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POLLINATION PROJECT FOUNDATION

EIN 46-0675457 MARTINEZ, CA

Revenue 2024
$1,364,413
Expenses 2024
$1,332,937

Program services were 79.5% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

As filed

Subsection
03
NTEE code
P12
Classification
1000
Street
1155 ARNOLD DR STE C PMB 259

These codes are the IRS's own and are shown exactly as filed. What each one means is in the Business Master File documentation (opens in a new tab).

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

THE POLLINATION PROJECT FOUNDATION (TPP) PROVIDES CATALYTIC SEED FUNDING TO EXPERT VOLUNTEERS DRIVING GRASSROOTS, COMMUNITY-LED CHANGE AROUND THE WORLD. GROUNDED IN HEARTIVISM - THE PRACTICE OF PAIRING COMPASSION WITH ACTION - TPP FUNDS LEADERS IN MORE THAN 120 COUNTRIES WORKING ACROSS EDUCATION, CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, WOMEN AND GIRLS' EMPOWERMENT, DISASTER RESPONSE, AND ANIMAL PROTECTION. OUR CORE THESIS IS SIMPLE AND PROVEN: EXPERT VOLUNTEERS PLUS MODEST CAPITAL EQUALS OUTSIZED, DURABLE IMPACT. TPP EXISTS TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE CLOSEST TO THE CHALLENGES THEY SEEK TO SOLVE ARE TRUSTED, RESOURCED, AND SUPPORTED TO LEAD.

Activities or mission (Part I)

TO PROMOTE AND SUPPORT ENVIRONMENTAL, ANIMAL WELFARE AND SOCIAL CHANGE PROJECTS THROUGH GRANT MAKING, LEADERSHIP TRAINING AND OTHER SUPPORT SERVICES.

  • GRANTMAKING: THE POLLINATION PROJECT'S CORE DAILY GRANT PROGRAM PROVIDES CATALYTIC SEED GRANTS TO EXPERT VOLUNTEER-LED, COMMUNITY-DRIVEN INITIATIVES AROUND THE WORLD - GROUNDED IN HEARTIVISM, THE PRACTICE OF PAIRING COMPASSION WITH ACTION. TPP EXISTS ON THE CONVICTION THAT THE PEOPLE CLOSEST TO A PROBLEM ARE BEST POSITIONED TO SOLVE IT, AND THAT TRUST, EMPATHY, AND LIVED EXPERIENCE BELONG AT THE CENTER OF HOW CHANGE HAPPENS. DURING FISCAL YEAR 2024-2025, TPP AWARDED 366 GRANTS TOTALING OVER $507,000 ACROSS SIX CONTINENTS AND 55 COUNTRIES, INCLUDING SIGNIFICANT FOREIGN GRANTS. GRANTS RANGING FROM $500 TO $10,000 FUND INITIATIVES ACROSS FOUR IMPACT AREAS: PLANETARY & HUMAN HEALTH, ANIMAL PROTECTION, EQUITY & DIGNITY, AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT & EDUCATION. FUNDING DECISIONS ARE GUIDED BY A GLOBALLY DISTRIBUTED NETWORK OF 80+ VOLUNTEER GRANT ADVISORS - MANY OF THEM FORMER GRANTEES THEMSELVES - WHO BRING LOCAL KNOWLEDGE, SECTOR EXPERTISE, AND THE WISDOM OF LIVED EXPERIENCE TO EVERY DECISION. A TYPICAL GRANT MOBILIZES 200 HOURS OF VOLUNTEER TIME, WITH ONE IN FOUR GRANTEES CONTRIBUTING 500 OR MORE VOLUNTEER HOURS. IN TOTAL, GRANTEES AND THEIR COMMUNITIES CONTRIBUTED NEARLY 80,000 VOLUNTEER HOURS THIS YEAR - EQUIVALENT TO OVER NINE YEARS OF CONTINUOUS SERVICE. THE LEVERAGE IS REMARKABLE: ONE IN THREE GRANTEES ATTRACTED ADDITIONAL FUNDING WITHIN MONTHS OF THEIR POLLINATION PROJECT GRANT, ONE IN THREE RECEIVED MEDIA COVERAGE, AND ONE IN TWELVE RECEIVED FORMAL AWARDS. TPP RECEIVED 3,800 APPLICATIONS THIS YEAR - A 65% INCREASE IN QUALIFIED APPLICANTS - AND WAS ABLE TO FUND FEWER THAN 10%, REFLECTING SURGING GLOBAL DEMAND FOR THIS HEARTIVISM-GROUNDED MODEL OF CATALYTIC CHANGE.

    Expenses $629,467 · Grants $333,500

  • GLOBAL FARM ANIMAL PROTECTION (ANIMAL RIGHTS): THE POLLINATION PROJECT HAS BECOME A CATALYTIC BACKBONE FOR THE FARMED ANIMAL PROTECTION MOVEMENT, WITH DEEP INVESTMENTS IN MEXICO AND BRAZIL PRODUCING MEASURABLE LEGISLATIVE, LEGAL, AND CULTURAL WINS. IN MEXICO, TPP HELPED BUILD CODAM - A COALITION NOW UNITING 350+ ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING 11 STATE-LEVEL GRANTEES - AND SUPPORTED LEGISLATIVE REFORMS INCLUDING A STATE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT RECOGNIZING ANIMALS AS SENTIENT BEINGS IN BAJA CALIFORNIA AND THE CREATION OF A SPECIALIZED ANIMAL WELFARE COMMISSION IN VERACRUZ. IN BRAZIL, TPP SUPPORTED GROUNDBREAKING LEGAL WORK THROUGH GAIA LIBERTAS, BRAZIL'S FIRST LEGAL NGO FOR FARMED ANIMALS, FILING PIONEERING LAWSUITS ON CHICK GRINDING, CONFINEMENT, AND LIVE EXPORTS. THE NATIONAL MOVEMENT TO END LIVE ANIMAL EXPORTS, SPARKED BY A CAMPAIGN TPP SUPPORTED, HAS SINCE UNITED 600+ PEOPLE AND 100+ ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS 27 CITIES. TPP ALSO CO-CREATED A NATIONAL FOOD SYSTEM STRATEGY IN BRAZIL, FUNDING 25 COMMUNITY-LED PROJECTS IN JUST NINE MONTHS SPANNING URBAN AGRICULTURE, PLANT-BASED CULINARY EDUCATION, CLIMATE POLICY ADVOCACY, AND COMMUNITY KITCHEN TRANSFORMATION. BEYOND GRANTMAKING, TPP LAUNCHED THE RESONANCE NETWORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH POLLUTION STUDIOS - A STRATEGIC INITIATIVE TO RECRUIT, TRAIN, AND SUPPORT CONTENT CREATORS WHO WILL ELEVATE AWARENESS OF FARM ANIMAL SUFFERING AND PROMOTE COMPASSIONATE SOLUTIONS IN TODAY'S ATTENTION ECONOMY.

    Expenses $384,314 · Grants $238,485

  • AI INNOVATION & OPERATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE: WITH A TECH ENTREPRENEUR AT OUR HELM, THE POLLINATION PROJECT IS INVESTING IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE BOTH AS A TOOL FOR SOCIAL GOOD AND AS A MEANS OF MAXIMIZING ORGANIZATIONAL EFFICIENCY - ENSURING THAT HUMAN CAPACITY IS DIRECTED WHERE IT MATTERS MOST. IN JULY 2025, TPP INCUBATED MURMURATION LABS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SERVICESPACE AND TIANREN CULTURE - AN AI LAB THAT PUTS HEART INTELLIGENCE FIRST. BUILDING ON AWAKIN AI'S PIONEERING WORK, MURMURATION LABS HAS HELPED 50+ WISDOM KEEPERS AND CHANGEMAKERS DEVELOP CUSTOM AI TOOLS THAT HAVE SPARKED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS WORLDWIDE. MURMURATION LABS IS NOW DESIGNING CIRCLE AGENT, AN AI ASSISTANT THAT FACILITATES TRANSFORMATIVE SMALL-GROUP GATHERINGS BOTH ONLINE AND IN-PERSON. INTERNALLY, TPP IS AUTOMATING SYSTEMS AND WORKFLOWS ACROSS GRANTMAKING OPERATIONS - FROM APPLICATION PROCESSING TO REPORT ANALYTICS - SO THAT THE ORGANIZATION CAN RESPOND TO GROWING DEMAND (3,800 APPLICATIONS THIS YEAR) WITHOUT SACRIFICING THE HUMAN JUDGMENT AND RELATIONAL DEPTH THAT MAKE TPP'S MODEL WORK. THIS DUAL INVESTMENT IN EXTERNAL AI FOR GOOD AND INTERNAL AI FOR EFFICIENCY REFLECTS TPP'S CONVICTION THAT TECHNOLOGY, WHEN GUIDED BY COMPASSION, CAN AMPLIFY - NOT REPLACE - HUMAN CONNECTION.

    Expenses $46,380

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

Officers and directors · 2024

As listed in Part VII of the 2024 return, in the order the filer printed them. Each return names its own; this is not a roster the organization keeps with us.

  • ARIEL NESSEL

    PRESIDENT

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • STEPHANIE KLEMPNER

    VICE PRESIDENT & SECRETARY

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • BIRJU PANDYA

    TREASURER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • ALEXIS FOX

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $103,846
    From this org
    $103,846
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    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. Earlier years are each on their own filing page.

Filings

  • 2024
    Revenue
    $1,364,413
    Expenses
    $1,332,937
    Contributions
    $1,346,447
    Grants paid
    $571,985
  • 2023
    Revenue
    $917,119
    Expenses
    $1,436,667
    Contributions
    $886,974
    Grants paid
    $673,412
  • 2022
    Revenue
    $1,207,158
    Expenses
    $1,547,517
    Contributions
    $1,165,307
    Grants paid
    $756,689

The four totals the IRS asks for on Part I of the Form 990, as filed. A dash means the figure was not present on the return — not that it was zero.

Other returns filed

  • 2021 · 990

    Revenue
    $1,914,014
    Expenses
    $2,457,551
    Assets (EOY)
    $1,773,825

  • 2020 · 990

    Revenue
    $1,197,582
    Expenses
    $1,519,227
    Assets (EOY)
    $2,462,603

  • 2019 · 990

    Revenue
    $1,576,518
    Expenses
    $2,058,721
    Assets (EOY)
    $2,767,861

  • 2018 · 990

    Revenue
    $1,934,070
    Expenses
    $1,886,113
    Assets (EOY)
    $3,174,526

  • 2017 · 990

    Revenue
    $1,956,094
    Expenses
    $1,567,232
    Assets (EOY)
    $3,310,223

  • 2017 · 990

    Revenue
    $1,956,094
    Expenses
    $1,567,232
    Assets (EOY)
    $3,310,223

  • 2016 · 990

    Revenue
    $1,445,299
    Expenses
    $1,245,877
    Assets (EOY)
    $3,115,241

  • 2015 · 990

    Revenue
    $1,161,955
    Expenses
    $1,013,599
    Assets (EOY)
    $2,681,491

Nonprofiteer parses Forms 990, 990-EZ and 990-PF, in a window of recent tax years. These returns are recorded from the IRS e-file index, so their figures were extracted by that index rather than read from the return here — treat them as a different source from the filings above, not as more of the same record. A dash means the index carries no figure; Form 990-T listings carry none at all.

Grants made

Where these grants went next →

Grants received

The 10 largest by cash amount. The API serves every itemized grant.

Other IRS files

Auto-Revocation List

Not listed. The IRS publishes this list for organizations whose exemption was automatically revoked for failing to file for three consecutive years.

Publication 78

Listed as of 13 October 2026, under deductibility PC.

These are two separate IRS files on two separate schedules, shown as published and not reconciled with each other. Neither is a statement about whether a contribution is deductible today: 19,245 organizations appear in Publication 78 while the IRS's own revocation file lists them as currently revoked, more than half of those revoked before 2019. Absence from Publication 78 is evidence of nothing, and presence is not evidence either. Verify current status with the IRS before relying on it.

What this page reflects

The registration facts above come from the IRS Business Master File published 13 October 2026 and read 26 October 2026, for every organization at once. Returns through tax year 2024, the newest we have parsed for this organization.