Pollen Initiative

Tax-deductible

Sacramento, CA501(c)(3)Arts & CultureEIN 92-2619177

Pollen Initiatives mission is to cultivate media centers inside prisons so that incarcerated people can tell their own stories and inform public understanding of the criminal justice system. Through programs such as the San Quentin News the CCWF Media Center and Paper Trail publication and in-prison film and journalism training Pollen equips incarcerated individuals with professional reporting and multimedia skills. These activities foster dialogue empower system-impacted voices and create sustainable platforms for humanizing and reforming how society views incarceration.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
75¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 10 volunteers.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2025 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
Is it a real charity?
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
Are gifts tax-deductible?
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Is it filing on time?
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 years looks good.
IRS e-file · Filing history
How much reaches the programs?
75%
of spending
Worth a look: 75% of spending went to programs; under 75% is worth a look.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Do they have reserves?
4 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 4.5 months of spending in cash; 3 or more looks good.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Who is supporting them already?
1
named funder · $5K
Worth a look: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3 is worth a look.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Do they carry debt?
$26K
liabilities
Looks good: debts are 14% of assets; 50% or less looks good.
Pt X · Ln 26
Who oversees it?
4
independent of 4 voting board members
Looks good: 4 of 4 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodWorth a lookConcernTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$400K
Spent
$453K
To programs
75%
Net assets
$156K

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

Status and standing

Is it real, and can you give to it?

Tax-deductible?
Yes
Per the IRS master file.
Can I give now?
No revocation on IRS record
Not on the IRS revocation list.
Filing up to date?
Filed FY2025 (typical filing lag)
Legal name (IRS)Hdr · item CPollen Initiative
EINHdr · item D92-2619177
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
Ruling yearIRS BMFJan 2024
Latest filingForm 990FY2025 · Form 990
Principal addressHdr · item CSacramento, CA
NTEE classificationIRS BMFArts & Culture (A30)

Where the money goes

What each dollar paid for.

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.75 Management & general $0.09 Fundraising $0.16
Program services75%$339K
Management & general9%$41K
Fundraising16%$73K
Total functional expensesLn 25$453K

Financial health

Is it on solid ground?

Program efficiency
75%
of spending reaches programs
Operating runway
4.5mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate
Surplus margin
-13%
revenue over expenses, this year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2025 · Form 990
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19−$53K
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$182K
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B75%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 34
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 44

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$171K
Total assetsLn 16$182K
Total liabilitiesLn 26$26K
Total net assetsLn 32$156K
Months of cash on handcomputed4.5

Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Contributions & grants$358K · 89%
Other revenue$42K · 11%
Contributions & grants89%$358K
Other revenue11%$42K
Total revenueLn 12$400K

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2025 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $171K · Operating expenses/yr $453K
4.5 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $339K · Total expenses $453K
75%
Management & General
Management & general $41K · Total expenses $453K
9%
Fundraising
Fundraising $73K · Total expenses $453K
16%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense $73K · Solicited contributions $358K
$0.20 to raise $1
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $358K · Total revenue $400K
89%
Government reliance
Government grants $0 · Total revenue $400K
0%
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $0 · Total revenue $400K
0%
Investment reliance
Investment income $0 · Total revenue $400K
0%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $0 · Total expenses $453K
0%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $400K · Prior year —
No prior year on file
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $156K · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $400K · Expenses $453K
-13%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $182K
—
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $156K · Total assets $182K
86%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) $0 · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) $0 · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $182K
0%
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Jesse Vasquez · Reported title Jesse Vasquez Executive Director · Highest reported compensation $0 · Total expenses $453K
0%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $224K · Total expenses $453K
49%
Peer comparison

Same NTEE category, revenue band, and state where available. Descriptive — not a grade.

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 75%——
Overhead ratio 9%——
Fundraising cost ratio 20%——
Investment management fee ratio 0%——
Legal fee ratio 0%——
Accounting fee ratio 2%——
Fundraising fee ratio 2%——

Straight from the Form 990 — descriptive, not an evaluation. A ratio is hidden when its base is zero or too small to be meaningful; the dollars are always shown.

Leadership and pay

Who runs it, and what are they paid?

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
Jesse Vasquez Executive Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Editorial Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Communications Coordinator
$0Pt VII · Sec A
See Pollen Initiative executive salaries →

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Governance & Policies

Part VI
  • 4Voting board membersPt VI · Ln 1a
  • 4Independent board membersPt VI · Ln 1b
  • Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aYes
  • Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13Yes
  • Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14Yes
  • Top official’s pay independently reviewedPt VI · Ln 15aNo
  • Family or business ties among leadersPt VI · Ln 2No

Mission and programs

What it does.

Empowers incarcerated people to share their stories and inform public understanding through prison media centers.

Provided by the organization

This section is blank until Pollen Initiative claims this page.

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Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

3 program services account for $339K of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

San Quentin News the pioneering incarcerated-run news outlet operates within San Quentin State Prison offering a platform for individuals in custody to produce a wide array of journalistic content including a monthly newspaper video news and digital features.

$219Kprogram expense
02

In 2024 Pollen Initiative launched the first full media center inside a U.S. womens prison at the Central California Womens Facility CCWF. Through a 16-week journalism guild and ongoing editorial mentorship incarcerated women receive hands-on training in writing editing and ethical reporting.

$114Kprogram expense
03

Pollen Initiative supports Wall City a documentary arts magazine created by San Quentin News writers and operates an in-prison film training program. Participants learn storyboarding camera work editing and production ethics creating short films and multimedia projects that document life inside.

$6Kprogram expense

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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 · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$5K

Filing history

Every return on file.

YearRevenueExpensesChangeFiling
FY2025 Latest Viewing $400K$453K 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

Full filing: Form 990 for FY2025

Every line we hold from the return, cited to its Part and line.
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $452,639 across 26 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $143,657 · Management $27,897 · Fundraising $52,385$223,939
IX-6 Pay of disqualified personsPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-11a Management feesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $1,741 · Management $7,500 · Fundraising $0$9,241
IX-11d Lobbying feesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-11e Professional fundraising feesFundraising $10,800$10,800
IX-11f Investment management feesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $19,686 · Management $396 · Fundraising $0$20,082
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $249 · Management $0 · Fundraising $4,792$5,041
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $133,769 · Management $726 · Fundraising $0$134,495
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $8,446 · Management $1,054 · Fundraising $0$9,500
IX-15 RoyaltiesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $9,468 · Management $0 · Fundraising $3,376$12,844
IX-17 TravelPrograms $14,558 · Management $0 · Fundraising $1,300$15,858
IX-18 Travel and entertainment for public officialsPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $7,122 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$7,122
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 $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $0 · Management $2,060 · Fundraising $0$2,060
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $87 · Management $1,570 · Fundraising $0$1,657
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $338,783 · Management $41,203 · Fundraising $72,653$452,639

Not shown yet: ratings, outcomes, and peer benchmarks. A Form 990 doesn’t report them.

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2025IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
Names, privacy, and removal requests More

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