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Roots of Progress

EIN 86-3502300 · Beaverton, OR

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong100 out of 100GovernanceFair63 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE ROOTS OF PROGRESS IS A NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION IN THE STATE OF OREGON. OUR MISSION IS TO PROVIDE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION ON THE HISTORY AND NATURE OF HUMAN PROGRESS. 'PROGRESS' IS THAT WHICH ALLOWS PEOPLE TO LIVE BETTER LIVES: ANYTHING THAT INCREASES HEALTH, HAPPINESS, WEALTH, FREEDOM, KNOWLEDGE, PEACE, AND THE CHOICES AND OPPORTUNITIES OPEN TO EACH INDIVIDUAL. OUR MISSION IS TO DEFINE AND COMMUNICATE A NEW PHILOSOPHY OF PROGRESS FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY. WE STUDY THE NATURE, VALUE, AND CAUSES OF PROGRESS, AND PRESCRIBE WAYS THAT HUMANITY CAN ACCELERATE AND STEER IT. WE WILL ALLOCATE 100% OF OUR TIME TOWARDS OUR ACTIVITIES; WHICH ARE THE FOLLOWING: RESEARCH: ESSAYS ON THE HISTORY OF TECHNOLOGY AND INDUSTRY, AND ON THE NATURE OF SCIENTIFIC, TECHNOLOGICAL, INDUSTRIAL, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL PROGRESS. MOST OF THE RESULTS OF THIS RESEARCH WILL BE MADE FREELY AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC ON OUR WEBSITE. WRITING: SPONSORING WRITERS TO CREATE BOOKS AND MAGAZINE/JOURNAL ARTICLES ON THE SAME TO

Income
$1.9 million
Spending
$957,960
Spent on programs
71%
Reserves
15.4 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 96%
Employees
3
Volunteers
25
Highest pay
$200,000, president

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 90% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 15.4 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 2% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 50% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 552% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    71% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 9 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Fair: 63 out of 100. Higher than 16% 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

    0 of 8

    Reports no written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    0 of 7

    Reports no 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 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 (4)
  1. $221,522 spent. THE PROGRESS CONFERENCEIN 2024, THE ROOTS OF PROGRESS HOSTED ITS FIRST-EVER PROGRESS CONFERENCE, A MAJOR EVENT BRINGING TOGETHER THINKERS, WRITERS, SCIENTISTS, AND INNOVATORS TO DISCUSS THE PHILOSOPHY AND FUTURE OF HUMAN PROGRESS. THE CONFERENCE DREW OVER 200 PARTICIPANTS AND FEATURED TALKS, PANELS, AND NETWORKING SESSIONS ON TOPICS INCLUDING TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION, THE HISTORY OF PROGRESS, AND ITS MORAL AND CULTURAL FOUNDATIONS. THE EVENT SERVED AS A CENTRAL GATHERING FOR THE GROWING PROGRESS COMMUNITY AND MARKED A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE IN ADVANCING THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION.
  2. $212,529 spent. FELLOWSHIPTHE ROOTS OF PROGRESS FELLOWSHIP CONTINUED ITS MISSION TO ACCELERATE THE CAREERS OF PROGRESS INTELLECTUALS. ITS SECOND ANNUAL BLOG-BUILDING INTENSIVE WAS HELD IN 2024, WITH 24 FELLOWS PARTICIPATING. THE PROGRAM PROVIDED WRITING INSTRUCTION, EDITORIAL FEEDBACK, AND AUDIENCE-BUILDING SUPPORT. MANY FELLOWS LAUNCHED NEW PUBLICATIONS OR EXPANDED THEIR READERSHIP THROUGH THE PROGRAM.
  3. $81,787 spent. WRITINGFOUNDER AND PRESIDENT JASON CRAWFORD PUBLISHED 17 ESSAYS IN 2024, TOTALING OVER 37,000 WORDS. ABOUT HALF OF THE ESSAYS WERE CHAPTERS AND EXCERPTS FROM HIS BOOK-IN-PROGRESS, THE TECHNO-HUMANIST MANIFESTO. THESE WERE ALSO SOME OF THE LONGEST AND MOST IN-DEPTH PIECES.THE MOST POPULAR PIECES, BASED ON LIKES AND COMMENTS, WERE: "ANNOUNCING THE TECHNO-HUMANIST MANIFESTO" "WHAT IS PROGRESS?" "WHY YOU, PERSONALLY, SHOULD WANT A LARGER HUMAN POPULATION" "BIOLOGICAL RISK FROM THE MIRROR WORLD"OVERALL, HIS READERSHIP AND ONLINE REACH GREW SIGNIFICANTLY. EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS ON SUBSTACK INCREASED 82% TO NEARLY 33,000, WHILE FOLLOWERS ON THE SOCIAL NETWORK X (FORMERLY TWITTER) ROSE 17% TO 36,700. CRAWFORD ALSO EXPANDED HIS PRESENCE ON OTHER PLATFORMS, INCLUDING FARCASTER (3,400 FOLLOWERS), BLUESKY (1,700), AND THREADS (OVER 1,000). ACROSS ALL CHANNELS, HIS WORK RECEIVED ABOUT 360,000 UNIQUE VIEWS ON SUBSTACK AND 192,000 PAGE VIEWS ON THE LEGACY ROOTS OF PROGRESS BLOG.TALKS AND INTERVIEWSCRAWFORD GAVE MULTIPLE TALKS AND INTERVIEWS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, INCLUDING AT: PROGRESS CONFERENCE 2024 ABUNDANCE 2024 FORESIGHT INSTITUTE'S VISION WEEKEND
  4. $161,382 spent. THE PROGRESS FORUMTHE ORGANIZATION CONTINUED TO SPONSOR THE PROGRESS FORUM, AN ONLINE DISCUSSION PLATFORM FOR THE PROGRESS COMMUNITY, FOSTERING THOUGHTFUL DIALOGUE ABOUT SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND HUMAN ADVANCEMENT.VARIOUS OTHER PROGRAM EXPENSES WERE ALSO INCURRED.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 2026.

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

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

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

    Recognized by the IRS since October 2021.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 21, 2026.

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