Burning Man Project
83% goes to programs $36 to raise $100 Growing revenue
Burning Man Project is a 501(c)(3) organization based in San Francisco, California, registered in 2012, with $56,039,635 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it B+, and it directs about 83% of spending to programs.
660 Alabama St Ste 4, San Francisco, CA, 94110 EIN 45-2638273 Since 2012
Revenue (FY2024)
$56.0M
▼ 15.8% vs prior year
Community median: $184K
Expenses (FY2024)
$66.7M
Net assets
$19.0M
Employees
1,201
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
B+
★★★★
Rated on 4 of 4 criteria.
Held down by its weakest criterion — a strong score on one criterion can't hide a weak one.
How the rating works →AProgram efficiency40% of the rating83% to programs · $36 to raise $100
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Burning Man Project: 83% to programs · $36 to raise $100 earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
C+Financial health25% of the rating3 mo reserves · -19% margin
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Burning Man Project: 3 mo reserves · -19% margin earns a C+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Governance25% of the rating6 of 6 checks met
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Burning Man Project: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Transparency10% of the rating5 of 5 disclosure signals
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Burning Man Project: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Show this grade on your website
A live seal — it updates automatically when the grade changes and links donors to this verified profile.
Mission
Uphold and manifest the ten principles of burning man internationally through art and culture, education, and civic engagement.
What they do
Culturethe cultural center develops and operates spaces that showcase and incubate burning man arts, culture, and community participation. these include temporary, virtual, or physical gathering spaces, galleries, archives, and community hubs, both urban and rural, that support collaboration, education, and connection.
Artsburning man arts aims to shift the role of art from object to a participatory, shared experience, both at the burning man event and globally. the program supports interactive, participatory creative expression through grants, public art, exhibitions, and civic installations.
Educationeducation shares burning man's culture, principles, and skills through workshops, trainings, and seminars. topics range from interactive art and nonprofit operations to leadership, project management, safety, and government engagement.
Contact & location
- Address
- 660 Alabama St Ste 4, San Francisco, CA, 94110
- City
- San Francisco
- State
- California
- Subcategory
- Community & Neighborhood Development
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $32.4M (FY2014) to $56.0M (FY2024) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2024)
Liabilities $11.5MNet assets $19.0M
Operating margin
-19.0%
Spent more than it raised in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$30.5M
Total liabilities
$11.5M
Net assets
$19.0M
Salaries & benefits
$31.7M
48% of expenses
Board members
19
14 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $56,039,635▼15.8% | $66,661,446▲4.8% | $18,991,189▼36.0% | $30,458,651▼18.9% | 990 |
| 2023 | $66,571,053▲6.4% | $63,604,379▲8.7% | $29,671,246▲11.1% | $37,545,614▲1.5% | 990 |
| 2022 | $62,560,831▲125% | $58,521,590▲133% | $26,704,572▲20.1% | $37,005,574▲20.5% | 990 |
| 2021 | $27,748,874▲77.5% | $25,116,560▲10.9% | $22,230,513▲13.5% | $30,700,234▲22.5% | 990 |
| 2020 | $15,633,807▼66.3% | $22,655,698▼50.8% | $19,584,474▼26.4% | $25,058,069▼21.0% | 990 |
| 2019 | $46,414,875▼0.5% | $46,064,866▲4.6% | $26,606,365▲1.3% | $31,715,370▲4.9% | 990 |
| 2018 | $46,641,655▲4.7% | $44,041,808▲7.9% | $26,256,356▲11.0% | $30,236,682▲8.9% | 990 |
| 2017 | $44,544,045▼3.6% | $40,810,169▲10.4% | $23,656,509▲18.7% | $27,772,267▲13.8% | 990 |
| 2016 | $46,218,471▲25.2% | $36,975,805▲3.2% | $19,922,771▲86.5% | $24,413,461▲65.4% | 990 |
| 2015 | $36,901,409▲14.0% | $35,844,236▲19.4% | $10,680,108▲11.0% | $14,763,766▲3.7% | 990 |
| 2014 | $32,364,009 | $30,013,511 | $9,622,922 | $14,243,495 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Leadership & compensation (FY2024)
Highest-paid: Marian Goodell — $401,097 (0.60% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marian Goodell | Chief Executive Officer/director | 40 | $401,097 |
| Steven Blumenfeld | Chief Technology Officer | 40 | $316,833 |
| Doug Robertson | Director of Finance | 40 | $304,165 |
| Timothy Renollet | Dir. of Nevada Operations | 40 | $275,589 |
| Adam Belsky | General Counsel | 40 | $258,641 |
| Heather White | Chief Operating Officer | 40 | $253,807 |
| Harley K Dubois | Chief Culture Officer/director | 40 | $231,230 |
| Juho Parkkinen | Cfo | 40 | $217,579 |
| Charlie Dolman | Director of Event Operations | 40 | $203,615 |
| Pedro Vidal Flores | Director of People and Learning | 40 | $200,918 |
| Jonathan Rosen | Associate Director of Prod./des. | 40 | $198,643 |
| Kim Cook | Sr Director of Global Activation | 40 | $196,958 |
| Marnee Benson | Sr Director of Govt Affairs | 40 | $181,096 |
| Nanci O Peterson | Art Transition Officer/director | 40 | $159,447 |
| Michael Mikel | Historian & Archivist/director | 16 | $81,887 |
| Will Roger Peterson | Brc Director of Nv Relations/dir. | 16 | $79,633 |
| Dennis Bartels | Chair of Board | 2 | — |
| Farhad Mohit | Director | 2 | — |
| Fred Brathwaite | Director | 2 | — |
| Jennifer Raiser | Treasurer | 2 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2024)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Facility Concession Services Inc | Food Services | $1,684,634 |
| Royal Ambulance Inc | Medical Services | $1,028,929 |
| Bear Communications Inc | Radio & Communication Services | $620,016 |
| Courtney Rock & Transport LLC | Construction & Transportation Services | $597,030 |
| Holland & Knight LLP | Legal Services | $523,636 |
Grants received · $29.5M total
79 grants to Burning Man Project totaling $29.5M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
Grants made · $317K in FY2024
19 grants totaling $317K in FY2024 — showing the 15 largest. All grants made by Burning Man Project →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Conecophony Collective LLC | Honoraria art grant | $40,000 |
| Rocket Car Collective LLC | Art grant | $30,000 |
| O Chelsy Productions LLC | Honoraria art grant | $24,000 |
| Tyler Fuqua Creations Inc | Honoraria art grant | $22,000 |
| Barnacle Bros Sculpture & Custom Fabrication Inc | Honoraria art grant | $20,000 |
| Product of Mars Inc | Honoraria art grant | $20,000 |
| Poetic Kinetics Inc | Honoraria art grant | $20,000 |
| Goodly House Productions LLC | Honoraria art grant | $19,000 |
| Next Earth Project | Honoraria art grant | $15,223 |
| Circaform | Honoraria art grant | $15,000 |
| Brs Studios Corp | Honoraria art grant | $14,760 |
| The Honors Academy of Literature | Honoraria art grant | $13,984 |
| Carbon Pictures | Honoraria art grant | $12,000 |
| Artbuilds Collective Ltd | Honoraria art grant | $12,000 |
| Looking Up Arts Foundation Inc | Honoraria art grant | $10,000 |
Similar organizations in Community
Community
San Diego Tourism Marketing District
San Diego, CA
$52.8M
C+annual revenue
Community
Common Counsel Foundation
Oakland, CA
$51.4M
Cannual revenue
- Community
Dream Machine Innovation So Inc
Los Angeles, CA
$50.4M
C+annual revenue
Community
San Francisco Tourism Improvement District Management Corporation
San Francisco, CA
$48.3M
C+annual revenue
Community
Policylink
Oakland, CA
$48.2M
Aannual revenue
Community
Bioindustrial Manufacturing and Design Ecosystem
Emeryville, CA
$65.1M
B+annual revenue
Community
Los Angeles Jewish Home For the Aging
Reseda, CA
$44.9M
Cannual revenue
Community
Accion Opportunity Fund Community Development
San Jose, CA
$44.5M
C+annual revenue
- Community
Brawley Community Foundation
Brawley, CA
$42.8M
Dannual revenue
Community
Imagine Worldwide
Mill Valley, CA
$41.5M
Bannual revenue
Compare Burning Man Project
Frequently asked questions
- Is Burning Man Project a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Burning Man Project is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 45-2638273, based in San Francisco, California. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Burning Man Project's EIN?
- Burning Man Project's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 45-2638273.
- How much revenue does Burning Man Project report?
- Burning Man Project reported $56,039,635 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Burning Man Project's spending goes to programs?
- Burning Man Project spends about 83% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Burning Man Project have?
- CharityIndex grades Burning Man Project B+, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Burning Man Project's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Burning Man Project's latest Form 990 is $401,097, paid to Marian Goodell (Chief Executive Officer/director).
More nonprofits in San Francisco
Explore more
Data for Burning Man Project (EIN 45-2638273) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.