Pollution Detectives Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE POLLUTION DETECTIVES, INC'S MISSION IS TO MAKE INVISIBLE POLLUTION VISIBLE BY LOANING EASY-TO-USE TOOLS AND PROVIDING SUPPORT TO HELP INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS AIR QUALITY PROBLEMS, ULTIMATELY PROTECTING HUMAN HEALTH WITH A FOCUS ON SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS, HELPING TO ENSURE STUDENTS AND STAFF LEARN AND WORK IN HEALTHIER AIR.FOR TAX YEAR 2024, THE POLLUTION DETECTIVES, INC.'S WORK CONSISTED OF MANY TYPES OF ACTIVITIES--SPEAKING, WRITING, PUBLISHING, AND PROVIDING FREE TOOLS FOR SURVEYING--EACH DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE INDOOR ENVIRONMENT IN SCHOOLS AND TO PROMOTING AND PROTECTING PUBLIC HEALTH.
- Income
- $49,474
- Spending
- $40,542
- Reserves
- 21.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
We do not score finances when yearly spending is very small or the return has too little detail. The ratios stop meaning much at that size.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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, 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 (3)
- 1. EDUCATIONAL PUBLICATIONS.A. EDUCATOR NEWSLETTER, THE OPTIMISTIC FUTURIST, SENT TO A SUBSCRIBER LIST OF ALMOST 14,000 EDUCATORS, PUBLIC OFFICIALS, AND COMMUNITY LEADERS.DURING 2024, OUR ORGANIZATION WROTE AND DISTRIBUTED NINE EDITIONS OF THE OPTIMISTIC FUTURIST ON TOPICS DETAILED IN THE TABLE BELOW. ALONG WITH THE FEATURE ARTICLES ENUMERATED HERE, EACH NEWSLETTER PROVIDED LINKS TO 5 TO 10 SYNOPSES, EACH WRITTEN BY OUR STAFF, OF CURRENT LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES IN AREAS RELATED TO K-12 EDUCATION. FURTHER, EACH NEWSLETTER ANNOUNCED UPCOMING WEBINARS AND CLASSES PRESENTED BY ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCIES OR LEADERS, OFFERED FREE ACCESS TO OUR EQUIPMENT FOR SURVEYING INDOOR AIR QUALITY, AND CONTAINED NUMEROUS REFERENCES TO ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.B. TUTORIAL VIDEOS AND SOCIAL POSTS ON TWO WEBSITES, WWW.THEPOLLUTIONDETECTIVES.ORG AND WWW.THEOPTIMISTICFUTURIST.ORG, AND TWO SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES, THE OPTIMISTIC FUTURIST'S FACEBOOK PAGE, AND CEO FRANCIS P. KOSTER'S LINKEDIN PAGE.DURING 2024, OUR ORGANIZATION CREATED AND PUBLISHED A SERIES OF SIX VIDEOS ON THE PERILS OF MICROPLASTICS--ITS SOURCES, HEALTH CONSEQUENCES, AND WAYS TO AVOID IT TOXIC EFFECTS. THE SERIES WAS MADE AVAILABLE TO ALL WEBSITE VISITORS, AS WELL AS VISITORS AND FOLLOWERS OF OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES.
- 2. SURVEYING AND CONSULTATION.THROUGHOUT 2024, OUR ORGANIZATION FREELY LENT SURVEYING EQUIPMENT TO COMMUNITY COLLEGES, CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS, PUBLIC AGENCIES AND PRIVATE RESIDENCES. AT NO COST TO BORROWERS, OUR EQUIPMENT MEASURED THE INDOOR AIR QUALITY OF BUILDINGS AND ROOMS ACROSS SIX DIMENSIONS: CO2, CO, VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS, PARTICULATE MATTER, TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY. WE PRODUCED OVER 200 DISCRETE, WEEKLY INDOOR AIR QUALITY REPORTS DETAILING THE LEVELS OF EACH CLASS OF CHEMICAL, AND OFFERED CONSULTATION SERVICES TO EQUIPMENT BORROWERS REGARDING WAYS TO CORRECT UNDESIRABLE RESULTS.
- 3. INFORMATIVE PRESENTATIONS AND NEWSPAPER COLUMNS.DURING 2024, CEO FRANCIS P. KOSTER SHARED HIS KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS TO K-12 STUDENTS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC IN BOTH LIVE PRESENTATIONS AND NEWSPAPER COLUMNS. TO BUILD AWARENESS, HE DELIVERED (X NUMBER OF) LECTURES TO COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS AND CIVIC GROUPS, AND PRODUCED 7 COLUMNS FOR TWO LOCAL NEWSPAPERS, THE SALISBURY POST AND THE INDEPENDENT TRIBUNE (SET FORTH IN THE TABLE BELOW).
Source: Form 990EZ 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 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 March 2017.
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.