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Cascadia Poetics Lab

EIN 91-1618296 · Seattle, WA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak11 out of 100GovernanceNot ratedThe short tax form does not cover thisImpact 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

Empowering people to practice poetry & build community in ways that deepen connection to place, self & the present moment. We believe that poetry is the nexus at which self-knowledge, bioregionalism and expansive creativity converge. Cascadia Poetics Lab is a vibrant community whose workshops, festivals, and opportunities for connection can open the door to transformative experiences. We seek to empower articulation of the heart-mind world of place via a democratic approach to poetry, the arts, restorative justice and other practices of intimate ecological awakening

Income
$164,820
Spending
$170,017
Reserves
-0.7 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 77%
Highest pay
$40,757, chairman

Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Weak: 11 out of 100. Higher than 3% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).

  • Reserves

    0 of 35

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

  • Debt

    0 of 20

    It owes 485% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    8 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 3% of income.

Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, 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, 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 (4)
  1. $25,756 spent. The Poetry Postcard Fest founded in 2007 is an annual 56 day experiment in spontaneity and community-building where registered participants send postcard poems to other poets on their list.
  2. $40,969 spent. The Cascadia Poetry Festival is a gathering of poets and bioregionalists to consider how prioritizing natural and cultural boundaries, rather than arbitrary political ones, is a potent approach to addressing Anthropogenic Climate Disorder. A key theme in the work of Gary Snyder, we believe that bioregionalism is an inherently political act to focus energy locally and thus the effort to connect with poets and writers from Cascadia, the bioregion in which we live
  3. $16,402 spent. Other Programs - Podcasts: Interviews with Cascadian creative luminaries about the practice of poetry and deepening connections to place, self and the present moment. Misc Program endeavors.
  4. $27,586 spent. Workshops: Several five week online Zoom workshop for first-time and continuing participants in the online workshops facilitated by Cascadia Poetics Lab and Poetry Postcard Fest Co-Founder Paul E Nelson. Participate in reading and discussion of foundational essays, interviews, listening and other assignments, as well as spontaneous poetry composition exercises

Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, 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 2025.

    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 June 1998.

    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.

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.