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Nonprofiteer
← SEISMIC CATALYST FOUNDATION

Form 990 for tax year 2025

Filed by SEISMIC CATALYST FOUNDATION.

Totals

Total revenue
$5,248,744
Total expenses
$2,781,299
Contributions and grants received
$5,248,744
Grants paid
$0
Program service revenue
$0
Investment income
$0
Other revenue
$0
Total assets, end of year
$2,591,930
Total liabilities, end of year
$124,485
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$2,467,445
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$2,279,811
Management and general expenses
$394,092
Fundraising expenses
$107,396
Program service expenses (Part III)
$2,279,811

Program services were 82.0% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Revenue

Part VIII, the statement of revenue.

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $5,248,744

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $277,853 · program services $138,927 · management and general $83,355 · fundraising $55,571

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $540,461 · program services $474,739 · management and general $50,448 · fundraising $15,274

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $8,118 · program services $7,008 · management and general $825 · fundraising $285

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $18,604 · program services $14,560 · management and general $2,710 · fundraising $1,334

  • 11a · Fees: management

    total $113,527 · program services $85,341 · management and general $18,451 · fundraising $9,735

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $44,304 · management and general $44,304

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $16,725 · management and general $16,725

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $176,850 · program services $96,003 · management and general $80,847

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $17,727 · program services $17,727

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $56,792 · management and general $56,792

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $12,077 · management and general $12,077

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $39,476 · program services $29,675 · management and general $6,416 · fundraising $3,385

  • 17 · Travel

    total $87,247 · program services $52,348 · management and general $13,087 · fundraising $21,812

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $8,055 · management and general $8,055

  • 24a · Other expenses: PRODUCTION EXPENSES

    total $1,213,483 · program services $1,213,483

  • 24b · Other expenses: RESEARCH EXPENSES

    total $150,000 · program services $150,000

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    end of year $11,794

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    end of year $2,245,460

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    end of year $116,028

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $218,648

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    end of year $124,485

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    end of year $221,985

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    end of year $2,245,460

Mission and programs · 2025

Mission

TO PROMOTE THE USE AND DEVELOPMENT OF ARTICIAL INTELLIGENCE TECHNOLOGY IN A MANNER THAT IS SAFE, FAIR AND BENEFICIAL FOR OUR SOCIETY AND OUR FUTURE.

Activities or mission (Part I)

SEISMIC FOUNDATION'S MISSION IS TO MAKE RESPONSIBLE AI A HUMAN PRIORITY BY MOBILIZING PUBLIC DEMAND FOR MEANINGFUL GLOBAL AI GOVERNANCE THAT ENSURES AI WILL BE SAFE AND BENEFICIAL FOR ALL.

  • IN ITS FIRST YEAR OF OPERATIONS, SEISMIC FOUNDATION PROVIDED SPECIALIST RESEARCH, COMMUNICATIONS AND CAMPAIGN EXPERTISE THAT ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS, RESEARCHERS AND POLICYMAKERS NEED TO REACH AND EDUCATE THE PUBLIC. THE PUBLIC ARE DIRECT BENEFICIARIES OF THE FOUNDATION'S RESEARCH AND COMMUNICATION EFFORTS, RECEIVING TRANSPARENT, UNBIASED INFORMATION ON AI RISKS, PERCEPTIONS OF AI AND THE AI LANDSCAPE TODAY. THE FOUNDATION FOCUSES PRIMARILY ON US AND EU PUBLICS, AND THESE AUDIENCES ARE DETAILED IN THE FOUNDATION'S REPORT, "ON THE RAZOR'S EDGE."THE FOUNDATION'S WORK IS COMPRISED OF TWO STREAMS: RESEARCH AND INTELLIGENCE, AND COMMUNICATIONS AND EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN ORCHESTRATION. WITH RESEARCH AND INTELLIGENCE, THE FOUNDATION CONDUCTS AND COMMISSIONS RIGOROUS RESEARCH TO UNDERSTAND PUBLIC ATTITUDES, IDENTIFY ACTIONABLE AUDIENCE SEGMENTS, AND MEASURE EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN EFFECTIVENESS. WITH COMMUNICATIONS AND EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN ORCHESTRATION, THE FOUNDATION TRANSLATES RESEARCH FINDINGS INTO EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGNS THAT BUILD CULTURAL SALIENCE, INSTITUTING AI GOVERNANCE AS A CONCERN THAT IS URGENT, PERSONAL AND ACTIONABLE FOR PUBLIC AUDIENCES. THIS WORK IS NON-PARTISAN.

    Expenses $2,279,811

As filed on the 2025 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

  • Michael McCormick

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Maximillian Henderson

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Kellie Liket

    SECRETARY

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Sander Volten

    CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

    Total calculated
    $277,853
    From this org
    $271,971
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $5,882
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $271,971
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $3,598
    Nontaxable benefits
    $2,284
    Filer's total
    $277,853

  • Alona Elkayam

    CREATIVE OFFICER

    Total calculated
    $137,958
    From this org
    $133,170
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $4,788
    Hours/week
    40

  • Philip Trippenbach

    STRATEGY DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $110,766
    From this org
    $110,463
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $303
    Hours/week
    40

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Answered yes

  • 3 · Independent compensation consultant
  • 3 · Form 990 of other organizations
  • 3 · Compensation survey or study
  • 3 · Approval by the board or compensation committee

Answered no

  • 4a · Severance or change-of-control payment
  • 4b · Supplemental nonqualified retirement plan
  • 4c · Equity-based compensation arrangement
  • 5a · Pay contingent on this organization's revenues
  • 5b · Pay contingent on a related organization's revenues
  • 6a · Pay contingent on this organization's net earnings
  • 6b · Pay contingent on a related organization's net earnings
  • 7 · Other non-fixed payments
  • 8 · Paid under the initial-contract exception

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Related organizations on this return

Schedule R Part II: tax-exempt organizations related to the filer by control. It does not record shared board members or money.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2025
Filed
20 April 2026
IRS schema version
2025v4.1
Source object
202621109349300437

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