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Nonprofiteer
← ROOTS OF PROGRESS

Form 990 for tax year 2024

Filed by ROOTS OF PROGRESS.

Totals

Total revenue
$1,908,185
Total expenses
$957,960
Contributions and grants received
$1,837,276
Grants paid
$0
Program service revenue
$55,498
Investment income
$14,346
Other revenue
$1,065
Total assets, end of year
$1,249,923
Total liabilities, end of year
$21,096
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$1,228,827
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$677,220
Management and general expenses
$112,542
Fundraising expenses
$168,198
Program service expenses (Part III)
$677,220

Program services were 70.7% 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

    $1,837,276

  • 1g · Noncash contributions included above

    $4,701

  • 2a · Program service revenue: CONFERENCE TICKET SALE

    total $48,100 · related or exempt $48,100

  • 2b · Program service revenue: OTHER

    total $7,398 · related or exempt $7,398

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $14,297 · excluded $14,297

  • 7a · Gross sales of assets other than inventory

    securities $4,750

  • 7b · Less cost or other basis and sales expenses

    securities $4,701

  • 7c · Gain or loss

    securities $49

  • 7d · Net gain or loss

    total $49 · excluded $49

  • 11a · Other revenue: OTHER

    total $1,065 · excluded $1,065

  • 11e · Other revenue, total

    $1,065

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $354,375 · program services $247,984 · management and general $28,596 · fundraising $77,795

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $93,810 · program services $87,405 · management and general $381 · fundraising $6,024

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $5,046 · management and general $5,046

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $10,691 · program services $9,257 · management and general $450 · fundraising $984

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $35,288 · program services $27,004 · management and general $1,757 · fundraising $6,527

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $5,449 · management and general $5,449

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $19,930 · management and general $19,930

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $137,547 · program services $32,425 · management and general $39,022 · fundraising $66,100

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $405 · program services $387 · fundraising $18

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $7,841 · program services $3,525 · management and general $135 · fundraising $4,181

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $69,229 · program services $61,195 · management and general $7,358 · fundraising $676

  • 17 · Travel

    total $57,148 · program services $48,763 · management and general $2,492 · fundraising $5,893

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $155,029 · program services $155,029

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $1,575 · management and general $1,575

  • 24a · Other expenses: OTHER

    total $2,425 · program services $2,299 · management and general $126

  • 24b · Other expenses: DUES & SUBSCRIPTIONS

    total $2,172 · program services $1,947 · management and general $225

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $249,052 · end of year $414,738

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    end of year $735,185

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    end of year $100,000

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $9,431 · end of year $0

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $5,881 · end of year $3,090

  • 19 · Deferred revenue

    end of year $7,405

  • 25 · Other liabilities

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $10,601

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $252,602 · end of year $1,228,827

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

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

Activities or mission (Part I)

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.

  • 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.

    Expenses $221,522 · Revenue $55,498

  • 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.

    Expenses $212,529

  • 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

    Expenses $81,787

  • 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.

    Expenses $161,382

As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

  • Jason Crawford

    PRESIDENT

    Total calculated
    $200,000
    From this org
    $200,000
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $200,000
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $0
    Nontaxable benefits
    $0
    Filer's total
    $200,000

  • Ramandeep Girn

    SECRETARY

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Anil Varanasi

    TREASURER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Heike Larson

    VP OF PROGRAMS

    Total calculated
    $168,418
    From this org
    $154,375
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $14,043
    Hours/week
    30

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $154,375
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $5,046
    Nontaxable benefits
    $8,997
    Filer's total
    $168,418

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 · Compensation committee
  • 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.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2024
Filed
14 November 2025
IRS schema version
2024v5.2
Source object
202503219349301040

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