Product Stewardship Institute INC

Tax-deductible

Boston, MA501(c)(3)Since 2004Community DevelopmentEIN 20-2059607Revenue $1.2M in FY2025

On file with the IRSproductstewardship.us1 Beacon St Ste 1500, 02108-3139 · Boston, MATax-exempt since Sep 2005Publicly supported — 509(a)(2)

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The Product Stewardship Institute is a policy expert and consulting nonprofit that powers the emerging circular economy to ensure products are responsibly managed from design to end of life. In 2000, PSI pioneered extended producer responsibility (EPR) in the United States by convening diverse stakeholders to build EPR policies and programs. Drawing on global best practices and expansive multinational relationships, our facilitated dialogues, policy models, research, education, and expert testimony have helped enact 150 EPR laws in 34 states and the District of Columbia across 22 product categories, including packaging. Our members include state and local governments in 48 states, and we partner with more than 120 businesses, academic institutions, environmental nonprofits, and international and tribal governments. Together, we advance scalable solutions that protect people and the planet. Join us at www.productstewardship.us.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
63¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$295K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2025 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
2 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $25K a year · 2% of revenue · last 6 filings
Concern: a surplus in 2 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
63%
of spending
Worth a look: 63% of spending went to programs; under 65%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$295K
to officers and key staff · 24% of spending
Top officer’s pay higher than 62% of similar orgs
Worth a look: pay to officers and key staff is 24% of spending; over 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
2 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 1.7 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
2
named funders · $50K
Fine: 2 funders name it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$535K
161% of total assets
Concern: liabilities are 161% of assets; over 80%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
10
of 10 voting members
Looks good: 10 of 10 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$1.2M
-3% vs prior year
Spent
$1.2M
To programs
63%
Net assets
−$203K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$1.2M
FY2025▼ -3%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$828K
FY2021$698K
FY2022$933K
FY2023$1.2M
FY2024$1.2M
FY2025$1.2M
Expenses
$1.2M
FY2025▲ +2%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$768K
FY2021$831K
FY2022$987K
FY2023$1.2M
FY2024$1.2M
FY2025$1.2M
Net assets
−$203K
FY2025▼ -24%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$8K
FY2021−$125K
FY2022−$179K
FY2023−$185K
FY2024−$164K
FY2025−$203K

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending June 2025) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Sep 2005.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

63 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 63% · $770K Management & general 37% · $455K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

12 people listed on the 990; $295K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
Chief Executive Officer
$187,252Pt VII · Sec A
Chief of Operations
$107,396Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Scott Cassel’s $187K as Chief Executive Officer is at the 62nd percentile of top reported officer pay among 2832 $1–10M community development nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Scott Cassel$187,252$169,471$146,729$140,078$168,150$145,575
Amanda Nicholson$107,396—————

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Helps businesses and governments reduce product waste and environmental harm.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $770K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

PSI staff, board directors, members, and partners continued to advance EPR programs in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. PSI staff provided technical support, facilitated stakeholder engagement, mediated policy discussions, conducted research, and provided expert testimony that kept our team at the forefront of policy development…

$770Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2023
Total grants receivedfrom 2 funders$50K

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$1.2M
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$714K
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$472K
Investment incomeLn 3$16
Money outPt IX
$1.2M
Ln 25
Programscol B$770K
Managementcol C$455K
Owns and owesPt X
−$203K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$169K
Total assetsLn 16$332K
LiabilitiesLn 26$535K
PeoplePt VI, VII
12
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a10
IndependentVI 1b10
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$472K
Government grantsLn 1e$0
Noncash giftsLn 1g$0
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$0
Fees for servicesLn 2g$714K
Investment incomeLn 3$16
Total revenueLn 12$1.2M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$76K
SavingsLn 2$93K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$169K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$6K
Other assetsLn 15$6K
Total assetsLn 16$332K
LiabilitiesLn 26$535K
Net assetsLn 32−$203K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 59
VolunteersI 60
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$72K$169K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$3K$6K
Total assetsLn 16$222K$332K
LiabilitiesLn 26$386K$535K
Net assetsLn 32−$164K−$203K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$0$0
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$0$0
Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsLn 3$0$0
Benefits paid to or for membersLn 4$0$0
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$179K$107K$72K$0
Pay of disqualified personsLn 6$0$0$0$0
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$537K$328K$209K$0
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$0$0$0$0
Other employee benefitsLn 9$94K$65K$29K$0
Payroll taxesLn 10$57K$39K$18K$0
Management feesLn 11a$0$0$0$0
Legal feesLn 11b$0$0$0$0
Accounting feesLn 11c$23K$0$23K$0
Lobbying feesLn 11d$0$0$0$0
Professional fundraising feesLn 11e$0$0
Investment management feesLn 11f$0$0$0$0
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$99K$62K$37K$0
Advertising and promotionLn 12$0$0$0$0
Office expensesLn 13$47K$23K$24K$0
Information technologyLn 14$14K$0$14K$0
RoyaltiesLn 15$0$0$0$0
OccupancyLn 16$13K$0$13K$0
TravelLn 17$17K$17K$63$0
Travel and entertainment for public officialsLn 18$0$0$0$0
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$126K$126K$219$0
InterestLn 20$0$0$0$0
Payments to affiliatesLn 21$0$0$0$0
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$2K$0$2K$0
InsuranceLn 23$9K$1K$8K$0
All other expensesLn 24e$6K$1K$5K$0
Total functional expensesLn 25$1.2M$770K$455K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $1.2M$1.2M−$39K−$203K 990 PDF
FY2024 $1.2M$1.2M$21K−$164K 990 PDF
FY2023 $1.2M$1.2M−$6K−$185K 990 PDF
FY2022 $933K$987K−$54K−$179K 990 PDF
FY2021 $698K$831K−$133K−$125K 990 PDF
FY2020 $828K$768K$60K$8K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $1,185,946 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $470,660$471,958
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $753,175$713,972
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $24$16
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $1,223,859$1,185,946
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $864,404$867,441
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $338,378$357,903
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $1,202,782$1,225,344
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $21,077−$39,398
Part VI · Governance 10 of 10 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body10
VI-1b Independent voting members10
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $1,185,946 across 11 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for $713,972 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1a Federated campaigns$0
VIII-1b Membership dues$440,643
VIII-1c Fundraising events$0
VIII-1d Related organizations$0
VIII-1e Government grants$0
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$31,315
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$0
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$471,958
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $16 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$16
VIII-5 RoyaltiesRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$0
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $713,988 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$1,185,946
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,225,344 across 30 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $0$0
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $0$0
IX-3 Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsPrograms $0$0
IX-4 Benefits paid to or for membersPrograms $0$0
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $106,638 · Management $72,337 · Fundraising $0$178,975
IX-6 Pay of disqualified personsPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $328,490 · Management $208,651 · Fundraising $0$537,141
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $64,851 · Management $29,229 · Fundraising $0$94,080
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $39,460 · Management $17,785 · Fundraising $0$57,245
IX-11a Management feesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $0 · Management $23,419 · Fundraising $0$23,419
IX-11d Lobbying feesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-11e Professional fundraising feesFundraising $0$0
IX-11f Investment management feesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $62,157 · Management $37,004 · Fundraising $0$99,161
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $22,956 · Management $24,399 · Fundraising $0$47,355
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $0 · Management $14,400 · Fundraising $0$14,400
IX-15 RoyaltiesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $0 · Management $12,597 · Fundraising $0$12,597
IX-17 TravelPrograms $17,351 · Management $63 · Fundraising $0$17,414
IX-18 Travel and entertainment for public officialsPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $126,092 · Management $219 · Fundraising $0$126,311
IX-20 InterestPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-21 Payments to affiliatesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $0 · Management $2,397 · Fundraising $0$2,397
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $1,065 · Management $7,614 · Fundraising $0$8,679
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $1,093 · Management $5,077 · Fundraising $0$6,170
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $770,153 · Management $455,191 · Fundraising $0$1,225,344
Part X · Balance sheet $331,537 assets, 14 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $43,472$76,382
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $28,276$92,863
X-3 Pledges and grants receivable$0
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $141,768$150,961
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $2,957$5,751
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $5,580$5,580
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $222,053$331,537
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $169,092$220,092
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $216,831$314,713
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $385,923$534,805
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year −$163,870−$203,268
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $0$0
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year −$163,870−$203,268
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $222,053$331,537
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets −$203,268 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,185,946
XI-2 Total expenses$1,225,344
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$39,398
XI-4 Net assets at start of year−$163,870
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$0
XI-6 Donated services and use of facilities$0
XI-7 Investment expenses$0
XI-8 Prior period adjustments$0
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year−$203,268

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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