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Creating the Future

EIN 27-3698981 · Tucson, AZ

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak0 out of 100GovernanceNot ratedThe short tax form does not cover thisImpact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

Points to look into

  • 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

TO SHOW PEOPLE HOW TO CHANGE THE SYSTEMS THEY FIND THEMSELVES IN, TO AIM THOSE SYSTEMS AT BRINGING OUT THE BEST IN PEOPLE, ALL BY CHANGING THE QUESTIONS THEY ASK.

Income
$59,115
Spending
$82,782
Reserves
-0.5 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 54%
Highest pay
$26,713, president

Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

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

  • Reserves

    0 of 35

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

  • Debt

    0 of 20

    It owes 224% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 40% of income.

Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

This organization files the short tax form, which does not ask about boards, policies or audits. That is normal for a small charity and is not a mark against it.

Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 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 (2)
  1. $30,664 spent. EXPERIMENTING: COMPLETING OUR 10-YEAR MISSION IN 2025, WE FOCUSED ON IMPLEMENTING WHAT OUR COMMUNITY ASKED US TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE FINAL YEARS OF OUR MISSION. THIS IS A HUGE EXPERIMENT IN SHARING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR MISSION, RATHER THAN BUILDING AN ONGOING PROGRAM THAT NEEDS TO BE SUSTAINED IN PERPETUITY. IN 2025 WE DETAILED WHAT IS NEEDED FOR THIS FINAL PHASE, TO DOCUMENT WHAT WE'VE LEARNED FROM THE 30+ DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS WE'VE COMPLETED TO EVIDENCE THE POWER OF CATALYTIC THINKING TO CREATE CHANGE. TO THAT END, WE BEGAN WORKING CLOSELY WITH ACADEMIC ADVISORS, INCLUDING A PHD STUDENT FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA, OMAHA, TO APPLY ACADEMIC RIGOR TO THIS EFFORT. SEE HTTPS://CREATINGTHEFUTURE.ORG/2025-ACCOMPLISHMENTS/ FOR DETAILS.
  2. EDUCATION PROGRAMS: IN 2025, THE FOCUS OF ALL OUR EFFORTS WAS ON SUPPORTING CHANGEMAKERS WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH THE NEW REALITY. TO THAT END, WE RAMPED UP ALL OUR EDUCATION EFFORTS. WE PRODUCED 14 PODCAST EPISODES FOCUSED ON THE QUESTION, "WHAT ACTUALLY CREATES SOCIAL CHANGE?" WE CONTINUED TO DEVELOP NEW CLASSES, DESIGNING WEBINARS TO ASSIST OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THEIR OWN CHANGE EFFORTS. OUR BIWEEKLY NEWSLETTER BECAME A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER, AGAIN TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY. WE CONTINUED TO FACILITATE A ROBUST COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE FOR PRACTITIONERS APPLYING CATALYTIC THINKING IN THEIR LIVES AND THEIR WORK. IN 2025 WE ALSO INCREASED OUR PUBLIC SPEAKING EFFORTS, KEYNOTING AND TEACHING WORKSHOPS FROM NEW YORK TO ALASKA TO NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA. AND WE MORE AGGRESSIVELY PURSUED WRITING FOR PUBLICATIONS WITH BROAD REACH, INCLUDING STANFORD SOCIAL INNOVATION REVIEW AND NONPROFIT QUARTERLY AS WELL AS ACADEMIC JOURNALS AND PUBLICATIONS. SEE HTTPS://CREATINGTHEFUTURE.ORG/2025-ACCOMPLISHMENTS/ FOR DETAILS.

Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, 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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 2026.

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

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

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

    Recognized by the IRS since January 2013.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 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.