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Pollination Project Foundation

EIN 46-0675457 · Martinez, CA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood85 out of 100GovernanceGood78 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE POLLINATION PROJECT FOUNDATION (TPP) PROVIDES CATALYTIC SEED FUNDING TO EXPERT VOLUNTEERS DRIVING GRASSROOTS, COMMUNITY-LED CHANGE AROUND THE WORLD. GROUNDED IN HEARTIVISM - THE PRACTICE OF PAIRING COMPASSION WITH ACTION - TPP FUNDS LEADERS IN MORE THAN 120 COUNTRIES WORKING ACROSS EDUCATION, CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, WOMEN AND GIRLS' EMPOWERMENT, DISASTER RESPONSE, AND ANIMAL PROTECTION. OUR CORE THESIS IS SIMPLE AND PROVEN: EXPERT VOLUNTEERS PLUS MODEST CAPITAL EQUALS OUTSIZED, DURABLE IMPACT. TPP EXISTS TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE CLOSEST TO THE CHALLENGES THEY SEEK TO SOLVE ARE TRUSTED, RESOURCED, AND SUPPORTED TO LEAD.

Income
$1.4 million
Spending
$1.3 million
Spent on programs
80%
Reserves
3.5 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 99%
Employees
7
Volunteers
15
Highest pay
$103,846, executive director

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: 85 out of 100. Higher than 67% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 3.5 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 11% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 2% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 49% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    80% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 10 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

Good: 78 out of 100. Higher than 30% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    18 of 25

    3 of 3 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

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    0 of 15

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

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports 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 (3)
  1. $629,467 spent. GRANTMAKING: THE POLLINATION PROJECT'S CORE DAILY GRANT PROGRAM PROVIDES CATALYTIC SEED GRANTS TO EXPERT VOLUNTEER-LED, COMMUNITY-DRIVEN INITIATIVES AROUND THE WORLD - GROUNDED IN HEARTIVISM, THE PRACTICE OF PAIRING COMPASSION WITH ACTION. TPP EXISTS ON THE CONVICTION THAT THE PEOPLE CLOSEST TO A PROBLEM ARE BEST POSITIONED TO SOLVE IT, AND THAT TRUST, EMPATHY, AND LIVED EXPERIENCE BELONG AT THE CENTER OF HOW CHANGE HAPPENS. DURING FISCAL YEAR 2024-2025, TPP AWARDED 366 GRANTS TOTALING OVER $507,000 ACROSS SIX CONTINENTS AND 55 COUNTRIES, INCLUDING SIGNIFICANT FOREIGN GRANTS. GRANTS RANGING FROM $500 TO $10,000 FUND INITIATIVES ACROSS FOUR IMPACT AREAS: PLANETARY & HUMAN HEALTH, ANIMAL PROTECTION, EQUITY & DIGNITY, AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT & EDUCATION. FUNDING DECISIONS ARE GUIDED BY A GLOBALLY DISTRIBUTED NETWORK OF 80+ VOLUNTEER GRANT ADVISORS - MANY OF THEM FORMER GRANTEES THEMSELVES - WHO BRING LOCAL KNOWLEDGE, SECTOR EXPERTISE, AND THE WISDOM OF LIVED EXPERIENCE TO EVERY DECISION. A TYPICAL GRANT MOBILIZES 200 HOURS OF VOLUNTEER TIME, WITH ONE IN FOUR GRANTEES CONTRIBUTING 500 OR MORE VOLUNTEER HOURS. IN TOTAL, GRANTEES AND THEIR COMMUNITIES CONTRIBUTED NEARLY 80,000 VOLUNTEER HOURS THIS YEAR - EQUIVALENT TO OVER NINE YEARS OF CONTINUOUS SERVICE. THE LEVERAGE IS REMARKABLE: ONE IN THREE GRANTEES ATTRACTED ADDITIONAL FUNDING WITHIN MONTHS OF THEIR POLLINATION PROJECT GRANT, ONE IN THREE RECEIVED MEDIA COVERAGE, AND ONE IN TWELVE RECEIVED FORMAL AWARDS. TPP RECEIVED 3,800 APPLICATIONS THIS YEAR - A 65% INCREASE IN QUALIFIED APPLICANTS - AND WAS ABLE TO FUND FEWER THAN 10%, REFLECTING SURGING GLOBAL DEMAND FOR THIS HEARTIVISM-GROUNDED MODEL OF CATALYTIC CHANGE.
  2. $384,314 spent. GLOBAL FARM ANIMAL PROTECTION (ANIMAL RIGHTS): THE POLLINATION PROJECT HAS BECOME A CATALYTIC BACKBONE FOR THE FARMED ANIMAL PROTECTION MOVEMENT, WITH DEEP INVESTMENTS IN MEXICO AND BRAZIL PRODUCING MEASURABLE LEGISLATIVE, LEGAL, AND CULTURAL WINS. IN MEXICO, TPP HELPED BUILD CODAM - A COALITION NOW UNITING 350+ ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING 11 STATE-LEVEL GRANTEES - AND SUPPORTED LEGISLATIVE REFORMS INCLUDING A STATE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT RECOGNIZING ANIMALS AS SENTIENT BEINGS IN BAJA CALIFORNIA AND THE CREATION OF A SPECIALIZED ANIMAL WELFARE COMMISSION IN VERACRUZ. IN BRAZIL, TPP SUPPORTED GROUNDBREAKING LEGAL WORK THROUGH GAIA LIBERTAS, BRAZIL'S FIRST LEGAL NGO FOR FARMED ANIMALS, FILING PIONEERING LAWSUITS ON CHICK GRINDING, CONFINEMENT, AND LIVE EXPORTS. THE NATIONAL MOVEMENT TO END LIVE ANIMAL EXPORTS, SPARKED BY A CAMPAIGN TPP SUPPORTED, HAS SINCE UNITED 600+ PEOPLE AND 100+ ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS 27 CITIES. TPP ALSO CO-CREATED A NATIONAL FOOD SYSTEM STRATEGY IN BRAZIL, FUNDING 25 COMMUNITY-LED PROJECTS IN JUST NINE MONTHS SPANNING URBAN AGRICULTURE, PLANT-BASED CULINARY EDUCATION, CLIMATE POLICY ADVOCACY, AND COMMUNITY KITCHEN TRANSFORMATION. BEYOND GRANTMAKING, TPP LAUNCHED THE RESONANCE NETWORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH POLLUTION STUDIOS - A STRATEGIC INITIATIVE TO RECRUIT, TRAIN, AND SUPPORT CONTENT CREATORS WHO WILL ELEVATE AWARENESS OF FARM ANIMAL SUFFERING AND PROMOTE COMPASSIONATE SOLUTIONS IN TODAY'S ATTENTION ECONOMY.
  3. $46,380 spent. AI INNOVATION & OPERATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE: WITH A TECH ENTREPRENEUR AT OUR HELM, THE POLLINATION PROJECT IS INVESTING IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE BOTH AS A TOOL FOR SOCIAL GOOD AND AS A MEANS OF MAXIMIZING ORGANIZATIONAL EFFICIENCY - ENSURING THAT HUMAN CAPACITY IS DIRECTED WHERE IT MATTERS MOST. IN JULY 2025, TPP INCUBATED MURMURATION LABS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SERVICESPACE AND TIANREN CULTURE - AN AI LAB THAT PUTS HEART INTELLIGENCE FIRST. BUILDING ON AWAKIN AI'S PIONEERING WORK, MURMURATION LABS HAS HELPED 50+ WISDOM KEEPERS AND CHANGEMAKERS DEVELOP CUSTOM AI TOOLS THAT HAVE SPARKED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS WORLDWIDE. MURMURATION LABS IS NOW DESIGNING CIRCLE AGENT, AN AI ASSISTANT THAT FACILITATES TRANSFORMATIVE SMALL-GROUP GATHERINGS BOTH ONLINE AND IN-PERSON. INTERNALLY, TPP IS AUTOMATING SYSTEMS AND WORKFLOWS ACROSS GRANTMAKING OPERATIONS - FROM APPLICATION PROCESSING TO REPORT ANALYTICS - SO THAT THE ORGANIZATION CAN RESPOND TO GROWING DEMAND (3,800 APPLICATIONS THIS YEAR) WITHOUT SACRIFICING THE HUMAN JUDGMENT AND RELATIONAL DEPTH THAT MAKE TPP'S MODEL WORK. THIS DUAL INVESTMENT IN EXTERNAL AI FOR GOOD AND INTERNAL AI FOR EFFICIENCY REFLECTS TPP'S CONVICTION THAT TECHNOLOGY, WHEN GUIDED BY COMPASSION, CAN AMPLIFY - NOT REPLACE - HUMAN CONNECTION.

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

  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 June 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 October 2012.

    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.