Video to middle school and high school students across the state and country. Central to our work is MethProject.org the definitive source for information about Meth. The site serves individuals and organizations dedicated to substance abuse prevention addressing teens most asked questions about Meth with a range of interactive content from animations and quizzes to personal stories.The Montana Meth Prevention Lesson Video is a one-click tool for teachers and homeschool parents to educate students about the facts of Meth use. The video follows original Meth prevention curriculum created by top educators for the Meth Project. Hosted by one of the states top science teachers, the video demonstrates the volatility of the drug, incorporates dynamic animations showing how Meth use affects the mind and body, testimonials from real-life users in recovery, and tips on how to talk to friends and peers about Meth use.Likewise, our newest Fentanyl Prevention Lesson is unique as it is presented by a Montana senior, harnessing the power of peer-to-peer education. In addition to the full 10-minute Prevention Lesson video, our 18-second Fentanyl Fact videos have been created for school announcements and engaging social media content. Supplementary materials encourage students to engage in the content by creating Not Even Once: One Pill Can Kill artwork for their school and community, leading an assembly to raise awareness, or creating digital/social content that amplifies the prevention messaging in their community and beyond. Our Paint The State campaign brought in-person drug prevention back to Montana, engaged a new generation of Montanans in the work of the Montana Meth Project, amplified the visibility of the program among social and digital audiences, and inspired the creation of vibrant Not Even Once art pieces across the state delivering 33 million impressions monthly to Montanans as they travel the state. During the contest, we - Harnessed and Grew Our Social Media Following- Organic and paid social media strategies resulted in: - 700,000 Montanans reached with Paint the State messaging - 34% increase in Instagram followers expanding our teen audience- Drove Online Engagement- Online voting for the People's Choice Awards drove program engagement to new heights across a broader audience resulting in: - 70,000 unique visitors to PaintTheState.org - 108,000 votes cast- Shared Stories on Local News- Scalable public relations efforts resulted in: - 102 news stories by local, statewide, and national news aggregators - 693 million news outlet visits Other Notable Accomplishments Include:- Montana's Youth Risk Behavior Survey, released September 2021 by the Montana Office of Public Instruction, has found that Meth use among teens in the state has dropped to an all-time low. The survey is conducted every two years by the Montana Office of Public Instruction, in cooperation with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With a 77% decline in teen Meth use since the inception of the Montana Meth Project in 2005, we are seeing that our awareness and prevention efforts have had a significant
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since November 2007.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
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.