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Mystopia Foundation

EIN 87-4757043 · San Francisco, CA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak34 out of 100GovernanceGood75 out of 100Impact 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

THE MISSION OF MYSTOPIA FOUNDATION IS TO ELIMINATE PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION BY BUILDING COMMUNITY THROUGH ACTIVITIES SUCH AS DANCE, MUSIC AND ART PERFORMANCES; CAMPING, RETREATS AND OUTDOOR EXCURSIONS; EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING; AND THE SUPPORT OF COMMUNITY AND CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS WITH SIMILAR GOALS.

Income
$257,524
Spending
$276,717
Spent on programs
93%
Reserves
-0.1 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 76%
Employees
0
Volunteers
200

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

Weak: 34 out of 100.

  • Reserves

    0 of 35

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

  • Debt

    0 of 20

    It owes 110% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    4 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 7% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 14% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    92% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 2 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

Good: 75 out of 100.

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    13 of 13 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.

  • Independent check of accounts

    6 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 (6)
  1. $213,229 spent. PARTICIPATORY EXPERIENCES & RETREATS THIS PROGRAM PRODUCES SHARED PARTICIPATORY EVENTS THAT RANGE IN SIZE FROM 10 TO 2,000 PARTICIPANTS, DEPENDING ON THE FORMAT. THESE OCCUR TWO TO FOUR TIMES ANNUALLY, WITH ACTIVITIES SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. EXPERIENCES CAN INCLUDE: A WEEKEND RETREAT FOCUSED ON DEEPENING CIVIC PARTICIPATION. A WEEK-LONG OUTDOOR TRIP CENTERED ON BUILDING BRIDGES THROUGH SHARED CO- CREATION. VIRTUAL SESSIONS ON DESIGNING MORE DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)
  2. $34,795 spent. COMMUNITY DANCE EVENTS. THIS PROGRAM ORGANIZES QUARTERLY PUBLIC PERFORMING ARTS EVENTS ACROSS MULTIPLE CITIES, INCLUDING SAN FRANCISCO, NEW YORK, AND LOS ANGELES. IN 2024, SEVERAL THOUSAND PEOPLE PARTICIPATED. THESE EVENTS CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN CONNECTION AND THE REDUCTION OF PREJUDICE. BY CREATING A SAFE SPACE WITHIN PERFORMING ARTS EVENTS FOR MARGINALIZED GROUPS TO CONNECT, OUR EVENTS HAVE A NET POSITIVE OUTCOME ON THE LEVELS OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND APPLY DOWNWARD PRESSURE ON PREJUDICIAL BEHAVIORS. PRINCIPLES SUCH AS NOTAFLOF (NO ONE TURNED AWAY FOR LACK OF FUNDS) ENSURE INCLUSION AND ACCESS.
  3. $5,543 spent. SUSTAINABILITY. BUILDING ON OUR MODEL OF CO-CREATION, THIS PROGRAM FOCUSES ON SUSTAINABLE APPROACHES TO PRODUCING PARTICIPATORY EXPERIENCES AT SCALE, ENSURING ACCESSIBILITY TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE. IN 2024, MYSTOPIA VOLUNTEERS EXPANDED OUR SOLAR GENERATION SYSTEM TO OVER 25 KWH, NOW COVERING ROUGHLY 20-25% OF THE ENERGY REQUIRED FOR LARGE-SCALE EVENTS-WITH PLANS FOR FURTHER GROWTH. ADDITIONAL INITIATIVES INCLUDED EXPANDED COMPOSTING PROGRAMS AND GEAR LIBRARIES TO MAKE PARTICIPATION MORE AFFORDABLE. OUR DIVERSE VOLUNTEER NETWORK HAS ALSO CREATED AND SHARED EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES ACROSS THE BURNING MAN COMMUNITY, PRESENTED AT SUSTAINABILITY SUMMITS, AND INSPIRED OTHER THEME CAMPS TO ADOPT SOLAR POWER SYSTEMS TAILORED TO THEIR CONTEXTS.
  4. $2,381 spent. ARTS & SCHOLARSHIP. THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO CAMPERS WHO COULD NOT OTHERWISE ATTEND, WHILE ALSO SUPPORTING THE CREATION AND PRESERVATION OF ARTWORKS USED AT OUR EVENTS.
  5. LINE 4A - FIRST ACCOMPLISHMENT (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2) OUR LARGEST PARTICIPATORY INITIATIVE IS THE FOUNDATION'S WORK AT BURNING MAN, WHERE 100-150 VOLUNTEERS ORGANIZE BOTH LARGE-SCALE INTERACTIVITY AND SMALL-GROUP COMMUNITIES. PARTICIPANTS COLLABORATE ACROSS IDENTITIES TO CREATE PHYSICAL STRUCTURES, ARTWORKS, PERFORMANCES, AND COMMUNITY-BENEFIT PROJECTS SUCH AS FREE PUBLIC FOOD OFFERINGS. THIS SHARED CREATION FOSTERS EMPATHY, REDUCES TENSIONS, AND BUILDS CROSS-IDENTITY UNDERSTANDING. IN 2024, ACTIVITIES INCLUDED FEEDING THOUSANDS OF PARTICIPANTS AT BURNING MAN, ESTABLISHING BOTH LITERAL AND METAPHORICAL SAFE SPACES, AND PRODUCING QUEER-CENTERED ART AND BURLESQUE PERFORMANCES FOCUSED ON INCLUSION.
  6. ARTS & SCHOLARSHIP. THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO CAMPERS WHO COULD NOT OTHERWISE ATTEND, WHILE ALSO SUPPORTING THE CREATION AND PRESERVATION OF ARTWORKS USED AT OUR EVENTS.

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 November 6, 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 May 2023.

    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 November 4, 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.