Nonprofit · EIN 27-0500339
PULSERA PROJECT
Tax-exempt · WEST CHESTER, PA 19382
Financials
| Year ended | Form | Revenue | Expenses | Net income | Total assets | Liabilities | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 30, 2025 | 990 | $398,080 | $389,449 | $8,631 | $816,006 | $148,305 | $667,701 |
| June 30, 2024 | 990 | $488,485 | $616,453 | -$127,968 | $809,070 | $150,000 | $659,070 |
| June 30, 2023 | 990 | $425,794 | $323,577 | $102,217 | $937,038 | $150,000 | $787,038 |
Financial details: 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025
Revenue
- Contributions, gifts and grants
- $6,958
- Program service revenue
- $22,380
- Investment income
- $5,398
- Net income from sales of inventory
- $363,344
- Other revenue
- $363,344
Expenses
- Grants and similar amounts paid
- $31,080
- Other salaries and wages
- $186,054
- Salaries, compensation and benefits (total)
- $201,160
- Professional fundraising fees
- $0
- Legal fees
- $1,258
- Accounting fees
- $4,473
- Occupancy
- $29,094
- Travel
- $23,422
- Program services (functional)
- $380,528
- Management and general (functional)
- $8,921
Balance sheet and other
- Total assets, start of year
- $809,070
- Total assets, end of year
- $816,006
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $148,305
- Net assets, end of year
- $667,701
- Net assets without donor restrictions
- $667,701
- Gross receipts
- $571,855
- Employees
- 4
- Volunteers
- 10,000
- Year formed
- 2009
- State of legal domicile
- PA
From the e-filed returns the IRS publishes as XML (latest three processing years; amended returns replace the original). PDF copies at the IRS.
Officers, directors and key employees
As listed on the 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025, highest compensation first.
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSAN L PATTERSON | PRESIDENT/TREASURER Trustee or director, Officer | 4 | $0 |
| CATHY MCCAULEY | SECRETARY Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 |
990 for the year ended June 30, 2024: 3 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSAN L PATTERSON | PRESIDENT/TREASURER Trustee or director, Officer | 4 | $0 |
| DANIELA GUERRERO | SECRETARY Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 |
| CATHY MCCAULEY | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
990 for the year ended June 30, 2023: 3 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSAN L PATTERSON | PRESIDENT/TREASURER Trustee or director, Officer | 4 | $0 |
| DANIELA GUERRERO | SECRETARY Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 |
| CATHY MCCAULEY | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
Address and contacts
- Address (IRS master file)
- 131 N WAWASET RD, WEST CHESTER, PA 19382-6735
- In care of
- % SUSAN PATTERSON
- Principal officer (990 for 2024)
- SUSAN PATTERSON, 131 N WAWASET ROAD, WEST CHESTER, PA 19382
- Signed the 990
- SUSAN L PATTERSON, PRESIDENT/TREASURER
- Phone
- (484) 319-7040
- Website
- WWW.PULSERAPROJECT.ORG
- Return prepared by
- CLIFTONLARSONALLEN LLP
Mission
THE PULSERA PROJECT'S MISSION IS TO CREATE A MORE JUST AND COLORFUL WORLD THROUGH THE EDUCATION AND EMPOWERMENT OF CENTRAL AMERICAN COMMUNITIES AND U.S. STUDENTS. SEE SCHEDULE O.
Program accomplishments
- THE PULSERA PROJECT'S SOCIAL ENTERPRISE MODEL IS UNIQUE BECAUSE OUR PROJECT IS BASED ON SOLIDARITY AND MUTUAL BENEFIT -U.S. STUDENTS HELP CREATE OPPORTUNITY IN CENTRAL AMERICA THROUGH PULSERA SALES WHILE ALSO LEARNING ABOUT THE ARTISANS AND COMMUNITIES WHOM THEIR SALES BENEFIT. BY WEAVING PULSERA SALES INTO AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM WE CAN PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CENTRAL AMERICANS WHILE ALSO EDUCATING THOUSANDS OF U.S. STUDENTS ABOUT FAIR TRADE, CENTRAL AMERICAN CULTURE, AND GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP.***** SEE SCHEDULE O FOR CONTINUATION *****THE PROJECT MISSION:THE PULSERA PROJECT CONTINUES TO FOCUS ON DEVELOPING OUR THREE CORE COMPONENTS:1) CREATING MEANINGFUL EMPLOYMENT FOR CENTRAL AMERICANS2) EDUCATING U.S. STUDENTS THROUGH PULSERA SALES3) INVESTING PROCEEDS IN CENTRAL AMERICAN COMMUNITIESTHE 2024-25 SCHOOL YEAR WAS BOTH INSPIRING AND CHALLENGING FOR THE PULSERA PROJECT. WE WERE HONORED TO WORK ALONGSIDE HUNDREDS OF SCHOOLS ACROSS THE U.S., STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIPS WITH TEACHERS AND STUDENTS AND WELCOMING NEW ONES. YEAR AFTER YEAR, THESE STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS BRING OUR MISSION TO LIFE ALONGSIDE THE ARTISANS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WE PROUDLY CALL OUR PULSERA FAMILY IN GUATEMALA AND NICARAGUA, BRINGING LESSONS ON SOLIDARITY, FAIR TRADE, AND GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP INTO CLASSROOMS NATIONWIDE.AT THE SAME TIME, WE FACED REDUCED SALES AND LOWER SCHOOL PARTICIPATION, CONTINUING A TREND MANY EDUCATORS TRACE TO THE LASTING EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC. FEWER STUDENTS ARE JOINING CLUBS, TEACHERS FACE GREATER BARRIERS TO HOSTING EVENTS, AND BURNOUT REMAINS A COMMON CHALLENGE.EVEN SO, OUR SIEMPRE ADELANTE SPIRIT REMAINS STRONG. WITH NEW COLLABORATIONS INCLUDING A HOUSING SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR GUATEMALAN ARTISANS - EXPANDED EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS, INNOVATIVE CLASSROOM RESOURCES, AND THE CONTINUED DEDICATION OF OUR TEAM AND CENTRAL AMERICAN PARTNERS, WE MOVE INTO THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR COMMITTED TO BUILDING BRIDGES OF SOLIDARITY AND SUSTAINING FAIR TRADE IMPACT.THE ARTISANS OF GUATEMALA & NICARAGUAAFTER YEARS OF SUSTAINING PULSERA ARTISAN EMPLOYMENT THROUGH THE PANDEMIC AND RECOVERY, WE REDUCED PULSERA PRODUCTION THIS YEAR TO MATCH SALES AND TO ENSURE THE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF THE PROJECT. EVEN WITH THIS ADJUSTMENT, WE DELIVERED $132,825 IN ARTISAN INCOME.IN THE SPIRIT OF SOLIDARITY, OUR ARTISAN GROUPS ACCEPTED THIS NECESSARY SHIFT WITH OPTIMISM. AS THEY SHARED, THERE ARE GOOD TIMES AND BAD TIMES...BOTH ARE TO BE EXPECTED. BEYOND THE NUMBERS, THE PROJECT'S REAL VALUE LIES IN HUMAN CONNECTION - SHARING, LAUGHING, WORKING TOGETHER, AND SUPPORTING ONE ANOTHER THROUGH CHALLENGES AND GROWTH.SCHOOL COLLABORATIONS AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM IN THE U.S.THE MISSION OF THE PULSERA PROJECT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE DEDICATION OF THOUSANDS OF TEACHERS AND STUDENTS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES WHO BRING PULSERA SALES TO LIFE EACH YEAR. THROUGH THEIR CREATIVITY AND COMMITMENT, THEY CREATE EMPLOYMENT FOR ARTISANS WHILE RAISING FUNDS FOR IMPACTFUL PROGRAMS IN GUATEMALA AND NICARAGUA. CLASSROOMS BECOME SPACES FOR MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SOCIAL IMPACT, SOLIDARITY, FAIR TRADE, AND GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP.DURING THE 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR, WE PARTNERED WITH 326 SCHOOLS IN THE FALL/WINTER SEMESTER AND 440 SCHOOLS IN WINTER/SPRING, FOR A TOTAL OF 766 PULSERA SALES. TOGETHER, TEACHERS AND STUDENT VOLUNTEERS RAISED $537,119, AND THE PULSERA PROJECT ADDITIONALLY RECEIVED $6,958 IN DONATIONS.SINCE 2009, WE'VE NOW COLLABORATED WITH 4,056 SCHOOLS ACROSS ALL 50 STATES, RESULTING IN 8,808 UNIQUE PULSERA SALES. THIS YEAR 180 SCHOOLS HOSTED THEIR FIRST SALE, WHILE MANY LONG-STANDING PARTNERS RETURNED, SOME EVEN MARKING THEIR 15TH YEAR OF PARTICIPATION. WE ALSO EXPANDED COLLABORATIONS WITH VISTA HIGHER LEARNING, AATSP & THE NATIONAL SPANISH EXAMINATION, SIGMA DELTA PI, AND JNCL, AND CONTINUED SPONSORING EDUCATORS TO REPRESENT THE PULSERA PROJECT AT LANGUAGE CONFERENCES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.WE WERE GRATEFUL TO GUIDE ANOTHER TEACHER TRIP TO GUATEMALA, CONNECTING ARTISANS AND EDUCATORS AND DEEPENING CROSS-CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING THROUGH MEANINGFUL TRAVEL. WE EXTEND HEARTFELT THANKS TO VISTA HIGHER LEARNING AND THE NATIONAL SPANISH EXAM FOR SPONSORING TEACHER SCHOLARSHIPS, HELPING ENSURE THIS OPPORTUNITY REMAINS ACCESSIBLE TO EDUCATORS WHO WISH TO PARTICIPATE.SOCIAL IMPACT IN CENTRAL AMERICAWHEN THE PROJECT FIRST STARTED, ITS SOLE PRIORITY WAS CREATING INCOME AND EMPLOYMENT FOR ARTISANS. AS SCHOOLS BECAME INVOLVED, WE INVESTED EQUAL TIME IN DEVELOPING EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS. AS PULSERA SALES FLOURISHED, WE EXPANDED OUR FOCUS TO COMMUNITY IMPACT AND SUPPORTING LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS IN CENTRAL AMERICA.WHILE WE CONTINUE STRIVING TO STRENGTHEN PULSERA SALES, WE ARE ALSO EXPLORING NEW WAYS TO SUPPORT OUR PARTNERS. THIS YEAR WE TESTED AN ONLINE FUNDING CAMPAIGN THROUGH ZEFFY TO RAISE FUNDS FOR AN ARTISAN HOUSING PROJECT WITH COJOLYA. THE CAMPAIGN BROUGHT IN $4,450, AND THE PULSERA PROJECT CONTRIBUTED AN ADDITIONAL $10,550 TO FULLY FUND THE PROJECT FOR 15 FAMILIES IN SANTIAGO ATITLAN, GUATEMALA.IN ADDITION TO THE COJOLYA HOUSING PROJECT, WE SUPPORTED FOUR ORGANIZATIONS IN GUATEMALA WITH $13,600 IN GRANTS. WE PARTNERED WITH ASOMUJERDI TO STRENGTHEN THEIR COMMUNITY RADIO STATION, FUND SCHOLARSHIPS, AND SUPPORT ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS; SUPPORTED ASOGEN IN DEFENDING THE RIGHTS OF SURVIVORS OF GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE THROUGH SCHOLARSHIPS AND OPERATING SUPPORT; FINANCED A COMMUNITY GARDEN AND INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS THROUGH IMAP; AND COLLABORATED WITH WARICHA TO DEVELOP UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIPS AND TRAINING PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON GENDER, IMMIGRATION, AND HEALTH.ALL OF THIS BROUGHT THE TOTAL AMOUNT SPENT IN CENTRAL AMERICAN COMMUNITIES TO $201,946, SUPPORTING ARTISANS, ENTREPRENEURS, AND LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS.ADELANTE IN THE COMING YEARAS WE REFLECT ON THIS PAST YEAR, ONE THING REMAINS CLEAR: THE PULSERA PROJECT IS SUSTAINED NOT ONLY BY SALES, BUT BY THE RESILIENCE OF OUR RELATIONSHIPS. FROM ARTISANS IN GUATEMALA AND NICARAGUA TO TEACHERS AND STUDENTS ACROSS THE U.S., COLLABORATION ACROSS BORDERS REMAINS OUR BEATING HEART.WITH DEEP GRATITUDE FOR THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT HAVE CARRIED THE PROJECT FORWARD FOR OVER FIFTEEN YEARS, WE STEP INTO THE COMING YEAR WITH OUR SIEMPRE ADELANTE SPIRIT INTACT - COMMITTED TO CREATING FAIR TRADE JOB OPPORTUNITIES, NURTURING GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP, AND CONTINUING TO WEAVE TOGETHER LIVES AND COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE SIMPLE BEAUTY OF A PULSERA.Expenses $380,528 · grants $31,080 · revenue $385,724
What it must file and when
IRS records say it files Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N. Its accounting year ends in June, so each return is due on the 15th day of the 5th month after that.
| Tax year | Year ended | Due | IRS public records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | June 30, 2026 | November 16, 2026 | Not due yet |
| 2024 | June 30, 2025 | November 17, 2025 | 990 on file |
| 2023 | June 30, 2024 | November 15, 2024 | 990 on file |
IRS record
- EIN
- 27-0500339
- Tax-exempt status
- 501(c)(3): Charitable, religious, educational or scientific organization
- Foundation status
- Publicly supported organization (509(a)(2))
- Donations deductible (Pub 78)
- Public charity, 50% deduction limit
- Exempt since
- 2009
- Accounting year ends
- June
- Files
- Form 990 or 990-EZ
- Category (NTEE)
- Philanthropy, voluntarism and grantmaking foundations (T12)
- Assets (IRS master file)
- $816,006
- Income (IRS master file)
- $571,855
Filing history
| Form | Year ended | Revenue | Expenses | Assets | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 990 | June 2025 | $398,080 | $389,449 | $816,006 | IRS |
| 990 | June 2024 | $488,485 | $616,453 | $809,070 | IRS |
| 990 | June 2023 | $425,794 | $323,577 | $937,038 | XML |
| 990 | December 2022 | $610,607 | $543,535 | $834,822 | IRS |
| 990 | December 2021 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | December 2020 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | December 2019 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | December 2018 | – | – | – | IRS |
990-N: the IRS bulk file holds only the latest e-Postcard per organization; earlier years come from archived copies of that file since 2020 and can have gaps (the IRS e-Postcard search lists every one). 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, 990-T: every e-filed return in the IRS e-file index since 2019; XML for the latest three processing years, amounts from the IRS Statistics of Income extracts before that. PDF copies and determination letters at the IRS (search EIN 27-0500339).
Questions about PULSERA PROJECT
- What is the EIN of PULSERA PROJECT?
- The employer identification number (EIN) of PULSERA PROJECT is 27-0500339.
- Is PULSERA PROJECT tax-exempt?
- Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) since 2009.
- Are donations to PULSERA PROJECT tax-deductible?
- Yes. It is listed in IRS Publication 78 (Public charity, 50% deduction limit).
- Which annual return does PULSERA PROJECT file?
- Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N.
- When is the next return of PULSERA PROJECT due?
- The return for tax year 2025 (the year ending June 30, 2026) is due November 16, 2026. Form 8868 extends it by six months; the 990-N cannot be extended.
- When did PULSERA PROJECT last file with the IRS?
- The latest return in the IRS public files is the 990 for the year ended June 2025.
- Who is the principal officer of PULSERA PROJECT?
- The 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025 names SUSAN PATTERSON.
- Who are the officers and directors of PULSERA PROJECT?
- The 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025 lists 2 people; 0 received compensation from the organization.
- How much revenue does PULSERA PROJECT have?
- On its 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025 it reported revenue of $398,080, expenses of $389,449 and total assets of $816,006 at year end.
Other nonprofits in WEST CHESTER
- CHESTER COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION INC EIN 23-2773822 · last filed 990 for 2025
- LOR FOUNDATION INC EIN 20-5682977 · last filed 990-PF for 2024
- WYETH FOUNDATION FOR AMERICAN ART EIN 06-1662503 · last filed 990-PF for 2024
- PLURABEL FUND EIN 47-1891989 · last filed 990-PF for 2025
- FOUNDATION FOR INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL RELIEF OF CHILDREN EIN 20-0274889 · last filed 990 for 2023
- ACTS OF GENEROSITY EIN 20-3143098 · last filed 990-PF for 2024
- FIRST CORNERSTONE FOUNDATION INC EIN 42-1653252 · last filed 990-PF for 2025
- T P STATHIS FOUNDATION EIN 25-6715011 · last filed 990-PF for 2025
All nonprofits in WEST CHESTER · Pennsylvania · Philanthropy, voluntarism and grantmaking foundations