The Social Engineering Project, Inc. TSEP is an Oakland based, 501c3 tax exempt social impact venture with Stanford University designed to address the lack of diversity in the tech industry through culturally relevant STEM pipeline programs for underrepresented students of color that lead to technical career pathways.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
32¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$77K 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 4
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $4K a year · 1% of revenue · last 4 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 2 of the last 4 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 4 filings
Spent on programs
32%
of spending
Concern: 32% of spending went to programs; under 50%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$77K
to officers and key staff · 22% of spending
Worth a look: pay to officers and key staff is 22% of spending; over 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
<1 mo
of spending, in cash
Worth a look: 0.6 months of spending in cash; under 1.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
2
named funders · $109K
Fine: 2 funders name it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$6K
16% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 16% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
4
of 5 voting members
Looks good: 4 of 5 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$267K
-34% vs prior year
Spent
$357K
To programs
32%
Net assets
$31K
By yearFY2021–FY2025
Revenue
$267K
FY2025▼ -34%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$166K
FY2022$287K
FY2023$365K
FY2024$405K
FY2025$267K
Expenses
$357K
FY2025▲ +10%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021Not on file
FY2022$211K
FY2023$413K
FY2024$325K
FY2025$357K
Net assets
$31K
FY2025▼ -75%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$14K
FY2022$89K
FY2023$41K
FY2024$121K
FY2025$31K

From the FY2025 Form 990 · see the original

Give Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Nov 2020.

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

Where the money goes

32 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 32% · $113K Management & general 15% · $52K Fundraising 54% · $192K

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

Something off? Claim to add context

Who runs it and what they're paid

5 people listed on the 990; $77K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
$76,923Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Kevin Nichols’s $77K as Director is at the 69th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1613 $100K–1M education 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 · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021
Kevin Nichols$76,923$92,308$94,231$75,000$49,539

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 The Social Engineering Project executive salaries →

On this list? Claim this org

Something off? Claim to add context

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
  • Loans to or from officersSch L · Pt II1 listed

Programs and updates

Builds tech careers for underrepresented students of color through STEM programs.

Questions for The Social Engineering Project

Tap to ask. The Social Engineering Project sees how many people are interested.

Your first name shows with your question. The Social Engineering Project answers here, for everyone.

Provided by the organization

Know this org? Add your story

3 programs · $112K · in their own filed words · FY2025
01

Science in the City SITC is a week-long summer day camp at Stanford University for incoming 5th and 6th grade underrepresented students of color. SITC was created through a joint partnership with Stanford University Graduate School of Education's Science in the City Research Group and The Social Engineering Project, Inc.

$60Kprogram expense
02

TSEP Overnight Camping Conference is a weekend-long conference for high school students of color throughout Northern California designed to motivate and inspire them to go to college, pursue a STEM major and related career, learn about work/life balance through hiking, mindfulness and yoga, entrepreneurship, personal branding, and how to…

$31Kprogram expense
03

Family Science Days/Nights

Our goal is to provide free Family Science Days ?FSD? throughout the school year to reinforce some of the scientific principles that we expose our students to and create a support group within families to continue to foster a love for math, science, technology, and engineering.

$22Kprogram 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
Tides FoundationFY2024$100K
Total grants receivedfrom 2 funders$109K

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$267K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$267K
Other incomeLn 4–11$75
Money outPt IX
$357K
Ln 25
Programscol B$113K
Managementcol C$52K
Fundraisingcol D$192K
Owns and owesPt X
$31K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$17K
Total assetsLn 16$37K
LiabilitiesLn 26$6K
PeoplePt VI, VII
5
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a5
IndependentVI 1b4
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$267K
Other incomeLn 4–11$75
Gains on assetsLn 7$0
Total revenueLn 12$267K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$17K
SavingsLn 2$0
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$17K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$0
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$0
Other assetsLn 15$0
Total assetsLn 16$37K
LiabilitiesLn 26$6K
Net assetsLn 32$31K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 510
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aNo
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$113K$17K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$0
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$0
Total assetsLn 16$127K$37K
LiabilitiesLn 26$6K$6K
Net assetsLn 32$121K$31K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$1K$1K
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$0
Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsLn 3$0
Benefits paid to or for membersLn 4$0
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$77K$58K$8K$12K
Pay of disqualified personsLn 6$0
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$14K$14K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$0
Other employee benefitsLn 9$0
Payroll taxesLn 10$7K$6K$366$918
Management feesLn 11a$0
Legal feesLn 11b$0
Accounting feesLn 11c$6K$6K
Lobbying feesLn 11d$0
Professional fundraising feesLn 11e$0
Investment management feesLn 11f$0
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$27K$8K$19K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$4K$4K
Office expensesLn 13$810$810
Information technologyLn 14$298$298
RoyaltiesLn 15$0
OccupancyLn 16$7K$7K
TravelLn 17$68K$12K$56K
Travel and entertainment for public officialsLn 18$0
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$1K$1K
InterestLn 20$0
Payments to affiliatesLn 21$0
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$0
InsuranceLn 23$2K$525$1K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$109K$6K$15K$88K
All other expensesLn 24e$32K$8K$13K$11K
Total functional expensesLn 25$357K$113K$52K$192K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $267K$357K−$90K$31K 990 PDF
FY2024 $405K$325K$80K$121K 990 PDF
FY2023 $365K$413K−$48K$41K 990 PDF
FY2022 $287K$211K$75K$89K 990 PDF
FY2021 $166K$14K 990 PDF

More to add? Claim this org

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 $267,261 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $405,282$267,186
I-9 Program service revenue$0
I-10 Investment income$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $39$75
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $405,321$267,261
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$1,022
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $121,381$97,790
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $204,093$258,420
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $325,474$357,232
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $79,847−$89,971
Part VI · Governance 4 of 5 board members independent, 4 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body5
VI-1b Independent voting members4
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyNo
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
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $267,261 across 9 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$264,186
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$267,186
VIII-3 Investment income$0
VIII-5 Royalties$0
VIII-6 Net rental income or loss$0
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assets$0
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising events$0
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $75$75
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $75$267,261
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $357,232 across 31 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $1,022$1,022
IX-2 Grants to domestic individuals$0
IX-3 Grants and assistance to foreign recipients$0
IX-4 Benefits paid to or for members$0
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $57,692 · Management $7,692 · Fundraising $11,538$76,922
IX-6 Pay of disqualified persons$0
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $13,500$13,500
IX-8 Pension plan contributions$0
IX-9 Other employee benefits$0
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $6,084 · Management $366 · Fundraising $918$7,368
IX-11a Management fees$0
IX-11b Legal fees$0
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $6,485$6,485
IX-11d Lobbying fees$0
IX-11f Investment management fees$0
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $8,150 · Fundraising $18,977$27,127
IX-12 Advertising and promotionFundraising $4,242$4,242
IX-13 Office expensesManagement $810$810
IX-14 Information technologyManagement $298$298
IX-15 Royalties$0
IX-16 OccupancyManagement $7,436$7,436
IX-17 TravelPrograms $11,853 · Fundraising $56,200$68,053
IX-18 Travel and entertainment for public officials$0
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsFundraising $1,134$1,134
IX-20 Interest$0
IX-21 Payments to affiliates$0
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortization$0
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $525 · Management $1,183$1,708
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $6,411 · Management $15,336 · Fundraising $87,551$109,298
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $8,164 · Management $12,542 · Fundraising $11,123$31,829
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $113,401 · Management $52,148 · Fundraising $191,683$357,232
Part X · Balance sheet $36,633 assets, 17 lines filed
Asset lines not itemized here account for $18,438; see the IRS return.
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $112,584$17,230
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investments$0
X-3 Pledges and grants receivable$0
X-4 Accounts receivable$0
X-8 Inventories for sale or use$0
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $464$965
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, net$0
X-11 Publicly traded securities$0
X-12 Other securities$0
X-13 Program-related investments$0
X-14 Intangible assets$0
X-15 Other assets$0
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $126,604$36,633
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $5,838$5,838
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $5,838$5,838
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $120,766$30,795
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $126,604$36,633
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $30,795 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$267,261
XI-2 Total expenses$357,232
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$89,971
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$120,766
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$30,795

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

Similar organizations you could support · Compare with another nonprofit

Names, privacy, and removal requests More

The names, titles, and compensation shown on this page are reproduced from IRS Form 990 filings, which are public records.

Philanthropy.org does not alter the content of those filings. All information appears exactly as reported by the filing organization for the tax year shown.

We publish only information contained in the public IRS filing — and less than the filing contains. Our profile pages do not display street addresses, telephone numbers, personal email addresses, or other personal contact information, even where the filing includes them.

Many people share the same name. A name shown on this page reflects only what one organization reported in one IRS filing for one tax year. It should not be interpreted as identifying any other individual with the same or a similar name.

If you are no longer affiliated with the organization, your name will generally stop appearing in future IRS filings once the organization no longer reports you. Pages for tax years in which you were reported remain published because those filings remain part of the public record.

Philanthropy.org does not alter or remove IRS filing records. Removing a page from this website would not remove the underlying IRS filing, which remains publicly available from the IRS and other publishers of the same information.

If you believe the IRS filing itself is inaccurate, corrections must be made by the filing organization or the IRS directly.

Your org? Add context

Made it to the end? Claim this org

All figures are derived from public IRS Form 990 filings and are presented without evaluation of any organization. philanthropy.org does not rate, score, or rank organizations, including the pay comparisons above.