SIMA is an arts organization that advances global awareness, social justice, human rights and education by supporting content creators, activists, educators and change-makers on the front-lines of social change, and amplifying the impact of their works to inspire activism, compassion and social transformation.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
71¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 2 volunteers and 2 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

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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
3 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $20K a year · 2% of revenue · last 5 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
71%
of spending
Fine: 71% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
2 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 2.0 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
12
named funders · $286K
Looks good: 12 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$0
0% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
3
of 3 voting members
Looks good: 3 of 3 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$655K
-77% vs prior year
Spent
$748K
To programs
71%
Net assets
$122K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$655K
FY2025▼ -77%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$163K
FY2021$701K
FY2022$672K
FY2023$1.0M
FY2024$2.8M
FY2025$655K
Expenses
$748K
FY2025▼ -72%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020Not on file
FY2021$708K
FY2022$645K
FY2023$990K
FY2024$2.7M
FY2025$748K
Net assets
$122K
FY2025▼ -44%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$21K
FY2021$13K
FY2022$40K
FY2023$87K
FY2024$216K
FY2025$122K

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending March 2025) · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Feb 2015.

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

Where the money goes

71 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 71% · $528K Management & general 29% · $220K

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

3 people listed on the 990.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Michael Mendoza’s $35K as Director of Operations is at the 23rd percentile of top reported officer pay among 2168 $100K–1M human services 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 · 4 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2022FY2021FY2020
Virginia Pittaro$33,800$33,500$37,130
Michael Mendoza$35,375$34,475$22,506
Luna Impact INC——$9,600
Alex Guillemette——$3,200

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.

See Sima Studios executive salaries →

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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 15aNo

Programs and updates

Supports content creators and activists to advance global awareness and social justice through their work.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $528K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Sima's fiscal sponsorship program allows us to elevate projects in all stages of development, production,post-production,distribution,outreach, and impact campaigns,helping creators and creative activists who may ohterwise not be able to secure the funding they need to see their projects financed, finished, and unleashed to have impact.

$497Kprogram expense
02

Since 2012, the annual social impact media awards have set new standards of creativity and integrity in social impact,storytelling,honoring eye opening documentary filmmaking and VR experiences that exemplify excellence in their potential to inspire social CHANGE.EACH year,projects are selected from over 140 countries around the world…

$26Kprogram expense
03

Sima classroom is our diverse and expansive "netflix for changemakers", offering an unprecedent collection of contemporary current affairs media that give students a first-person insight into the pulse, the people, and the movements behind today's global issues, taking them from empathy and critical thinking to action.

$5Kprogram 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 · FY2024
See all 12 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$655K
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$590K
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$65K
Money outPt IX
$748K
Ln 25
Programscol B$528K
Managementcol C$220K
Owns and owesPt X
$122K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$122K
Total assetsLn 16$122K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
PeoplePt VI, VII
3
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a3
IndependentVI 1b3
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$65K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$590K
Total revenueLn 12$655K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$122K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$122K
Total assetsLn 16$122K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
Net assetsLn 32$122K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 52
VolunteersI 62
Fiscal year endsHeaderMarch
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$219K$122K
Total assetsLn 16$225K$122K
LiabilitiesLn 26$9K$0
Net assetsLn 32$216K$122K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$102K$102K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$6K$6K
Payroll taxesLn 10$7K$7K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$131K$26K$104K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$5K$5K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$275$275
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$497K$497K
Total functional expensesLn 25$748K$528K$220K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $655K$748K−$94K$122K 990 PDF
FY2024 $2.8M$2.7M$129K$216K 990 PDF
FY2023 $1.0M$990K$47K$87K 990 PDF
FY2022 $672K$645K$27K$40K 990 PDF
FY2021 $701K$708K−$8K$13K 990 PDF
FY2020 $163K$21K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $654,695 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $2,633,597$65,000
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $181,011$589,695
I-10 Investment income$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $1,666$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $2,816,274$654,695
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $87,348$115,772
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $2,599,656$632,486
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $2,687,004$748,258
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $129,270−$93,563
Part VI · Governance 3 of 3 board members independent, 3 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body3
VI-1b Independent voting members3
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $654,695 across 4 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$65,000
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$65,000
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $589,695$589,695
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $589,695$654,695
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $748,258 across 7 lines filed
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesManagement $102,200$102,200
IX-9 Other employee benefitsManagement $6,491$6,491
IX-10 Payroll taxesManagement $7,081$7,081
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $26,348 · Management $104,336$130,684
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $4,735$4,735
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $275$275
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $496,792$496,792
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $528,150 · Management $220,108 · Fundraising $0$748,258
Part X · Balance sheet $121,960 assets, 7 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $218,612$121,960
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $225,077$121,960
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $8,942$0
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $216,135$102,790
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictions$19,170
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $216,135$121,960
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $225,077$121,960
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $121,960 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$654,695
XI-2 Total expenses$748,258
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$93,563
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$216,135
XI-9 Other changes in net assets−$612
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$121,960

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

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