Zendo Project Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Zendo Project offers professional harm reduction education to communities and organizations, and provides peer support services at events to help transform difficult psychedelic experiences and other complex emotions into opportunities for learning and growth.
- Income
- $1.4 million
- Spending
- $1.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 80%
- Reserves
- 2.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 70%
- Employees
- 9
- Volunteers
- 247
- Highest pay
- $113,075, executive dir.
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
Good: 75 out of 100. Higher than 60% of charities in its peer group (mental health, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 2.3 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 10% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 21% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 36% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1579% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 6 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
Good: 78 out of 100. Higher than 32% of charities in its peer group (mental health, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
18 of 253 of 4 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
0 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or 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 (1)
- $896,889 spent. Zendo Project Inc. has three core programs:Program 1: Event-Based Harm Reduction ServicesZendo Project provided peer-based psychedelic crisis care at 11 events across 5 states, supporting 473 guests with the assistance of 269 volunteers. Events included major music festivals and conferences such as Psychedelic Science 2025, Burning Man, Phish at Folsom Field, and multiple Red Rocks performances. Through a partnership with Stadium Medical, the organization embedded harm reduction support within existing event medical infrastructure, reducing emergency interventions and improving collaboration between attendees, harm reduction staff, and professional safety teams. This model demonstrates a replicable, cost-effective approach to peer-based crisis care in high-attendance public settings.Program 2: Sitting and Integration Training (SIT)Zendo Project delivered its Sitting and Integration Training (SIT) program to 1,797 students since program launch, with an average participant feedback rating of 8.8 out of 10. The program equips trainees with trauma-attuned, culturally sensitive skills to support individuals navigating non-ordinary states or emotional distress. To expand access, the organization provided 650 scholarships to students who would otherwise be unable to afford participation. SIT serves as the educational foundation for Zendo's broader strategy of building a trained peer support network for crisis response contexts.Program 3: Emergency Psychological Response (EPR) and Zendo Lab Research InitiativeIn 2025, Zendo Project launched two groundbreaking initiatives to expand its impact beyond the festival context. In collaboration with the Cohen Foundation, the organization developed the Emergency Psychological Response (EPR) program for crisis teams, with a pilot launch scheduled for January 2026 and subsequent expansion into healthcare systems, public safety, education, and community settings. Simultaneously, Zendo Lab - the organization's research arm - was established to bring peer support principles into psychedelic science and crisis response research, uniting field-based learning with rigorous data collection. Zendo Lab received national recognition including a presentation at the American Public Health Association (APHA), and will begin building outcome datasets in 2026.
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 April 2023.
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.