Social Engineering Project Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It reported loans to or from officers, directors or other insiders.
- Only 32% of its spending went to programs.
- Raising each dollar of donations cost 72 cents.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
The Social Engineering Project, Inc. TSEP is an Oakland based, 501c3 tax exempt social impact venture with Stanford University designed to address the lack of diversity in the tech industry through culturally relevant STEM pipeline programs for underrepresented students of color that lead to technical career pathways.
- Income
- $267,261
- Spending
- $357,232
- Spent on programs
- 32%
- Reserves
- 1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 10
- Highest pay
- $76,923, director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 26 out of 100. Higher than 3% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.0 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 16% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 34% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 34% on the year before.
Spending floor
0 of 1532% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 72 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Weak: 31 out of 100. Higher than 6% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 254 of 5 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
0 of 15Reports no written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
0 of 5Reports that it does not keep minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
0 of 10Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
Independent check of accounts
6 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
0 of 10Reports at least one of: diversion of assets, excess benefits, loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 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 (5)
- $59,792 spent. Science in the City SITC is a week-long summer day camp at Stanford University for incoming 5th and 6th grade underrepresented students of color. SITC was created through a joint partnership with Stanford University Graduate School of Education's Science in the City Research Group and The Social Engineering Project, Inc. Approximately 50 students are exposed to hands-on, culturally relevant, chemistry, physics, and engineering experiments to spark an interest in STEM-related courses throughout high school and college. SITC's goal is for students to fall in love with STEM, go to college, major in a STEMrelated major, and work in the technology sector.
- $30,980 spent. TSEP Overnight Camping Conference is a weekend-long conference for high school students of color throughout Northern California designed to motivate and inspire them to go to college, pursue a STEM major and related career, learn about work/life balance through hiking, mindfulness and yoga, entrepreneurship, personal branding, and how to network effectively. TSEP takes over 100, 9th-12th low-income, marginalized, underrepresented high school students of color camping via buses from San Jose, Oakland, and Sacramento to the wilderness. The students are free of the typical technological distractions there is no cellular signal, no internet connectivity, no texting or WiFi and become one with nature.
- $21,607 spent. Family Science Days/Nights: Our goal is to provide free Family Science Days ?FSD? throughout the school year to reinforce some of the scientific principles that we expose our students to and create a support group within families to continue to foster a love for math, science, technology, and engineering. Many of our students have siblings that do not attend our other programs, so we provide family-friendly science activities for our students and their relatives. FSNs are typically hosted at a tech company's headquarters and they teach our students something about their products or services. Moreover, TSEP provides resources for parents separately so that they can best support their children to pursue STEM-related careers throughout their academic life. This past year, Google hosted us at its headquarters.
- $1,022 spent. Asset Management Data Science Camp: Thanks to Wells Fargo, Comerica Bank, and Silicon Valley Bank, high school students of color from across the country learned basic asset management concepts, their connection to STEM, and how they are used in environmental, social and governance factors ESG investing. This two-week camp included homework, exposure to data analysis, and reinforced presentation skills. Finally, students learned to implore these tools to follow and support companies that were environmentally conscious, socially responsible and socially just.
- Career Mentorship Symposium: Its purpose is to equip high school and college students of color with the necessary tools to get summer internships. Students learn resume writing, interviewing tips, personal branding/messaging, using social media to find jobs/secure interviews and the power of networking. Last year, GoPro ran this program and two students will be selected to receive paid summer internships.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 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 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 November 2020.
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.