Pulsera Project
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE PULSERA PROJECT'S MISSION IS TO CREATE A MORE JUST AND COLORFUL WORLD THROUGH THE EDUCATION AND EMPOWERMENT OF CENTRAL AMERICAN COMMUNITIES AND U.S. STUDENTS. SEE SCHEDULE O.
- Income
- $398,080
- Spending
- $389,449
- Spent on programs
- 98%
- Reserves
- 20.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- other income, 91%
- Employees
- 4
- Volunteers
- 10,000
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 86 out of 100. Higher than 60% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 20.6 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 18% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 2% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 19% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1598% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Fair: 64 out of 100. Higher than 36% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
0 of 252 of 2 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
7 of 7Has a 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.
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 June 30, 2025, 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)
- $380,528 spent. THE PULSERA PROJECT'S SOCIAL ENTERPRISE MODEL IS UNIQUE BECAUSE OUR PROJECT IS BASED ON SOLIDARITY AND MUTUAL BENEFIT -U.S. STUDENTS HELP CREATE OPPORTUNITY IN CENTRAL AMERICA THROUGH PULSERA SALES WHILE ALSO LEARNING ABOUT THE ARTISANS AND COMMUNITIES WHOM THEIR SALES BENEFIT. BY WEAVING PULSERA SALES INTO AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM WE CAN PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CENTRAL AMERICANS WHILE ALSO EDUCATING THOUSANDS OF U.S. STUDENTS ABOUT FAIR TRADE, CENTRAL AMERICAN CULTURE, AND GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP.***** SEE SCHEDULE O FOR CONTINUATION *****THE PROJECT MISSION:THE PULSERA PROJECT CONTINUES TO FOCUS ON DEVELOPING OUR THREE CORE COMPONENTS:1) CREATING MEANINGFUL EMPLOYMENT FOR CENTRAL AMERICANS2) EDUCATING U.S. STUDENTS THROUGH PULSERA SALES3) INVESTING PROCEEDS IN CENTRAL AMERICAN COMMUNITIESTHE 2024-25 SCHOOL YEAR WAS BOTH INSPIRING AND CHALLENGING FOR THE PULSERA PROJECT. WE WERE HONORED TO WORK ALONGSIDE HUNDREDS OF SCHOOLS ACROSS THE U.S., STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIPS WITH TEACHERS AND STUDENTS AND WELCOMING NEW ONES. YEAR AFTER YEAR, THESE STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS BRING OUR MISSION TO LIFE ALONGSIDE THE ARTISANS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WE PROUDLY CALL OUR PULSERA FAMILY IN GUATEMALA AND NICARAGUA, BRINGING LESSONS ON SOLIDARITY, FAIR TRADE, AND GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP INTO CLASSROOMS NATIONWIDE.AT THE SAME TIME, WE FACED REDUCED SALES AND LOWER SCHOOL PARTICIPATION, CONTINUING A TREND MANY EDUCATORS TRACE TO THE LASTING EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC. FEWER STUDENTS ARE JOINING CLUBS, TEACHERS FACE GREATER BARRIERS TO HOSTING EVENTS, AND BURNOUT REMAINS A COMMON CHALLENGE.EVEN SO, OUR SIEMPRE ADELANTE SPIRIT REMAINS STRONG. WITH NEW COLLABORATIONS INCLUDING A HOUSING SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR GUATEMALAN ARTISANS - EXPANDED EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS, INNOVATIVE CLASSROOM RESOURCES, AND THE CONTINUED DEDICATION OF OUR TEAM AND CENTRAL AMERICAN PARTNERS, WE MOVE INTO THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR COMMITTED TO BUILDING BRIDGES OF SOLIDARITY AND SUSTAINING FAIR TRADE IMPACT.THE ARTISANS OF GUATEMALA & NICARAGUAAFTER YEARS OF SUSTAINING PULSERA ARTISAN EMPLOYMENT THROUGH THE PANDEMIC AND RECOVERY, WE REDUCED PULSERA PRODUCTION THIS YEAR TO MATCH SALES AND TO ENSURE THE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF THE PROJECT. EVEN WITH THIS ADJUSTMENT, WE DELIVERED $132,825 IN ARTISAN INCOME.IN THE SPIRIT OF SOLIDARITY, OUR ARTISAN GROUPS ACCEPTED THIS NECESSARY SHIFT WITH OPTIMISM. AS THEY SHARED, THERE ARE GOOD TIMES AND BAD TIMES...BOTH ARE TO BE EXPECTED. BEYOND THE NUMBERS, THE PROJECT'S REAL VALUE LIES IN HUMAN CONNECTION - SHARING, LAUGHING, WORKING TOGETHER, AND SUPPORTING ONE ANOTHER THROUGH CHALLENGES AND GROWTH.SCHOOL COLLABORATIONS AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM IN THE U.S.THE MISSION OF THE PULSERA PROJECT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE DEDICATION OF THOUSANDS OF TEACHERS AND STUDENTS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES WHO BRING PULSERA SALES TO LIFE EACH YEAR. THROUGH THEIR CREATIVITY AND COMMITMENT, THEY CREATE EMPLOYMENT FOR ARTISANS WHILE RAISING FUNDS FOR IMPACTFUL PROGRAMS IN GUATEMALA AND NICARAGUA. CLASSROOMS BECOME SPACES FOR MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SOCIAL IMPACT, SOLIDARITY, FAIR TRADE, AND GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP.DURING THE 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR, WE PARTNERED WITH 326 SCHOOLS IN THE FALL/WINTER SEMESTER AND 440 SCHOOLS IN WINTER/SPRING, FOR A TOTAL OF 766 PULSERA SALES. TOGETHER, TEACHERS AND STUDENT VOLUNTEERS RAISED $537,119, AND THE PULSERA PROJECT ADDITIONALLY RECEIVED $6,958 IN DONATIONS.SINCE 2009, WE'VE NOW COLLABORATED WITH 4,056 SCHOOLS ACROSS ALL 50 STATES, RESULTING IN 8,808 UNIQUE PULSERA SALES. THIS YEAR 180 SCHOOLS HOSTED THEIR FIRST SALE, WHILE MANY LONG-STANDING PARTNERS RETURNED, SOME EVEN MARKING THEIR 15TH YEAR OF PARTICIPATION. WE ALSO EXPANDED COLLABORATIONS WITH VISTA HIGHER LEARNING, AATSP & THE NATIONAL SPANISH EXAMINATION, SIGMA DELTA PI, AND JNCL, AND CONTINUED SPONSORING EDUCATORS TO REPRESENT THE PULSERA PROJECT AT LANGUAGE CONFERENCES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.WE WERE GRATEFUL TO GUIDE ANOTHER TEACHER TRIP TO GUATEMALA, CONNECTING ARTISANS AND EDUCATORS AND DEEPENING CROSS-CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING THROUGH MEANINGFUL TRAVEL. WE EXTEND HEARTFELT THANKS TO VISTA HIGHER LEARNING AND THE NATIONAL SPANISH EXAM FOR SPONSORING TEACHER SCHOLARSHIPS, HELPING ENSURE THIS OPPORTUNITY REMAINS ACCESSIBLE TO EDUCATORS WHO WISH TO PARTICIPATE.SOCIAL IMPACT IN CENTRAL AMERICAWHEN THE PROJECT FIRST STARTED, ITS SOLE PRIORITY WAS CREATING INCOME AND EMPLOYMENT FOR ARTISANS. AS SCHOOLS BECAME INVOLVED, WE INVESTED EQUAL TIME IN DEVELOPING EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS. AS PULSERA SALES FLOURISHED, WE EXPANDED OUR FOCUS TO COMMUNITY IMPACT AND SUPPORTING LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS IN CENTRAL AMERICA.WHILE WE CONTINUE STRIVING TO STRENGTHEN PULSERA SALES, WE ARE ALSO EXPLORING NEW WAYS TO SUPPORT OUR PARTNERS. THIS YEAR WE TESTED AN ONLINE FUNDING CAMPAIGN THROUGH ZEFFY TO RAISE FUNDS FOR AN ARTISAN HOUSING PROJECT WITH COJOLYA. THE CAMPAIGN BROUGHT IN $4,450, AND THE PULSERA PROJECT CONTRIBUTED AN ADDITIONAL $10,550 TO FULLY FUND THE PROJECT FOR 15 FAMILIES IN SANTIAGO ATITLAN, GUATEMALA.IN ADDITION TO THE COJOLYA HOUSING PROJECT, WE SUPPORTED FOUR ORGANIZATIONS IN GUATEMALA WITH $13,600 IN GRANTS. WE PARTNERED WITH ASOMUJERDI TO STRENGTHEN THEIR COMMUNITY RADIO STATION, FUND SCHOLARSHIPS, AND SUPPORT ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS; SUPPORTED ASOGEN IN DEFENDING THE RIGHTS OF SURVIVORS OF GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE THROUGH SCHOLARSHIPS AND OPERATING SUPPORT; FINANCED A COMMUNITY GARDEN AND INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS THROUGH IMAP; AND COLLABORATED WITH WARICHA TO DEVELOP UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIPS AND TRAINING PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON GENDER, IMMIGRATION, AND HEALTH.ALL OF THIS BROUGHT THE TOTAL AMOUNT SPENT IN CENTRAL AMERICAN COMMUNITIES TO $201,946, SUPPORTING ARTISANS, ENTREPRENEURS, AND LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS.ADELANTE IN THE COMING YEARAS WE REFLECT ON THIS PAST YEAR, ONE THING REMAINS CLEAR: THE PULSERA PROJECT IS SUSTAINED NOT ONLY BY SALES, BUT BY THE RESILIENCE OF OUR RELATIONSHIPS. FROM ARTISANS IN GUATEMALA AND NICARAGUA TO TEACHERS AND STUDENTS ACROSS THE U.S., CO
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, 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 June 2025.
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 December 2009.
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.
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